The most important thing we could do to protect the American people and win the War on Terror would be to end the War on Drugs.
That’s the logical conclusion from what Admiral James Stavridis, the former head of U.S. Southern Command and then NATO supreme allied commander, wrote for The Washington Post on Sunday, in a column titled, “The dark side of globalization.”
The admiral didn’t actually call for an end to drug criminalization in the U.S., or even for a less militaristic approach to it. But he did importantly warn us that, after 40 years as a Navy officer, what “keeps him awake at night” is the “convergence” of narco-terrorism.
“Drug cartels use sophisticated trafficking routes to move huge amounts of heroin, cocaine and methamphetamines. Terrorists can in effect ‘rent’ these routes by co-opting the drug cartels through money, coercion or ideological persuasion,” wrote the admiral. “These organizations can then move personnel, cash or arms — possibly even a weapon of mass destruction — clandestinely to the United States.”
Preventing the delivery of mayhem to our shores, “a weapon of mass destruction” being top of the list, ought to be Job 1 — right up there with scrutinizing the non-profit status of tea party groups and paying Lois Lerner while she’s on leave.
Seriously, if we can remove the most likely nasty network for that dark delivery in one fell swoop, why wouldn’t we?
Plus, according to one estimate, we’d save more than the $17 billion we’ve already spent this year on a losing police-and-courts approach to a health issue.
This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.
7 replies on “Ending One War for Another?”
The admiral is, of course, correct. However, Congress does not run on common sense or logic, buy rather polls. The destruction of empires and countries is most a function of the unintended consequences of good intentions.
By the way, the $17 billion cost estimate is actually rediculiously low. The cost of the war is exponentially higher as, in the long run, the society pays all of the costs of the prohibition.
JFB — I suspect you are correct on the cost figures for the War on Drugs being underestimated.
Since the war on terror is now officially over, lets repeal the National Defense Authorization Act which gives the US military the power to detain US citizens for indefinite periods, to literally shoot anyone who’s even suspected of anti-government activity or is uncooperative, and arrest those who have anti-government opinions such as speaking out against the Gestapo-like tactics used by the TSA each time anyone wishes to fly a commercial airline.
The War on Drugs is a jobs program. The government cannot afford to have all those productive and motivated people unemployed and not otherwise occupied. They might start spending time trying to hold the government accountable.
I am unsubscribing from this site because of moderation…
See ya
I speak a plain and honest opinion and Word Press moderates it. I said nothing wrong, I just criticize the the administration and its leader, and I get flagged? What about my first amendment right? Who gives word press the power to moderate what I say. I said nothing profane…
I call it a part of the PC communist crowd.
If it happens again I will terminate my subscription to a very good writers work. But I will tell him and show him what all I have said and done. I have been a reader much longer than Word Press has been around…
And here is the comment that started it all.
It is the Gods honest truth.
Why are not real problems being solved by this corrupt adminsistration?
This government we got now is going down in flames.
It is certainly such a sad fact that the first “Dark” POTUS, is such a political c u r…