Drug laws, the prison system, and big money. (unemployment rate, Congress, Iran)

[TnHilltopper]

Does anyone remember the war on poverty, and whether or not we won this other perpetual war or is it just not mentioned anymore?

The reason I ask is that about the time the war on poverty faded into memory, it was also about that exact same time that Nixon's war on drugs became the all out war on drugs during the Reagan and Bush years and was continued through the Clinton administration.

This was the time that crack cocaine became the epidemic overnight and offenses were punished 10 times harder than even drugs like PCP. During this time we also discovered the Iran-Contra affair in which the CIA was involved with the smuggling of cocaine to fund the war in Central America. Since then, former CIA and DEA officers have admitted their involvement with this operation, yet none were ever prosecuted for drug trafficking.

Also during this time we saw the rise of the corporate prison in which after congress passed a law that allowed for the privatization of our prison system on a massive scale. During this time we also saw the rise of the modern chain gang and prison workforce being used in a widening spectrum of businesses, like telemarketing for instance.

In our prisons today 60% of the populations are from drug related offenses and of these more than half are due to marijuana offenses. Even though at the same time 70% of American's today favor decriminalization.(according to the latest pew poll) In addition, the 1999 government study that showed that there were medical uses for marijuana has recently been overturned by a recent set of studies done by the current administration.

Would it come as a surprise that 80% of the funding for anti-drug ads are paid for by three industries, the alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industries? Would it also be a surprise that these industries have also help to fund some of the private prison companies such as CCA?

Is it all a coincidence that these various things came together at the same time? Is it possible that we have managed to win a war on poverty through incarceration of drug related offenses? (impoverished people having a much higher rate of drug usage) Some have even claimed that this is a form of modernized slavery brought forth through draconian drug laws and corporate interest. I am genuinely curious as to what peoples thoughts are on these relationships and any related information they can offer, because I simply don't know.

[Frank_Carbonni]

Would it come as a surprise that 80% of the funding for anti-drug ads are paid for by three industries, the alcohol, tobacco, and pharmaceutical industries? Would it also be a surprise that these industries have also help to fund some of the private prison companies such as CCA?

Not really. Tobacco companies and pharmaceutical companies have a long record of ties to political groups and organizations when it suits their needs.

I know the pharmaceutical companies often fund anti-smoking groups and activists and provide funding for secondhand smoke studies. The CEO of Pfizer (I think, not sure, don't quote me) even referred to smokers and former smokers as a "potential multi-billion dollar nicotine market".

So, yeah. They all suck.

[Heaveno]

I know that they are all connected with one another. It has been many businesses formed from the sale of drugs in our country. Another master plan written many years ago, and because of the greed of man many others suffered from it because of innate ignorance. It has taken a very long time for the injustices to be addressed by those in authority or powerful positions, but they really saw them all along. A blind eye present-doubt it.

It was an enormous amount of money to be made, to stop the sell and buying of drugs here in this country was definitely not the plan. I know of men who went in and out of the jailhouse and they would let them stay out long enough to store a large amount of cash and then bust them again. Put him in jail for a spell, let him back out knowing darn well he would repeat his same activity, bust him, put him back in jail..... ongoing lifestyle.

Now we currently have this new generation who is not buying into this crack/cocaine epidemic any longer-they had to see at least 2-3 generations who were destroyed by it. Now the new laws being created are only because the legitimate institutions no longer want to pay for their hidden criminal acts. The recent sellers of crack/cocaine no longer bring in the lucrative amounts of money as they used to once upon a time ago.

The form of slavery that happened was the sale of drugs for law enforcement and government agencies (slave masters), which usually lead to prison time for the slave, which resulted in free labor for many profitable businesses and the creation of private prisons. They (prisoners/slaves) served a valuable purpose, but it is now costing the US to much to keep them in jail, because the money is no longer being fueled by the outside community. This is why we will see an increase in dope being put in consumable products for children, which has been on this rise in Texas and has resulted in the death of many children. Let them get the right chemical combo, to prevent death right away and a new drug business will be formed again.

The loss of the recent drug sales, that are beginning to dry up in many urban communities- has been a major contributor to the increase of crime because the money is no longer lucrative as it once used to be so everyone is fighting to keep or steal those leftover consumers that are still buying and using. Urban areas are slowing being cleaned up, and we may never get to see them completely clean, but the environment or the landscape of the communities will be different.

The new money being funded by the government is to now treat those who are addicted and all the new recidivism money is on the rise as well. Well new jobs will be created which will help with the unemployment rate in our country and just think these jobs will be legal too. Who had the new light bulb idea about people being addicted and needing help?? We have been shouting this out to our government and the law enforcement agencies for years, but the money was to lucrative and many in powerful and respectable positions got paid very handsomely during the crack/cocaine epidemic years. As long as crack was prevalent and making the money, there focus was not on meth or cocaine. Now they want to zero in on the cocaine and meth, because guess what?? This is now where the money comes from to line the pocketbooks and keep those in authority employed, but along with this change is now the war on drugs will present a user and seller face that was rarely seen as long as they could make it appear that it was primarily another race participating in the transactions of buying and selling illegal drugs.

[Tricky D]

To me drugs has always been the epitome of the 'free' market and the prime example for the supply and demand philosophy.
It is sheer genius to make people want to demand something they initially don't need, so you'll always have a demand (the 1st sample is always free). The same goes for the credit economy. The 1st loan is 'free' but once you bought something on credit it becomes easier and easier to keep buying (luxurious) things on credit. With credit people generally open up to spending more than they have on things they don't even need.
But the credit economy and drugs generate 'unwanted' side effects, credit loans and criminality to finance the drug habit. But these side effects create jobs (usher, police, penitentiary etc).

What the credit economy and drugs have in common is that they both thrive on the weaknesses of men, something which greedy people don’t mind to exploit.

[Frank_Carbonni]

Originally Posted by Tricky D

What the credit economy and drugs have in common is that they both thrive on the weaknesses of men, something which greedy people don’t mind to exploit.

I like how everyone is responsible for everyone else's, but not their own, actions on your planet.

[Tricky D]

Originally Posted by Frank_Carbonni

I like how everyone is responsible for everyone else's, but not their own, actions on your planet.

I'm not surprised at your delusion that you believe to live on a different planet as I do.

When a parent abuses his child from the very beginning it is not surprising that the child eventually would reach the conclusion that child abuse is normal or socially acceptable (especially when his environment reinforces this belief).
Obviously you believe that in this case the parent is not at all responsible when the abused child believes that child abuse is 'normal'.

[Frank_Carbonni]

Originally Posted by Tricky D

Originally Posted by Frank_Carbonni I'm not surprised at your delusion that you believe to live on a different planet as I do.

When a parent abuses his child from the very beginning it is not surprising that the child eventually would reach the conclusion that child abuse is normal or socially acceptable (especially when his environment reinforces this belief).
Obviously you believe that in this case the parent is not at all responsible when the abused child believes that child abuse is 'normal'.

What are you even rambling about?

This has nothing to do with child abuse. You're using a red herring and you're just bringing it up because it is emotional pandering.

[Tricky D]

Originally Posted by Frank_Carbonni

This has nothing to do with child abuse. You're using a red herring and you're just bringing it up because it is emotional pandering.

I'm simply talking about culture.
In our western culture it is 'normal' to exploit others, because our reasoning is that we should exploit them before they exploit us.
From the moment we are born we are conditioned to exploit others (out of fear of ending up poor).

[GregW]

War and drugs are where the corrupt and connected make far more money than otherwise possible in the legitimate market. You do not think all the airplanes shipping arms to the Contras and the Afghani 'freedom fighters' were coming back empty do you?

The drug war is just like the Iraq war. Created to make a profit for the few at the monetary and emotional expense for the many. BTW - Dead Iraqis civilians or American soldiers don't count. They are not part of the connected that never pays that part of the cost of doing business.

Big war, big drugs, big business, big corruption. Ain’t the “free market” wonderful.

[Frank_Carbonni]

Originally Posted by GregW

Big war, big drugs, big business, big corruption. Ain’t the “free market” wonderful.

I like how you left out Big Government.