its so simple
This global terror thing? here’s an idea:
Screw Bin-Laden: Legalize Heroin.
Now, you’re probably thinking, say what?
First, let’s get one thing strait. Heroin is bad. I have never used it, and never will. I hope none of my children even consider it. But here’s the deal: terrorists fund their activity by drug money. Drug crops give farmers a much better profit than any alternative, hence farmers are happy to support the terrorists who protect and franchise them. But drug economy is based on the illegality of drugs. Its your basic supply demand risk formula. Make them legal, and the price drops, the competition makes alternative sources of income more attractive, and the terrorists are f&@#ed. F&@#ed twice actually, first for loosing income, second for loosing their popular support.
Oh very nice you say, but drugs are bad. Drugs kill you. Yes, well – I haven’t heard you suggesting we outlaw alcohol or cigarettes. Just for a bit of perspective, here’s some data I collated* for the UK:
| Total deaths / year | 500,000 (aprox.) | |
| Fag related | 100,000 (aprox.) | which is 20% |
| Alcohol related | 8,000 (aprox.) | which is 1.6% |
| Drug related | 1,500 (aprox.) | which is 0.3% |
*:Sources:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/mot1203.pdf
http://www.ash.org.uk/html/factsheets/html/fact02.html
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/articles/hsq/HSQ31deaths_drug_misuse.pdf
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1091
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/pdfdir/aldeaths0706.pdf
Heh – yeah there is definitely a double standard going on with the legalised and illegal drugs. Another huge killer is diet – high sugars, high fat (expecially trans-fats), additives etc. Almost impossible to quantify, but responsible for so much health cost its not funny…
Still, wouldn’t terrorists always find some other illegal/fringe area with which to make money?
Gordon Simpson
October 2, 2006 at 9:08 pm
[...] An interesting post over at wordpress.com’s hosting service. The blogger does make a good point that the terrorists are financed by drug money and the farmers will grow heroin because it is the most profitable. Free market capitalism at work in it’s finest form. I certainly don’t have a problem with capitalism, but there is something the west can do to reduce the profitability of the heroin trade. Legalize the stuff!!!! Take away the black market and viola! Just think, they could be growing soy beans to make biodiesel fuel. Damn, winning the war on terror and getting to hug a tree at the same time. How often does that happen? [...]
Viet-Justice » Fight Terror Legalize Heroin
October 3, 2006 at 5:04 am
Legalizing heroin may seem like a quick solution to the problem, but consider the long-term implications: by changing our rules in order to reduce their potential profit, we open ourselves to other such manipulations in the future. Terrorists could always move on to the next illegal area, we would legalize it in order to block their progress, and so on.
Eventually, our legal system will be crafted according to the manipulations of terrorist organizations. While this may mean (in some cases) that we will reach a high degree of individual freedom, we could be thrown into an unstable state.
If we’re legalizing drugs – let’s do it for the right reasons, not out of fear or revenge.
Dan Elharrar
October 12, 2006 at 12:06 pm