Nolan Finley: Time to wave the white flag in the drug war

[Bozita]

http://www.detnews.com/article/20090409/OPINION03/904090339/1008/Wave+white+flag+in+the+drug+war

Thursday, April 9, 2009
Nolan Finley
Wave white flag in the drug war


The shocking spectacle of a respected Wayne County judge, a crackerjack prosecutor and two veteran cops standing as defendants in a courtroom confirms the war on drugs is lost.

Former Assistant Prosecutor Karen Plants is accused of wanting a conviction so badly in a narcotics case that she corrupted two Inkster officers and compromised retired Judge Mary Waterstone. All were career warriors in a hopeless conflict.

The possible slide of good guys to the wrong side of the law epitomizes the drug war's failure.

We've been fighting drugs for 35 years, and yet we haven't gained an inch of ground.

Mexico's drug-fueled lawlessness is surging over our border. More than half our prison inmates are in for drug crimes, contributing to the shameful fact that Michigan spends more on Corrections than we do on colleges.

Detroit and other big cities have been dismantled by the drug gangs.

And the number of addicts remains constant.

This is a classic military quagmire. We respond to losing by deploying more troops instead of questioning the mission's viability. In 1986, Congress escalated spending, with the goal of ending the narcotics trade in 10 years.

And now we're about to undergo another major escalation to keep the anarchy in Mexico from destabilizing parts of our country.

Why not try something new? Take away the crime, and get rid of the criminals.

more...

[applegrove]

1. Not a good idea because most illegal drugs are very addictive. Some can result

in future mental illness.

[kas125]

2. Which drugs "can result in future mental illness?"

And please explain how our insane "war on drugs" does anything to help matters.

[Oldenuff]

3. No offense to you intended..

But the War on Drugs has caused more insanity,and suffering, than illegal drugs has ever,or will ever,cause.People who want drugs will get drugs,whether illegal or not,and there will always be someone who will supply them...at great profit I might add.I would agree that most illegal drugs are addictive,but no more addictive than the vast amounts of money that are being spent on a failed drug policy.I wonder how many branches of our government are addicted to drug war money?


I am a firm believer that certain segments of our own government are involved in the illegal drug trade.Otherwise,they would have realized years ago that the Drug War is a bust.