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Jacob Sullum asks policymakers just how many wars they want to lose in Afghanistan.
Comments to "New at Reason":
CS | September 5, 2007, 7:33am | #
U.S. drug warriors, predictably enough, plan to try harder...When I read this I had this vision of gathering some brave American "drug warriors", outfitting them with SWAT vests and submachineguns, and then airdropping them in the middle of Afghanistan to go after the Taliban.
Cracker's Boy | September 5, 2007, 7:58am | #
I was just wondering...When the European Union decides that the best way to cut down on cigarette smoking in Europe is to spray defoliant throughout the SouthEastern United States, to kill the tobacco plants, how will the United States respond? And what's the difference between them doing that, and us spraying in Columbia and Afghanistan?
CB
lunchstealer | September 5, 2007, 8:07am | #
Well, maybe they're thinking that if they get the Taliban focused on making us lose the drug war, which we know we're losing already, they'll kinda forget about the other war and we'll just kinda muddle through to victory.robc | September 5, 2007, 8:32am | #
And what's the difference between them doing that, and us spraying in Columbia and Afghanistan?We are strong enough to get away with it.
Juanita | September 5, 2007, 9:06am | #
The drug war cannot be either lost or won. Regardless, it must be fought for moral reasons. Drugs steal the users soul, they are like most pleasures, things that God does not want us to do. That is why it must be fought no matter what the results.joe | September 5, 2007, 9:14am | #
Oh, come on, Jacob. Do you really expect me to believe that our governmen would allow itself to be distracted from the vital mission in Afghanistan/Pakistan to go off on some ideological goose chase?Yah right. Tell us another one.
de stijl | September 5, 2007, 9:27am | #
We should buy up all that opium and export to China to offset out trade imbalance with them.Hey, it worked for the British!
Isaac Bartram | September 5, 2007, 10:30am | #
Cracker's BoyIf the French tobacco growers are like the other farmers in France I don't think we have any worries about the EU taking any drastic action against tobacco.
On the other hand, considering what French farmers are prepared to do to suppress competition maybe you're on to something there.
BakedPenguin | September 5, 2007, 10:40am | #
It's too bad we can't send in all of our DEA agents to fight the Taliban and have them kill each other. That sounds win-win to me.Cracker's Boy | September 5, 2007, 10:44am | #
Thanks Isaac B. I ASSumed that most of that nasty, toxic tobacco was grown right here in the ol' US of A. And that is was yet another reason to hate America.It's good to know that we have another reason to hate the French! They grow it too!
CB
J sub D | September 5, 2007, 12:34pm | #
Due to "favorable weather conditions," estimated opium production rose even more, hitting an all-time high of 8,200 metric tons, 34 percent more than the previous record, set last year.The pertinent question is: Why does God like opium?
BakedPenguin | September 5, 2007, 1:14pm | #
J sub D - she made us in her own image.Pat | September 5, 2007, 6:55pm | #
Once America starts using bio-weapons on the economic crops of Afghanistan what is to prevent them from using such weapons on America crops?Turn about is fair prey.
Pat | September 5, 2007, 8:42pm | #
Thank you Jacob.Here is my contribution to the data base of your great essay. It is at my new blog effort, A Left Independent http://aleftindependent.blogspot.com/
America's drug war "grants huge subsidies to our enemies"
douglas gray | September 6, 2007, 11:55pm | #
The trouble with such social engineering attempts in foreign countries is that the results are even more capricious and uncertainthan similar domestic misadventures.
We don't learn the lessons of history. When we first began bombing Cambodia, we strengthened the Kyhmer Rouge, who later slaughtered millions. They were finally overthrown by the same communist regime who beat us in Vietnam.
By fighting one "enemy' we often strengthen a worse one.
Scientifically speaking, its' like turbulence on a massive scale. We pretend to be able to predict outcomes but haven't a clue.
Incidentally, the price of opium based pain relief should go down, if market forces were allowed to operate, with that kind of surplus
