Trump's most terrifying temper tantrum: Death penalty for drug dealers is beyond the pale
Trump’s authoritarian impulse is alive and well, according to his recent enthusiasm to expand the death penalty
JEFFREY A. SINGER
03.11.2018•8:00 AM
As President Trump made abundantly clear in recent news conferences and interviews, he sees the zero-tolerance policy on drug use and drug dealing of Singapore, China and the Philippines as a model for U.S. drug policy. He is said to believe that all drug dealers should get the death penalty.
President Trump’s anti-drug advisor, Kellyanne Conway, reassures us the president plans a more “nuanced” approach, focused on raising mandatory minimum sentences for drug dealing. There are also undeveloped proposals to “get tough on pharmaceutical companies.”
The president’s frustration with the failure of America’s longest war, the war on drugs, is understandable. But the solution should not be to try more of the same, only “tougher.”
Sensible drug policy makes it easier for drug abusers to kick the habit and transition back to a normal life, rather than ruining their lives through long-term incarceration -- or ending them altogether through capital punishment. The evidence has never supported the contention that the death penalty is a greater deterrent to crime than incarceration. And a 2009 report from the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition points to a large body of evidence that the incarceration and incapacitation of drug dealers has not deterred drug use or distribution and may, in fact, contribute to an increase in violent crime.
more
https://www.salon.com/2018/03/11/trumps-most-terrifying-temper-tantrum-death-penalty-for-drug-dealers-is-beyond-the-pale/
= new reply since forum marked as read
Or corrupt banks like HSBC that launder drug cartel money? Corporations are people now, ya know! 
