Milton Friedman on the "War on Drugs" (In a Letter to Bill Bennett)

NRO ^ | 11/16/06 | Andrew Stuttaford

[zarf]

You are not mistaken in believing that drugs are a scourge that is devastating our society. You are not mistaken in believing that drugs are tearing asunder our social fabric, ruining the lives of many young people, and imposing heavy costs on some of the most disadvantaged among us.

You are not mistaken in believing that the majority of the public share your concerns. In short, you are not mistaken in the end you seek to achieve. Your mistake is failing to recognize that the very measures you favor are a major source of the evils you deplore. Of course the problem is demand, but it is not only demand, it is demand that must operate through repressed and illegal channels. Illegality creates obscene profits that finance the murderous tactics of the drug lords; illegality leads to the corruption of law enforcement officials; illegality monopolizes the efforts of honest law forces so that they are starved for resources to fight the simpler crimes of robbery, theft and assault.

Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their use converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. Our experience with the prohibition of drugs is a replay of our experience with the prohibition of alcoholic beverages.

[bluetone006]

I have been in some countries that don't have a drug problem. They execute dealers. It is very inexpensive and it works exceedingly well.

But we a too liberal for that. We are too 'compassionate'. We think short term and consequently produce suffering on an impressive scale.

[Atlas Sneezed]

OK...but would Walmart start selling crack?

---

Would you start smoking it if they did?

[Madame Dufarge]

But who will sell the drugs? I don't get it.

If there were no excuses given because one person harmed another while under the influence of drugs or alcohol, does it matter?

If the demand isn't there, the supply would shrink in proportion.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

That is not what I asked.

[Atlas Sneezed]

Do you want the corner store selling , lsd, crack, and 10 bags of junk?

---

Do you really care where the druggies buy their crap?

[King of Florida]

The US with its War on Drugs, is a Supply side assault on drugs.

Tell that to the people serving obscenely lengthy prison terms for possession of small amounts of pot.

[Durus]

As opposed to the guy standing in front of the corner store that will sell to anybody? Yes!

[happinesswithoutpeace]

But is that what you want?

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Like I said..I am just trying to understand where Zarf is coming from on this.

[zarf]

Do you want the corner store selling , lsd, crack, and 10 bags of junk?

A consensus between the market and legislation will determine if it is or not.

[zarf]

Do you want the corner store selling , lsd, crack, and 10 bags of junk?

A consensus between the market and legislation will determine if it is or not.

[spacejunkie]

I think pot should be legal, for sure. I know that may not be popular here but pot is equatable to wine, beer, etc and the amount of tax revenue the US could garner would be huge. That base could partially be used to fight the other drugs that should never be legal; meth, coke, heroin, etc.

We could lessen the burden on our jails and employ many farmers as well.

[GSlob]

The assumption is that for quite a few jobs [beside the pilot's - say, the bus driver's, - another position where a worker is entrusted with the lives of others] I'd need to know-in real time-whether the person is impaired. More, I am concerned not so much about the existing pilots [they are already being checked, if one is to believe the MSM] as about the existing addicts who might wish to become pilots. And while airline pilots are checked- there are not that many of them, after all- expanding the occupation list significantly to include, for example, the bus drivers, etc. would require a pervasive surveillance system.

[zarf]

Like I said..I am just trying to understand where Zarf is coming from on this.

Coming from? Elaborate.

[happinesswithoutpeace]

Coming from....what your point is..why you feel the way you do.

[tpaine]

Criminalizing drug use "-- converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. --
-- Our experience with the prohibition of drugs is a replay of our experience with the prohibition of alcoholic beverages. --"

[Zon]

happinesswithoutpeace: OK...but would Walmart start selling crack?26

Beelzebubba: Would you start smoking it if they did?

No. It's the other people and society that I must save from certain doom. Because, well, because I'm so much better, wiser, a do-gooder, than they all are.

[Paloma_55]

I think you are making that up.

I think that VERY FEW people are in prison serving hard time for a "small amount of pot".

I think that most of the people doing hard time were either;

a) Selling drugs
b) Transporting drugs for sale
c) Carrying large amounts of drug money & guns
d) Violated prior parole conditions

[Zon]

  A hundred+ LEAP (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) representatives give presentations to civic organization -- Lions Club, Kiwanis, Rotary, chambers of commerce, etc -- community leaders that are mostly conservative. Prior to the presentations 5% of the audience supports the WOD. After the presentation 80% are against the WOD. Excellent  video explains how and why that is: Part 1 Real WinMedia -- Part 2 Real WinMedia

[happinesswithoutpeace]

I am not messing with you. I really want to understand this...where does it go? If tommorow the laws were changed...where does it begin? At the State level? Federal?