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

You all have it wrong!

[Potthead]

Despite my nickname, I have never once used drugs. The problem here is the interpretation of 'freedom.' Legalize drugs because we should have dominion over our own bodies? You are so full of it, you can't think straight. This country is founded on morals and values. Just because you have none, nor the self control to do what is right shouldn't mean we should encourage others to do the same. With that logic we should get rid of all laws besides murder because we shouldn't be constricted. We all know, at one point or another, that there are limits to what should be legal and what should not. It's not because of the lack of technology or money that we can't keep out these drugs, but lack of a real dedication on the eradication of that which is wrong. Case in point. The two border patrol agents (http://www.dailybulletin.com/news/ci_4141562) that were convicted of crimes because they were doing their job. What kind of message does this send? "Here, take a gun, make sure these pieces of slime don't come across the border and give our kids drugs. But if they do, just tell them to stop. If they run, don't you chase them! Just watch them cross, and report it later. Hopefully we can catch them when they sell the drugs to the dealers. And if we can't do that, then we will hopefully catch them when they are distributing those drugs. If we can't do that, we will just the kids in grade school that are taking them. But if we miss that, we will watch them shoot their classmates on prime time television and blame the teachers for not recognizing that they were troubled. Oh remember, don't exceed the speed limit without permission." Ya, great idea! Let's just legalize drugs and let the moral disintegration of our nation come to a peak. Don't you give one piece of crap for your real freedom? Don't you think that allowing this kind of garbage take over society is exactly what the terrorists want us to do? Let us all be so messed up on legal drugs that we don't care anymore! This rant could go on forever! You can bring up statistics of other countries and how their legalization worked. Well then move there and puff it up, pal. We are the greatest country for a reason. And if we don't keep our wits about us, we will loose that to a bunch of third-world freaks that want to kill us for any reason they can. Stop pretending that we are great only because we have the choice to do anything we want whenever we want. We are the greatest because we have that freedom AND we have chosen the higher path. Once we choose to drop the second, we will fall, and we will fall hard.

Oh? But now lets turn it around

[SmallFurryCreature]

What would you say to a society that allowed its citizens the true freedom to take a happy drug. Free because if it is too costly that is just another barrier. If all those who wanted it could spend all their time in a drug induced state of bliss.

Wich population would be easier to control. Drug free citizens or dopeheads?

In fact since drugs are addicting a goverment that dispenses these drugs freely would at the same time have an awfull lot of control. And just imagine any party trying to change this trying to get elected. Yes in order to outlaw your happy drug we are going to have raise taxes so we can pay for taking your happy drug away.

While the use of drugs is indeed a personal freedom issue the simple obstacle for me is that I would not exactly like a world were the majority of citizens are doped out.

You maybe never had to deal with drug users but I have. They are not free citizens excersing their liberty. They are slaves to a substance and slaves to whoever controls the substance. Now it is the pimps. If drugs are legal they will be slaves of companies or goverments. Neither do I consider an improvement.

This subject has already been examined plenty of times in Science Fiction.

It is the simple experiment were a rat with a wired brain is given the choice of directly stimulating his pleasure centers chooses this direct method rather then feeding, sleeping, mating until he dies.

Human beings are sadly not much better then rats. Some of us too will happily do drugs while we rot away. Yes this is freedom, but society as a whole for now has chosen too put restraints on personal freedom.

It is the simple thing of suicide being a crime. A truly free society would have no such ban. Yet again, do you totally trust a society that does not mind if say population group X killed itself? By making suicide a crime we also make the killing of the old or infirm a crime.

Read some good Sci-Fi, then come back and tell me how free you want to be.

Oh and if you truly believe everyone has the right to be free you should first be willing to grant that freedom to others right? Okay, grant me my freedom of killing you. If you are willing to grant me that freedom, I will grant you yours. But you first. Show through example okay? I promise I will keep my word. Honest.