Comments on: The End of ‘The Wire’, Not The Drug War http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/ Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:52:42 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: ArtD0dger http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25104 ArtD0dger Tue, 18 Mar 2008 20:43:46 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25104 The problem with the war on drugs is that it's a gateway prohibition. Once the government becomes addicted to violating individual freedoms, it starts trampling on harder constitutional rights by instituting things like warrantless searches and wiretaps, no-knock raids, extrajudicial asset seizure, and travel checkpoints. The problem with the war on drugs is that it’s a gateway prohibition. Once the government becomes addicted to violating individual freedoms, it starts trampling on harder constitutional rights by instituting things like warrantless searches and wiretaps, no-knock raids, extrajudicial asset seizure, and travel checkpoints.

]]> By: markwilliams http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25103 markwilliams Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:41:13 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25103 I cannot make sense of Jack Dunphy's arguments against decriminalization of drugs. We have been hearing these same irrational arguments for years. Why would an addict buy from a violent dealer if herion was made legal? If people born violent will transfer to another occupation, what possible difference does that make? Any experienced DEA agent will tell you that the most effective way to reduce drug addiction is treatment. This is not theory, this is fact. The War on Drugs misallocates our resources and promotes violent behaviour; another indisputable fact ignored by Mr. Dunphy. This article is based upon false assertions that have been around for years. The War on Drugs has failed. The sooner we deal with that reality the sooner we can find solutions that really work. I cannot make sense of Jack Dunphy’s arguments against decriminalization of drugs. We have been hearing these same irrational arguments for years. Why would an addict buy from a violent dealer if herion was made legal? If people born violent will transfer to another occupation, what possible difference does that make? Any experienced DEA agent will tell you that the most effective way to reduce drug addiction is treatment. This is not theory, this is fact. The War on Drugs misallocates our resources and promotes violent behaviour; another indisputable fact ignored by Mr. Dunphy. This article is based upon false assertions that have been around for years.
The War on Drugs has failed. The sooner we deal with that reality the sooner we can find solutions that really work.

]]> By: EdinTally http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25102 EdinTally Tue, 18 Mar 2008 01:32:38 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25102 "Jack" Time to do some homework. The only question that remains is when will drugs be decriminalized not if. I'm sympathetic to those officers who will eventually lose their jobs when Prohibition is over, but for the health of the nation it must come. It has turned into a system of Us against You. You can't win even though you are 800,000 strong. Why would you want to win? What's the prize? 4 million people in jail. 5 million people in jail. When does it end? The most tragic part is that it looks as if the last straw will be the failing state budgets which are incapable of housing that many citizens behind bars. For 30+ years logic and common sense have failed. It is sad that in the end it will probably come down to budgetary issues. For the People, a win is still a win I suppose. “Jack”

Time to do some homework. The only question that remains is when will drugs be decriminalized not if. I’m sympathetic to those officers who will eventually lose their jobs when Prohibition is over, but for the health of the nation it must come.

It has turned into a system of Us against You. You can’t win even though you are 800,000 strong. Why would you want to win? What’s the prize? 4 million people in jail. 5 million people in jail. When does it end?

The most tragic part is that it looks as if the last straw will be the failing state budgets which are incapable of housing that many citizens behind bars. For 30+ years logic and common sense have failed. It is sad that in the end it will probably come down to budgetary issues. For the People, a win is still a win I suppose.

]]> By: Michael T http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25101 Michael T Sun, 16 Mar 2008 06:37:32 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25101 Don't expect any change in the tactics of the anti-drug enforcers. It is a major US government industry that employs many people. Pay no mind that it is very ineffectual, remember those who benefit from its existence. Remember prohibition? Its concept was ridiculous, its cost enormous, its efficiency was little more than a joke, and the consequences totally opposite to what it was to control. People suffered, the mafia prospered and the reputation of the US declined.Why are the same mistakes being made? Don’t expect any change in the tactics of the anti-drug enforcers. It is a major US government industry that employs many people. Pay no mind that it is very ineffectual, remember those who benefit from its existence. Remember prohibition? Its concept was ridiculous, its cost enormous, its efficiency was little more than a joke, and the consequences totally opposite to what it was to control. People suffered, the mafia prospered and the reputation of the US declined.Why are the same mistakes being made?

]]> By: WhoKnew http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25100 WhoKnew Fri, 14 Mar 2008 20:14:06 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25100 There is no reason in the world for marijuana being illegal. Legalize it. There is no reason in the world for marijuana being illegal. Legalize it.

]]> By: incongruities http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25099 incongruities Thu, 13 Mar 2008 18:54:02 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25099 <i>"pretty soon everybody will be like me."</i> Except for one thing: There is no evidence to suggest that if Heroine were to be legalized that everyone would be like your jailed perp. I mean, why would they be? A daily Heroine user might not make the best employee, but if the Heroine is readily available and inexpensive I doubt the addict would be locked up in jail for anything. Heroine use doesn't turn normal people dangerous; having to do whatever it takes to get more Heroine is what turns addicts into dangerous people. Same for crack. Just as it would be if caffeine were criminalized. The War on Drugs is just as responsible for the Heroine addict's problems as is the Heroine. Without the War on Drugs a severe Heroine addict is just another welfare case that can be managed. With the War on Drugs a Heroine addict is a criminal that has to be caught and incarcerated at the public expense which is more costly than welfare. “pretty soon everybody will be like me.”

Except for one thing: There is no evidence to suggest that if Heroine were to be legalized that everyone would be like your jailed perp. I mean, why would they be?

A daily Heroine user might not make the best employee, but if the Heroine is readily available and inexpensive I doubt the addict would be locked up in jail for anything. Heroine use doesn’t turn normal people dangerous; having to do whatever it takes to get more Heroine is what turns addicts into dangerous people. Same for crack. Just as it would be if caffeine were criminalized.

The War on Drugs is just as responsible for the Heroine addict’s problems as is the Heroine. Without the War on Drugs a severe Heroine addict is just another welfare case that can be managed. With the War on Drugs a Heroine addict is a criminal that has to be caught and incarcerated at the public expense which is more costly than welfare.

]]> By: Pat http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25098 Pat Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:01:28 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25098 Officer Dunphy, the heroin addict you arrested was wrong. I'm sure he would like to believe that everyone else is as foolish and lacking in self-control as he is -- that would relieve him of any personal responsibility for his own bad choices. But the truth is that he <i>chose</i>, of his own free will, to inject heroin into his veins. Most of us would never do that. We are not like him. The "drug war" is based on the same faulty reasoning that was used to justify Prohibition, and it has failed in exactly the same way, for exactly the same reasons. Officer Dunphy, the heroin addict you arrested was wrong. I’m sure he would like to believe that everyone else is as foolish and lacking in self-control as he is — that would relieve him of any personal responsibility for his own bad choices. But the truth is that he chose, of his own free will, to inject heroin into his veins. Most of us would never do that. We are not like him.

The “drug war” is based on the same faulty reasoning that was used to justify Prohibition, and it has failed in exactly the same way, for exactly the same reasons.

]]> By: Cal Ulmann http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25097 Cal Ulmann Wed, 12 Mar 2008 22:27:28 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25097 I see no way of saying that Wallace had blood on his hands. I see no way of saying that Wallace had blood on his hands.

]]> By: Ubu Roi http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25096 Ubu Roi Wed, 12 Mar 2008 21:18:12 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25096 I, too, am a huge fan of the show, and, like Jack, have a huge hole in my week; it was the finest show ever put on television, in my opinion, and I truly cared about those characters--so much so, that if I ran into Lester or Bunk here in LA, I'd have to restrain myself from not gushing to them how much I loved their work (and I never speak to celebs unless they initiate a conversation). Really, folks, the show was that good: complex, thoughtful, and brutally honest. And the political position of the show, contrary to the leftist grandstanding of David Simon outside of the show, was often hard to get any kind of read on, and I am always on the lookout for cheap , lefty boilerplate; the writers were too smart and too worldly to try and sell the usual lazy fare like to see on LA Law or West Wing. What David Simon and his excellent writers created was a work of art, unflinching, humane, moral, and, at times, genuinely tragic. If, at the end, you did not feel the emotional nobility of McNulty's symbolic wake, as the cops all sang "I'm a free born man of the USA," then you should probably find another world that will have you. My wife and I danced around the house with a bottle of Jamesons toasting entirely imaginary people. I'm a better man for watching "The Wire." I, too, am a huge fan of the show, and, like Jack, have a huge hole in my week; it was the finest show ever put on television, in my opinion, and I truly cared about those characters–so much so, that if I ran into Lester or Bunk here in LA, I’d have to restrain myself from not gushing to them how much I loved their work (and I never speak to celebs unless they initiate a conversation).

Really, folks, the show was that good: complex, thoughtful, and brutally honest. And the political position of the show, contrary to the leftist grandstanding of David Simon outside of the show, was often hard to get any kind of read on, and I am always on the lookout for cheap , lefty boilerplate; the writers were too smart and too worldly to try and sell the usual lazy fare like to see on LA Law or West Wing. What David Simon and his excellent writers created was a work of art, unflinching, humane, moral, and, at times, genuinely tragic.

If, at the end, you did not feel the emotional nobility of McNulty’s symbolic wake, as the cops all sang “I’m a free born man of the USA,” then you should probably find another world that will have you. My wife and I danced around the house with a bottle of Jamesons toasting entirely imaginary people. I’m a better man for watching “The Wire.”

]]> By: Troll King http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the_end_of_the_wire_if_not_the/comment-page-1/#comment-25095 Troll King Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:15:50 +0000 http://dev.pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-end-of-the-wire-not-the-drug-war/#comment-25095 I respect those police officers who continue to fight the drug war, and think there are strong arguments pro and con for legalization. One solution, which I offer half-kidding, is somewhat of a compromise: Give away drugs free in the prisons. That way, instead of sending out police to catch people doing drugs and put them in prison, you simply attract drug users to the prison. Heck, you probably wouldn't even need to close the front gate. I respect those police officers who continue to fight the drug war, and think there are strong arguments pro and con for legalization.

One solution, which I offer half-kidding, is somewhat of a compromise: Give away drugs free in the prisons. That way, instead of sending out police to catch people doing drugs and put them in prison, you simply attract drug users to the prison.

Heck, you probably wouldn’t even need to close the front gate.

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