5 ms·

It hasn't changed much because it is working great for a very well connected sub-set of our society.

by rationalbeats 15y ago

bestes 15y ago
Who are those people? Politicians? (serious question)
- nate_meurer 15y ago
  One possibility: big financial institutions. Michael Rupert has done a lot of work in this area. IIRC, the illicit drug trade is the world's largest commodity market -- bigger than oil. That money has to go somewhere, and wherever it goes it is bound to be massively influential. Rupert argues that the links to big financial institutions are often quite clear, and he backs up his arguments with fairly prodigious research.
  - phaedon 15y ago
    Not just a possibility. Wachovia/Wells Fargo helped Mexican drug cartels launder money. Here's an article from back in April about it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-drug-gangs http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-d...
- mooism2 15y ago
  Prison operators and their employees. To a lesser extent police departments and officers.
  - Daniel_Newby 15y ago
    This I don't understand. Keeping the prisons full simply means arresting people for behavioral mopery instead of pharmaceutical mopery. As long as the public supports a high incarceration rate, the prison guards unions have a license to print money. And police departments and officers should likewise dislike the War on Drugs. It takes low staffing levels to investigate whether people have crack in their pockets. Doing, you know, actual investigations of crimes requires considerably higher staffing, plus the toys are way cooler.
- splat 15y ago
  Prison guard unions would be one. The War on Drugs is a major contributor to the sad statistic that the US has more prisoners than any other country on the planet (not per capita, more prisoners, period). That means good business for prison guards, and the prison guard union wields a disproportionate amount of power, at least in California.
  - nate_meurer 15y ago
    Yes! Exactly right. The prison guard union in California lobbies hard against any attempt at even mild reforms of drug laws. Here's a taste: http://reason.com/blog/2011/06/07/prison-guards-union-locks-up-b http://reason.com/blog/2011/06/07/prison-guards-union-locks-...
- aninteger 15y ago
  The Correctional Peace Officer union is the second strongest/most powerful union in California (behind California Teachers Association). Privatized prisons also contribute great deals of money to political candidates.
- sophacles 15y ago
  Aside from the prison/leo system mentioned below, Drug cartels have a vested interest in the continued war on drugs. There is no way they could reap the profits they currently get in any other way.
- jwallaceparker 15y ago
  >> Who are those people? Politicians? (serious question) Prisons and drug producers/dealers use lobbies and politicians to keep drugs illegal. The fact that they're illegal is the biggest factor effecting their high price.
- mcantelon 15y ago
  Prison contractors. It's a huge industry.
- o2sd 15y ago
  Actually, LOTS of people benefit. In no particular order: 1) Wackenhut (GEO group), private prison operator, and the entire prison complex (guard's unions etc) 2) Law enforcement. Even if the DEA had a 99% interception rate, that economics of the trade mean that it is still profitable at 1% supply. Hence, no matter how many busts the DEA makes, they will always need more resources/money/helicopters etc. 3) Banking and Finance. Drug money is the global financial system's liquidity float. It kept Wachovia solvent for nearly a decade. 4) The US Treasury. Do your own research. Suffice it to say, opium production in Afghanistan now exceeds pre-Taliban levels.
  - r00fus 15y ago
    > 3) Banking and Finance. Drug money is the global financial system's liquidity float. It kept Wachovia solvent for nearly a decade. Wow, I had no idea this level of corruption existed: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-drug-gangs http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-d... This indicates to me that there might be a strong connection between the prison-industrial-complex and the military-industrial-complex with that connection being drugs. Meanwhile, Big Finance amorally profits from all (including illegal) activity.
- Duff 15y ago
  Cops. District Attorneys. Prison Guards. Lots of folks.

It hasn't changed much because it is working great for a very well connected sub-set of our society.

bestes 15y ago

Who are those people? Politicians? (serious question)

nate_meurer 15y ago
One possibility: big financial institutions. Michael Rupert has done a lot of work in this area. IIRC, the illicit drug trade is the world's largest commodity market -- bigger than oil. That money has to go somewhere, and wherever it goes it is bound to be massively influential. Rupert argues that the links to big financial institutions are often quite clear, and he backs up his arguments with fairly prodigious research.
- phaedon 15y ago
  Not just a possibility. Wachovia/Wells Fargo helped Mexican drug cartels launder money. Here's an article from back in April about it: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-drug-gangs http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-d...
mooism2 15y ago
Prison operators and their employees. To a lesser extent police departments and officers.
- Daniel_Newby 15y ago
  This I don't understand. Keeping the prisons full simply means arresting people for behavioral mopery instead of pharmaceutical mopery. As long as the public supports a high incarceration rate, the prison guards unions have a license to print money. And police departments and officers should likewise dislike the War on Drugs. It takes low staffing levels to investigate whether people have crack in their pockets. Doing, you know, actual investigations of crimes requires considerably higher staffing, plus the toys are way cooler.
splat 15y ago
Prison guard unions would be one. The War on Drugs is a major contributor to the sad statistic that the US has more prisoners than any other country on the planet (not per capita, more prisoners, period). That means good business for prison guards, and the prison guard union wields a disproportionate amount of power, at least in California.
- nate_meurer 15y ago
  Yes! Exactly right. The prison guard union in California lobbies hard against any attempt at even mild reforms of drug laws. Here's a taste: http://reason.com/blog/2011/06/07/prison-guards-union-locks-up-b http://reason.com/blog/2011/06/07/prison-guards-union-locks-...
aninteger 15y ago
The Correctional Peace Officer union is the second strongest/most powerful union in California (behind California Teachers Association). Privatized prisons also contribute great deals of money to political candidates.
sophacles 15y ago
Aside from the prison/leo system mentioned below, Drug cartels have a vested interest in the continued war on drugs. There is no way they could reap the profits they currently get in any other way.
jwallaceparker 15y ago
>> Who are those people? Politicians? (serious question) Prisons and drug producers/dealers use lobbies and politicians to keep drugs illegal. The fact that they're illegal is the biggest factor effecting their high price.
mcantelon 15y ago
Prison contractors. It's a huge industry.
o2sd 15y ago
Actually, LOTS of people benefit. In no particular order: 1) Wackenhut (GEO group), private prison operator, and the entire prison complex (guard's unions etc) 2) Law enforcement. Even if the DEA had a 99% interception rate, that economics of the trade mean that it is still profitable at 1% supply. Hence, no matter how many busts the DEA makes, they will always need more resources/money/helicopters etc. 3) Banking and Finance. Drug money is the global financial system's liquidity float. It kept Wachovia solvent for nearly a decade. 4) The US Treasury. Do your own research. Suffice it to say, opium production in Afghanistan now exceeds pre-Taliban levels.
- r00fus 15y ago
  > 3) Banking and Finance. Drug money is the global financial system's liquidity float. It kept Wachovia solvent for nearly a decade. Wow, I had no idea this level of corruption existed: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-drug-gangs http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/apr/03/us-bank-mexico-d... This indicates to me that there might be a strong connection between the prison-industrial-complex and the military-industrial-complex with that connection being drugs. Meanwhile, Big Finance amorally profits from all (including illegal) activity.
Duff 15y ago
Cops. District Attorneys. Prison Guards. Lots of folks.