U.S. Government Reports Admit Drug War Money Is Wasted

I'm not going to go into the case of legalization or not as it's a done subject IMO. I was just intrigued that since the War is proven to be a waste of time and money, what is the alternative?

And if it's proven to be lost, isn't it time to retreat and think of alternative solutions instead of just pouring billions more into a lost cause?

U.S. Government Reports Admit Drug War Money Is Wasted

www.latimes.com...

Reporting from Washington—
As drug cartels wreak murderous havoc from Mexico to Panama, the Obama administration is unable to show that the billions of dollars spent in the war on drugs have significantly stemmed the flow of illegal narcotics into the United States, according to two government reports and outside experts.

So finally it's coming out that the politicians are stating what many of us knew all along?

"It's become increasingly clear that our efforts to rein in the narcotics trade in Latin America, especially as it relates to the government's use of contractors, have largely failed," McCaskill said.

Here's the Drug War Clock. How much is being spent?

www.drugsense.org...

The U.S. federal government spent over $15 billion dollars in 2010 on the War on Drugs, at a rate of about $500 per second.

The majority of U.S. counter-narcotics contracts are awarded to five companies: DynCorp, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, ITT and ARINC, according to the report for the contracting oversight subcommittee, part of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

So now we see why the war on drugs continues...Profit! As if we didn't know this already.

And I especially like this:

Government reports say the Obama administration is unable to show that billions of dollars spent in the anti-drug efforts in Latin America have made a significant difference.

And then this:

Obama administration officials strongly deny that U.S. efforts have failed to reduce drug production or smuggling in Latin America.

I just can't understand double speak. Which is it? Either it's working or it isn't?

But that's not the only war that has been lost. Maybe if the war on drugs wasn't so profitable, the war on poverty could get a boost from all those misdirected funds? Just a thought.

Democrats' War on Poverty Has Failed

www.humanevents.com...

in January 1988, President Ronald Reagan delivered a State of the Union address in which he declared that the War on Poverty had failed: “My friends, some years ago, the Federal Government declared war on poverty, and poverty won.”

Timeline: America's War on Drugs:

www.npr.org...

Four decades ago, the U.S. government declared a "war on drugs." From the rise and fall of kingpins to current efforts to interdict and stamp out drugs, follow events so far:

So much time and money into this war and that's all we hear about on the MSM. Hardly hear anything on the poverty war tho. Maybe that's why it was said to have failed so quickly?

This "Phantom War" is one of the reasons the we are broke.

Is there any indication the demand is going down ?

What if we spent this money on education instead of expensive "LE" toys.

They are using this "War" as a reason to build a Police State.

It's time to seriously rethink this issue.

Originally posted by whyamIhere
This "Phantom War" is one of the reasons the we are broke.

Is there any indication the demand is going down ?

What if we spent this money on education instead of expensive "LE" toys.

They are using this "War" as a reason to build a Police State.

It's time to seriously rethink this issue.

edit on 12-6-2011 by whyamIhere because: burning vegetation...

Yeah, very easy to see.

'Lock up them borders and keep the drugs out!'

'No need for a warrant, there's drugs in that house!' etc.

So, obviously the whole 15 billion doesn't go to border patrol, but reading this stuff made me think about the whole build a wall at the border idea. 2000 mile border and a 15 billion dollar budget means $7,500,000 per mile. I feel like with that kind of funding we could build a pretty decent wall. Maybe one with automated, motion-activated, heat-seeking tranquilizer guns?

More seriously, though, the thing that gets me riled up when thinking about this stuff is the fact that every time someone gets caught smuggling, they just get sent back to try again. Clearly we need to instill more motivation for them to stop trying. Maybe just hog-tie them and throw them back over the fence. If Mexico wants them back, they can have their border patrol do daily rounds to pick up the smugglers.

I actually wonder why they haven't come up with some scheme to implant RFID chips into people caught smuggling drugs across the border. "Oh, ya, don't mind us. We just want to make sure you're healthy before we send you back to Mexico." At least that way we could see them coming. This would help a lot with people smuggling mariner style as well. They could also just follow the smugglers to their safe/stash houses and bust the whole operation!

I dunno. Most likely just my fanciful pipe dreams. Thanks for the article!

Originally posted by scojak
So, obviously the whole 15 billion doesn't go to border patrol, but reading this stuff made me think about the whole build a wall at the border idea. 2000 mile border and a 15 billion dollar budget means $7,500,000 per mile. I feel like with that kind of funding we could build a pretty decent wall. Maybe one with automated, motion-activated, heat-seeking tranquilizer guns?

More seriously, though, the thing that gets me riled up when thinking about this stuff is the fact that every time someone gets caught smuggling, they just get sent back to try again. Clearly we need to instill more motivation for them to stop trying. Maybe just hog-tie them and throw them back over the fence. If Mexico wants them back, they can have their border patrol do daily rounds to pick up the smugglers.

I actually wonder why they haven't come up with some scheme to implant RFID chips into people caught smuggling drugs across the border. "Oh, ya, don't mind us. We just want to make sure you're healthy before we send you back to Mexico." At least that way we could see them coming. This would help a lot with people smuggling mariner style as well. They could also just follow the smugglers to their safe/stash houses and bust the whole operation!

I dunno. Most likely just my fanciful pipe dreams. Thanks for the article!

You nailed it tho. The war IS profitable. But not only for South of the border. What about all the private Companies profiting from its failure. If the war was declared a success, they lose.

The people fighting the war on drugs are the real heroes, as the drug war (and specifically marijuana prohibition) are the cornerstone of the police state. So next time you get the chance, thank a drug dealer!

Let's put the blame on this where it properly belongs: the Bush family. GHW Bush began the war on drugs which has since cost (conservatively) around $700 Billion in direct costs, not inclusive of the cost to people incarcerated and lost productivity.
Gulf war l was Bush l's legacy for another $61 Billion. Another war based on lies (Incubator babies, troops massed on Saudi border). Of course he had to have a war to avoid the "wimp factor" running up to re-election time.
So let's give Poppy the bill for $761 Billion.
Not to be outdone, G.W.Bush began the Iraq war, the Afghanistan war and the War on terror. Since 2001 the total costs for all these run nearly $1.25 Trillion.

Added together the wars began by both Bushes total over $2 Trillion !

Every single war started by either Bush has been predicated on lies, just like Vietnam (Gulf of Tonkin)

Here's a list of the cost of US wars since 1900 in non-inflation adjusted numbers:

WW1 - $20 Billion
WW2 - $296 Billion
Korea - $30 Billion
Vietnam - $111 Billion
Gulf war I - $61 Billion
Iraq - $715 Billion
Afghanistan - $297 Billion

Source -
www.fas.org...

The Bush legacy is pretty obviously a plan to bankrupt the US and I would have to say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

The solution to the war on drugs is to treat it as a medical and social issue,
Then we can use our prisons for people who commit actual crimes where there is injury to another person or their property.

So many productive lives wasted in the War on Drugs, so much violence and chaos in 3rd world countries due to the amount of money to be made from contraband which is not just limited to cartels. There is plenty of evidence of government involvement in the importation of drugs and gun running for profit (see Iran-Contra).

There never was a true war on drugs, it has always been a war on people, particularly minorities.

I wish the US would take a good hard look at Portugal. Theyve legalized and regulated all drugs and instituted a real drug addiction policy. Theyve seen there drug users plummet especially amongst young people.

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
Let's put the blame on this where it properly belongs: the Bush family. GHW Bush began the war on drugs which has since cost (conservatively) around $700 Billion in direct costs, not inclusive of the cost to people incarcerated and lost productivity.
Gulf war l was Bush l's legacy for another $61 Billion. Another war based on lies (Incubator babies, troops massed on Saudi border). Of course he had to have a war to avoid the "wimp factor" running up to re-election time.
So let's give Poppy the bill for $761 Billion.
Not to be outdone, G.W.Bush began the Iraq war, the Afghanistan war and the War on terror. Since 2001 the total costs for all these run nearly $1.25 Trillion.

Added together the wars began by both Bushes total over $2 Trillion !

Every single war started by either Bush has been predicated on lies, just like Vietnam (Gulf of Tonkin)

Here's a list of the cost of US wars since 1900 in non-inflation adjusted numbers:

WW1 - $20 Billion
WW2 - $296 Billion
Korea - $30 Billion
Vietnam - $111 Billion
Gulf war I - $61 Billion
Iraq - $715 Billion
Afghanistan - $297 Billion

Source -
www.fas.org...

The Bush legacy is pretty obviously a plan to bankrupt the US and I would have to say MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.

The solution to the war on drugs is to treat it as a medical and social issue,
Then we can use our prisons for people who commit actual crimes where there is injury to another person or their property.

So many productive lives wasted in the War on Drugs, so much violence and chaos in 3rd world countries due to the amount of money to be made from contraband which is not just limited to cartels. There is plenty of evidence of government involvement in the importation of drugs and gun running for profit (see Iran-Contra).

There never was a true war on drugs, it has always been a war on people, particularly minorities.

edit on 12-6-2011 by Asktheanimals because: (no reason given)

So just to be clear, you have no love for the Bush family? lol

And yes,the war on drugs goes back to even the CIA bringing in Cocaine to flood the ghettos for finances.

www.finalcall.com...

The real war on drugs should have been aimed at these CIA criminals and not the local dealers getting their supply from those that were supposed to be protecting the people.

www.finalcall.com...

reply to post by Asktheanimals



You made so many great points in your post.

I wish we could get past blaming just one family for this mess.

Unfortunately, there is plenty of blame to go around.

I am not defending any of the Bush family.

We have to get past blaming the past.

Seems like we better start fixing it.

The current "Administration" could end this tomorrow.

Originally posted by whyamIhere
reply to post by Asktheanimals

 

You made so many great points in your post.

I wish we could get past blaming just one family for this mess.

Unfortunately, there is plenty of blame to go around.

I am not defending any of the Bush family.

We have to get past blaming the past.

Seems like we better start fixing it.

The current "Administration" could end this tomorrow.

I agree with your point on the current administration but it won't happen until it stops being a profitable venture for Washington and the private corps.

reply to post by whyamIhere


I was using the Bushs' for example since the official "war on drugs" didn't start until crack coc aine and the death of Lynn Bias (sp?) the basketball player.

Since it was All in the family so to speak I thought I would expand a little on the OP.

They're all wars on Americans in the end since we pay the price both in $ and freedoms lost.

I don't blame just one family but the Bush clan definitely get's the lyin's share.

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
reply to post by whyamIhere

 

I was using the Bushs' for example since the official "war on drugs" didn't start until crack coc aine and the death of Lynn Bias (sp?) the basketball player.

Since it was All in the family so to speak I thought I would expand a little on the OP.

They're all wars on Americans in the end since we pay the price both in $ and freedoms lost.

I don't blame just one family but the Bush clan definitely get's the lyin's share.

edit on 12-6-2011 by Asktheanimals because: (no reason given)

Absolutely agree with that. The Bush Family are among the top criminals and mass murderers in history. IMO

I could go on all day about this and could have made the OP 5 pages long on the Bush Family and their involvement in the Drug Wars but it's been said before.

Thanks for not holding back! lol

The War on Drugs is the only reason I chose not to get a job in law enforcement.

Originally posted by Asktheanimals
reply to post by whyamIhere

 

"I don't blame just one family but the Bush clan definitely get's the lyin's share.

"

You can't argue with that...

Originally posted by whyamIhere
This "Phantom War" is one of the reasons the we are broke.

Is there any indication the demand is going down ?

What if we spent this money on education instead of expensive "LE" toys.

They are using this "War" as a reason to build a Police State.

It's time to seriously rethink this issue.

edit on 12-6-2011 by whyamIhere because: burning vegetation...

Yeah but why would TPTB want to educate people? Our education system is the way it is because it's planned that way. War on Drug was never meant to be won, it was just meant to drag along as long as possible. As goes to War on Terror...

Originally posted by blackrain17

Originally posted by whyamIhere
This "Phantom War" is one of the reasons the we are broke.

Is there any indication the demand is going down ?

What if we spent this money on education instead of expensive "LE" toys.

They are using this "War" as a reason to build a Police State.

It's time to seriously rethink this issue.

edit on 12-6-2011 by whyamIhere because: burning vegetation...

Yeah but why would TPTB want to educate people? Our education system is the way it is because it's planned that way. War on Drug was never meant to be won, it was just meant to drag along as long as possible. As goes to War on Terror...

edit on 12-6-2011 by blackrain17 because: (no reason given)

I don't think most people actually understand the War on Drugs and what it really is.

Ask most people and they will say "Dealers on the Streets need to be stopped."

Not realizing that the real war is fought 33 floors above ground in the ivory towers.

So when it comes down to the question of whether more money should be put towards this BS, people see their street dealers getting arrested and believe it's working so agree that it is money well spent.

reply to post by jude11


cia is the main drug dealer of the world;

one objective of Afghanistan was to re-appropriate the heroin business that the taliban had took over to almost completely stop. (if you don't believe it look for the numbers ofproduction of heroin before and after the yankees moved in)

the war on drugs is an efficient way to use public money to kill the competition (+ as noted in op transfer money to friendly & partner corporations); all the violence that happens in Colombia for coc aine thanks to their puppet government is about killing their non-aligned competitors.

they don't care about your health, they just want full control & monopole of the second most lucrative business after weapons.

Well its not a COMPLETE waste of money, it makes them lots of money
US banks are caught red handed laundering cartel drug money, and they don't even get a slap on the wrist, just a hefty fine that translated for huge profit for the bank during the GFC....see below

2004-2007, a staggering amount of illegal drug proceeds totaling $378.4 billion dollars were transferred into Wachovia by the Mexico-based Casa Cambios that violated U.S. government anti-money laundering compliance.

As part of the agreement Wachovia agreed to pay the government a fine of $110 million dollars with an additional fine of $50 million dollars to be paid to the U.S. Treasury Department. The total fine of $160 million dollars was less than 2% of the bank's $12.3 billion dollars in profit made in 2009. By the time Wachovia agreed to pay the hefty fine, Wells Fargo purchased Wachovia during the banking crisis for $12.7 billion. Then Well Fargo reaped a windfall from the government, a gift of $25 billion dollars of taxpayers money as part of President Obama stimulus package in 2009.

www.alternet.org...

The "war" on drugs is like the "war"on terrorism or the soon to be declared "war on cyber terrorism" its about a hefty profit. Why would they stop something that makes them so much cash?

The alternative: Legal mary-jane.

==Jobs:
Farming;
Distribution and Transport;
Hemp Clothing, Fabrics and Design;
Sail Ropes, Bags, tents;
Medical Extracts;
Fast Foods

==Money:
Small Businesses (selling it, pipes, bongs, snack food's);
Govt Taxes (as opposed to expenditure);

==Community
Less Crime;
Smiley, Happy People;