Powell, and Drugs

Quick note on Powell:

Wow, I was very happy to see that Powell said something to the effect of

“The republicans are asking, is Obama a Muslim? Well, the right answer is, no, he is a Christian, he has always been a Christian. But the really right answer is, what if he was? What is wrong with a seven year old Muslim-American girl or boy thinking that they could be president one day?”

I couldn’t have said it better. So thanks for that. This whole thing almost makes up for the whole selling this awful war to the UN. I saw W. over the weekend, and it painted a very favorable picture of Powell, its too bad he caved to the pressure and sold Bush’s lies.

He had his own part in the death of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis and thousands of Americans.

I hope he continues trying to repent for his crimes.

Drugs-

If John McCain and Barack Obama want to cut part of the budget, how about the $50 billion we spend per year on the war on drugs? It is a failed program. Just like prohibition.

Just like prohibition, if you outlaw something you are going to create underground organizations.

Prohibition created organized crime in this country. The war on drugs has created drug lords, drug dealers, and a giant underground business of selling illicit drugs.

The war on drugs has filled our prisons with non-violent criminals.

With poor people.

Are people who smoke pot criminals? Criminals that belong onside with murders and rapists? Should a crack user share a cell with an armed robber?

The thing about drug laws and punishment is the unfairness. The class and race unfairness. What is to happen to a poor black teenager who is arrested for selling or using hard drugs? Prison.

What is to happen to a rich white woman who illegally buys and uses painkillers? Rehab. No prison, no real punishment. Total forgiveness.

If young Obama had been caught using drugs his career would be over. His life would be over. When Cindy McCain was discovered to be addicted to painkillers nothing happened, she faced no threat of prison. Are their crimes serious? Of course not.

Drugs are a huge problem. Outlawing drugs is not the answer. It solves nothing. It just puts poor people in jail.

What then is the solution? Education of course. But not only education.

The real cause of heavy drug use is often deep poverty. Drugs offer the only escape. The life of the poor can be and is so awful that using drugs is the only way out. Or perhaps religion. They are both things people who have no hope seek.

Education is once again the answer to poverty. Comprehensive economic education must be a key factor in all school curriculum. All throughout a students career. Along with that drug and sex education to try and limit the amount of unwanted pregnancies and drug use that helps to cause prolonged poverty.

But education is the long term solution. We need something more immediate. Government work programs to rebuild infrastructure is one answer. This would include the dreaded government housing, and cleaning up the poorest neighborhoods.

Welfare must be drastically changed. Abuses of the system must stop. But there must also be better incentives to work instead of depending on the government. If one can make more money from welfare than from working two jobs why bother? I don’t know exactly how to do this, but perhaps with more research and more education in economics I will.

I don’t want to go point by point on this, but better economic conditions will cure the problem of drug use.

Will drug use go away? Of course not. Drugs are fun! I’d smoke marijuna if it was legal. I think it would be an interesting experience. Do I refrain from doing it now in respect of the laws of the land?

Of course not. I have no respect for laws I don’t believe in. I don’t care if people occasionally use recreational drugs. I don’t think they are criminals.

Sorry for rambling on. I have a lot of thoughts about a lot of things, so I’m just trying to cram it all in as I think of it.