Drugs: The Legalization Debate

[Bill Moore]

First, the argument isn't over the merit of drug abuse, the argument is over the so the war on drugs strategy. Uboat, you keep taking the argument back to the Puritian argument that drugs are bad. Most of us would agree with you, but I also agree with Reed, that a lot of information out there is simply propaganda to justify the war, because those fighting the war have established their own industry/economic system, and they need to keep it going.

The education against drugs is grossly underfunded, so assuming you can shift some of the wasted millions from the front line effort to the demand side, it may have more effect. The key is make it culturally unacceptable, and that means recruiting some shallow pop stars to help sell that message.

Alcohol is still legal in the military, but is is much less culturally acceptable than when I first joined a few years ago. It takes time, but it can be done. Admittedly my argument for legalizing drugs shouldn't include all drugs, but you have to yet to challenge any of my points regarding strategy. That is the normal response, and that is why we continue to go down the same old road.

[Uboat509]

First, the argument isn't over the merit of drug abuse, the argument is over the so the war on drugs strategy. Uboat, you keep taking the argument back to the Puritian argument that drugs are bad.

That's because the center of your argument is that benefits of legalizing drugs is greater risks associated with that course of action. I am disagreeing with that point. I have no doubts that if many of these drugs were legalized that it would drive most of the narco-terrorists out of business. My disagreement is with the idea that once drugs became cheaper and easier to obtain legally that the demand would go down.

Most of us would agree with you, but I also agree with Reed, that a lot of information out there is simply propaganda to justify the war, because those fighting the war have established their own industry/economic system, and they need to keep it going.

The education against drugs is grossly underfunded, so assuming you can shift some of the wasted millions from the front line effort to the demand side, it may have more effect. The key is make it culturally unacceptable, and that means recruiting some shallow pop stars to help sell that message.

Certainly there is a lot of propaganda on both sides of the marijuana issue but I don't think that there is a whole lot of that with most of the harder drugs. Now I would wholeheartedly agree that it is a cultural problem as much as anything else but I don't think that pouring more money into education at the cost of enforcement is going to make a huge difference.

Alcohol is still legal in the military, but is is much less culturally acceptable than when I first joined a few years ago. It takes time, but it can be done. Admittedly my argument for legalizing drugs shouldn't include all drugs, but you have to yet to challenge any of my points regarding strategy. That is the normal response, and that is why we continue to go down the same old road.

Honestly that has not been my experience since I have been in. I have seen a lot less tolerance for DUIs and other alcohol related incidences but I haven't really noticed any change in the tolerance for drinking, just so long as you stay off the blotter.

SFC W