The Technology of Drug Prohibition

ches_grin writes "Although the GWOT gets all the headlines, technology is proving to be the key factor in the 'war on drugs'. This article and slideshow take a look at the current state-of-the-art for both federal agents and drug traffickers, from greenhouses to Predator drones: 'In the pitched battle surrounding illegal drugs, each side has its advantages. Law enforcement can take advantage of private sector expertise, expensive machines, and, of course, the law. Those who cultivate, manufacture, and smuggle illegal drugs can leverage vast sums of cash, generated by constant demand.'"

Comments

War on drugs is a myth

[Anonymous Coward]

"Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes crimes out of things that are not crimes. A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded."

-- Abraham Lincoln

Evidence of this today in the article summary:

"Those who cultivate, manufacture, and smuggle illegal drugs can leverage vast sums of cash, generated by constant demand."

The war on drugs is a guise to control people and to actively have racial crimes on the books.

What negatively affects me the most about the "war on drugs" is that it essentially makes having mental illness a crime. Many, if not most, people with mental illnesses get addicted to drugs and alcohol because of their mental illness, and trying to quit because of legal reasons with little to no medical attention is next to impossible. Next time you see the wino-street-drunk, odds are he just needs medical attention, but you and the government would prefer him to just be "off the street" and out of our sight. I know one of these guys who happened to get medical help, and he is pretty cool. He used to be a "garden variety street drunk" who would badger people, spit when he talked, and all of that. And today he is better not because of going to jail and being punished, but by being helped.

Re:Legalise Drugs

[drinkypoo]

It wasn't that long ago that we intentionally flooded poor (black) neighborhoods with drugs to keep them down.

The history of the prohibition of drugs is the history of shitting on blacks and mexicans. As I have repeatedly stated here and in other locations, the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 utilized the interstate commerce clause of the constitution in order to allow the federal government to "regulate" the sale of marijuana, which it does by requiring federal tax stamps for the sale of any of the stuff. Of course, actually getting the stamps was not possible.

The point was twofold, and both sides were economical. First, hemp was a threat to the paper and plastic industries. Second, blacks and mexicans were competing with white people for jobs during the depression. The solution? Demonize them so no one will hire them. The plan? Paint them as users of marijuana and then paint marijuana as a dirty drug that caused antisocial behavior. The plan came off swimmingly.

Today, the real issue is all the revenue that creates all those jobs; plus, the more money is moved around, the more of it can be siphoned off into the pocketbooks of the powerful. Well, that and that the government keeps us from boiling over by separating us from one another. They have nothing to fear so much as people getting together and ignoring their differences, which will give them time to gang up on the feds.