Open Thread

“bullet” In the Detroit News: Subject drug war to the Iraq War test by Nolan Finley

Yet while it only took three years for the American people to lose patience with the Iraq War, the drug war has been dragging on virtually unchallenged for three decades.

Given the cost, it’s baffling that taxpayers haven’t demanded more accountability. State and federal drug fighting efforts cost roughly $1 billion a week.

Here’s the return on that money: Zero.

“bullet” At Huffington Post: Time for Exit Strategy for Unwinnable Drug War by Tony Newman

It is time to encourage treatment providers, public health officials, law enforcement, drug users, educators, elected officials and others to come together and help us find ways to reduce the harms of both drug abuse and drug prohibition. We need to heal from this war on our fellow citizens.

“bullet” Via TalkLeft an editorial in the Houston Chronicle Smarter on crime: It’s time for Harris County to heed the message of a tough-on-crime judge about handling of drug cases.

…the ill effects on a community of committing huge numbers of prospectless drug addicts to lengthy jail sentences and felony records without dealing with their underlying drug dependence are well-documented and long-term. And those ill effects are suffered by everyone in this county.