We are addicted to the war on drugs....this will so hurt us in Afghanistan...


http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/world/asia/10afghan.html

Since when has cutting the enemy's supply lines been a bad idea?

If they were car dealers supplying the money, we'd take em out. If it was a hot dog vendor supplying the money, we'd take em out. Etc etc...

This is pretty much declaring war on those who could provide us with the needed intelligence in order to operate in the environment there.

You don't get the population on your side by taking away their means of support.

Interdicting poppy growers is not disrupting the supply lines...those lines are in Pakistan and they come in over the mountains to Afghanistan.

Elemak, you underestimate the 'supply line' of the Taleban, it is THE industry of Afghanistan, one on which millions depend for every day subsistence. It would be a fatal blow to the Afghan operation if resources were wasted on trying to completely change a country's economic base - especially when no other industry can act as a competent and productive replacement. With the rise in global food prices, grain has been suggested, but it could never hope to match the return these poppy-workers are gaining from opium production.

Shouldn't we be more worried about the drugs and corruption with in our country caused from the Poppy plants in Afghan more so than the "poppy worker?"...hard for me to wrap my hands around that one.

I think using the military to target these guys was probably a bad press release, but I think they have already been doing that anyways? Just using a slightly different means but a dead drug lord is a dead drug lord no matter how you package it.

Just think, if we weren't running Prohibition-II here, the stuff wouldn't be worth enough to give them a revenue stream in the first place.

I also thought there were lots of legal pharmaceuticals that were derived from opium poppies as well.

Without a black market, there's no money in it for criminals. You don't see willow root cartels due to asprin's popularity, do you?

You know.. if you want you can always go to a place with a true free market, no prohibition on drugs, the right bear any arm you want, zero governmental interference or programs and no federal taxes. A libertarians dream!

http://www.mobissimo.com/dg/SO/

Don't forget your sunscreen.

Lack of government interference and lack of government, are two different things....

You know.. if you want you can always go to a place with a true free market, no prohibition on drugs, the right bear any arm you want, zero governmental interference or programs and no federal taxes. A libertarians dream!

http://www.mobissimo.com/dg/SO/

Don't forget your sunscreen.

Or, the abhorrently lawless, mean-streets of ... Portugal (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=portugal-drug-decriminalization)?

I haven't read the article yet but I did hear a general interviewed this morning on NPR via some chick who is with the Marines doing operations there. He said they are not trying or wanting to target the little guy, they are going after the kingpins. And they are trying to replace the poppy production with a viable alternative (wheat, grain, etc).

I don't see how it's possible. I can understand the thought of going after the money trail but I'm more inclined that if we didn't provide such a market for it to begin with it wouldn't be as much a problem. Legalize the crap so it can be taxed, regulated, whatever the hell they do with beer and cigarettes... fighting this battle is fruitless (this battle, meaning the war on drugs).

Or, the abhorrently lawless, mean-streets of ... Portugal (http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=portugal-drug-decriminalization)?


Dude... you don't want to go there... they have evil mean nasty socialist health care. Probably "death panels" too.

they even have a >gasp< Cash for Clunkers program

http://www.southernledger.com/A_glance_at_Europe%27s_%27cash-for-clunkers%27_programs

You mean that socialist health care I said we ought to give a try? Are you saying that "Clunkers" cause drug addiction? Huh?

Would be interesting to see if their program requires the purchase to be a new car or not. I'd probably support ours if it allowed used car purchases, instead of forcing people into making stupid financial decisions.