Comment by bruce511 | Hacker News Reader

Comment by bruce511 | Hacker News Reader

The problem with the "war on drugs" is that it treats "supply" as the problem.

It's always been about blaming drug cartels, smugglers, distributors etc. Drug possession is the crime, drug use is the crime, drug supply is the crime.

The theory seems to be that if only drugs were not available, people would not use them.

All evidence points the other way. Drugs satisfy, but do not create [1] the need. In the absence of illicit drugs alcohol, prescription meds etc flourish.

It seems to me that there's a missing understanding of why people want to take drugs. Is it just addiction? (If so, why not spend those billions on addiction relief?) Is it boredom? Desperation? Something else?

To win the "war on drugs" its important to understand "demand" not just supply. Without demand supply is meaningless. Whereas Cutting supply means nothing. All you do is promote other suppliers, other ways to achieve the same effect.

I'm not against policing the borders for drugs. But watching "border patrol", and seeing endless (justifiably) self-satisfied officers finding drugs, wondering "so what?". Clearly drugs are freely available (despite this bust). Clearly demand is unabated.

To me the key question at the heart of yhe war seems completely unmentioned;

"Why are people using drugs?"

[1] yes, I'm aware not all drugs are the same. Once hooked on heroin you need more heroin. This doesn't negate my root point.

>>Once hooked on heroin you need more heroin

No, you need your daily dosage you are used to. I was an addict for a short time and then went to rehab and never did it since 10 years. And yes, like you said, the demand is there. Every day and must be satisfied. Over here in europe, we have substitution clinics and doctors where you are given polamidon or subutex(dont know whats its called somewhere else) to get you from the streets and injecting doubtable mixtures and catch hepatitis and aids. But not all people qualify for that, so they still have to go to the streets. As an addict myself, i can say, it was dire living conditions, unemployment, the wrong friends and some more factors. Sure it was fun the first times, i used to consume alcohol, which is especially totally legal in bavaria(Oktoberfest) i use to live. Then, the streets are washed with drugs, people making a huge amount of money from it and replacing a decent job and income with drug dealing. But, there is help. I undergone rehab, now living a good life, can afford an exlusive hobby and got married. People that will use drugs are born every second on this earth ball. Times are changing, not every time for the better. We have crisis, wars and other shit while an elite group of people getting richer the same second every day and celebrating their success with cocaine that makes you think you were given the nobel prize at the same time you won the lottery. Especially coke is the drug of the wealthy and successful people, thats why the demand is high and everyone wants his bit of the cake....

> The problem with the "war on drugs" is that it treats "supply" as the problem.

Well, that's because supply _is_ the actual problem.

The real issue is that our government isn't attacking the supply side hard enough. Believe me, if we wanted dealers and cartels to "go away permanently", we could make it happen.

The issue is whether or not we have the will to make this kind of thing happen.

> The problem with the "war on drugs" is that it treats "supply" as the problem.

That's a relatively recent situation. Many, many users have been incarcerated in the U.S.

> It's always been about blaming drug cartels, smugglers, distributors etc.

As it should be.

Violent drug cartels have so much money they can raise private armies. Literally. They are known to hire actual soldiers. In my country they dominate over a quarter of our massive territory. They have created their own parallel governments, complete with laws and tribunals. They even collect taxes from their subjects. The sentence for tax evasion is death.

The only problem with the "war" on drugs is the fact it wasn't actually a war, it was just regular police work. Trump finally turned it into a war when he started ordering US ships to destroy drug boats on sight. That's how it's done.

Yes, that's how you deal with these barbarous and belligerent governments we call "drug cartels". You recognize their existence. You recognize their hostility. You recognize their barbarity, their daily human rights violations. You classify them as terrorist organizations. You actually go to war with them. You treat every single person employed by them as an enemy combatant. You order their total and unconditional surrender. You kill them if they don't comply. You nuke them out of existence if necessary.

Fail to do so and they will infiltrate and subvert every facet of society, every institution. In my country it's theorized that they control a significant amount of judges. The legal system has turned into a joke where drug traffickers are routinely released, they even give them their drug cash back. Entire movies are made about how police tends to form a peaceful coexistence equilibrium with drug traffickers, allowing it to continue.

Can you imagine what it's like to live in this narcostate shithole? Not a day goes by without news of some drug related atrocity being published. Can you imagine what it's like to try to raise a family here? Knowing that at any moment some drug gang can just decide to come to my home and spray paint a message saying I have 24 hours to get the fuck out or be killed?

The only thing that prevents these barbarians from taking over whatever country you live in is extreme violence. You have people on your side literally going to war with them on your behalf. Rejoice, for I do not.

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