"The poppy problem"

[ariellyn]

Have you heard this shit? Bush's description of the out-of-control opium growth in Afghanistan? My local newspaper ran front-page headlines about "poppy production."

Ahhh poppies. Innocent little flowers. Who needs to worry about poppies?

:puke:

[knowbody0]

1. last year when asked about the poppies

the general responded "Harvest was early this year, and we missed it." (the pipeline was all that really mattered)

[tyedyeto]

2. Oh! Opium poppies...

I thought you meant Poppy Bush.

We don't give a shit if Afghans produce opium, more drugs for the CIA and other agencies to barter with.

[sweetheart]

3. thats what the government thieves get for the drugs lies

If they legallized drugs, then the domestic poppy market would
bankrupt the criminal suppliers and the whole thing would collapse
overnight, that people would start growing food again... but no no.
We can't have that....

Let them grow whatever gets them the most money to feed their families.
They're capitalists and they want to make a good life... and what
could be more peaceful than fields of flowers... for all the crime
its painted to be... its a plant after all.

The whole drugs war is against frikkin' plants! Peaceful little
things with roots, that stupid republicans (and WOD democrats) are
hatfully angry with, because they can't make peace with their gardens
or some flowers. It simply shows how grossly immature the persons
who are in government really are... childish fools.

[NinetySix]

4. The US could utterly destroy the drug trade virtually overnight

All it would take is for the Government to license and regulate a small group of opium growers and refiners. The product could then be distributed to pharmacists, who could distribute an adequate amount of quality- and purity-controlled heroin, morphine, and other opium products to addicts who are verified and approved by licensed physicians. The amount distributed to each addict would be the precise daily amount required to stave off withdrawal symptoms, and would be provided free of charge, along with counselling to those wishing to overcome long-term addiction.

Illicit dealers with stock on hand would suddenly find their merchandise worthless, since they could not compete with free distribution (they ARE capitalists, after all), and would find it fruitless to try to addict new users, as even they would quickly move to the Government program. It is the illegal status of narcotics which makes them so profitable, and attacking the profit base would eliminate all those who profit so handsomely from their sale. Sound a little too good to be true? Imagine the effect on the recording industry if the Government took over Napster and began to distribute mp3s.

It goes without saying that the same applies to cocaine. At first, the number of addicts supported by the Government would seem extremely large, thus the program would appear to be a failure to some from the outset, but as time passed and the increase in the number of new addicts subsided and began to plummet, it would become obvious to all that the problem had been mastered.

[TalkingDog]

5. HOW DARE YOU be at all reasonable??? !!!

Besides, do you think they want to SOLVE the problem? Nope, too much power and potential in illicit trading.

[sweetheart]

6. Shhhh... nobody wants the real truth

Anyone who's seen drugs addiction close up would wish those loved ones
they know who are addicted, to have medical supervision and clean
supplies. It is only natural. It would cut the spread of AIDS and
Hepatitis C, and all the long term costs that drugs addiction takes
out of the public purse(and heart).

But those persons who are making laws will not surrender their hyped
up budget and power to repress millions of people. It is about slavery
after all, this drugs war, and the plantation owners will not have it.
The drugs laws allow them to legitimize searches and invasions in to
private persons inconscionable in a civil country. They allow the
state to take millions of voters off the voting rolls who would
otherwise ask for fair justice.... and they will not have that.

[annabanana]

7. stop being reasonable, dammit

...can't have anyone spouting that goddam logic....

what's wrong with you?