[cryptical]

Gets a little mushy-headed at the end, but the article does lay out the scope of the failure of the drug war nicely. $8 billion dollars? That's almost a real amount of money to most politicians.

[South40]

Rick Steves opinion on the war on drugs is about as pertinent as Barry Manlow’s opinion on Indian Samosas.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Yes well. How interesting. There are only so many countries in Europe Mr. Steves can film himself backpacking around in.

I was listening to Coast to Coast AM radio show last night:

Former singer Helen Reddy, is now a “Spiritual Teacher” in Sydney Australia.

So this new gig of Steves’, is not without precedent.

[SandRat]

As if I didn’t already have enough reasons to hate the ACLU and you go and give me about another one.

[mysterio]

but the article does lay out the scope of the failure of the drug war nicely.

It sure does.
I have a solution.

We put the entire failed war on drugs to a consensus vote. Everyone who votes to keep it puts their address up. If we vote to keep it, the people who voted yes get a monthly bill for it.

I don't like paying for a farce. Those who want to keep it should be the ones taxed to continue it. If they don't want to pay for it, we should scrap it and try another strategy.

[USNBandit]

It's a lot like the "Four Pillars" approach to drug use adopted by Vancouver, B.C.: treatment, harm reduction, prevention and -- for profiteers of the business -- enforcement.

If Vancouver is indicative of the results of the "Four Pillars" approach then we need to come up with a different solution. That town is littered with drug addicts. It is really quite sad.