Guatemalan President to world: Legalize drugs

[one...two...tree 2,762]

UNITED NATIONS - Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina is advocating the international legalization of drugs even as he is moving to fight narcotics cartels with the biggest military buildup in the Central American country since its long and bloody civil war.

There's no contradiction, the president said in an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, a day before he plans to address the U.N. General Assembly.

"We can't take unilateral action, it will be gradual," Perez said, referring to his push for legalization. "Meanwhile, while we're taking these steps, we're not going to let Guatemala become an open corridor for trafficking and consuming drugs."

Perez Molina said he may be the first head of state to propose legalizing drugs before the General Assembly, but the Organization of American States already is studying the idea, with a report due in a year.

"With cocaine and heroin, for example, they're substances that are damaging and addictive," he said. "We would have to regulate the procedures for selling them: a prescription or series of things that would come out of the discussion."

The legalization proposal came just a month after the retired general took office in January with promises of an "iron fist" against crime, and it provoked strong criticism from the United States, as well as intense discussion within Guatemala.

The president said the traditional war on drugs had failed over the past half century, and that the United States' inability to deal with its drug consumption problem left Central America with no option but to promote legalizing drugs in some way.

Read more: http://www.azcentral...l#ixzz27Whi6WsO

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

That would be the most effective move in the war on drugs. The drug cartels would be done and out of business overnight.

[james&olya 1,121]

That would be the most effective move in the war on drugs. The drug cartels would be done and out of business overnight.

It would be a sane and rational move. So forget it ever happening here!

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

It would be a sane and rational move. So forget it ever happening here!

The war on drugs is profitable business. Corporations depend on it so it's here to stay.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

That would be the most effective move in the war on drugs. The drug cartels would be done and out of business overnight.

How do you figure that? Who's going to produce, regulate, distribute, sell etc? The government?Obama?

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

How do you figure that? Who's going to produce, regulate, distribute, sell etc? The government? Obama?

Do we have alcohol and tobacco cartels? Is Obama producing, distributing or selling those drugs? Or is it private enterprise taking care of that?

Edited September 26, 2012 by Mr. Big Dog

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Do we have alcohol and tobacco cartels? Is Obama producing, distributing or selling those drugs? Or is it private enterprise taking care of that?

The drug trade is the finest example of capitalism at work. Why do commies always want to fix something that is working?

[lostinblue 1,989]

In 1940 it was estimated that there were 40 million opium smokers in China. In 1941 Chiang Kai-shek ordered the complete suppression of the poppy and laws were passed that meted at the death penalty for anyone cultivating the poppy, manufacturing opium or offering it for sale.

The Communist took this policy a step further by executing dealers, declaring that anybody found using drugs would be put to death. and providing immediate cold turkey treatment for addicts. In Canton in 1951, 27,000 pounds of opium was publicly burned and 37 addicts were executed. In this way the Communist virtually wiped out drug use and brought the opium problem to a quick end

A fast and simple way to handle the drug situation here. Death to any drug dealer.From weed on up.

[spookyturtle 9,465]

Do we have alcohol and tobacco cartels? Is Obama producing, distributing or selling those drugs? Or is it private enterprise taking care of that?

Where does the private enterprise get the licensing? Do you think that every Joe Farmer is going to start growing weed and cocoa and sell it at roadside stands? What does the Bureau of ATF do? It makes me laugh when people think that the cartels are just going to go away overnight. And peacefully give up a business worth tens of billions.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Where does the private enterprise get the licensing? Do you think that every Joe Farmer is going to start growing weed and cocoa and sell it at roadside stands? What does the Bureau of ATF do? It makes me laugh when people think that the cartels are just going to go away overnight. And peacefully give up a business worth tens of billions.

What benefits does the war on drugs have? We've been fighting this war for decades and are no closer to winning. Fact is that it is a war that will never be won. It does grow government and costs untold billions of dollars. And all that money buys us what exactly?

Edited September 26, 2012 by Mr. Big Dog

[spookyturtle 9,465]

What benefits does the war on drugs have? We've been fighting this war for decades and are no closer to winning. Fact is that it is a war that will never be won. It does grow government and costs untold billions of dollars. And all that money buys us what exactly?

How much do we spend fighting crime? Murder? If we legalize that will things get better? China has a very effective solution. Of course we would never take that approach here. We can't fight the war anywhere but right here. From the Rio Grande to Terra del Fuego is much to correct for anything to be effective.

I'll use a different argument, if there were no customers, drugs wouldn't be a lucrative business.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

How much do we spend fighting crime? Murder? If we legalize that will things get better? China has a very effective solution. Of course we would never take that approach here. We can't fight the war anywhere but right here. From the Rio Grande to Terra del Fuego is much to correct for anything to be effective.

I'll use a different argument, if there were no customers, drugs wouldn't be a lucrative business.

If there were no customers, tobacco and alcohol wouldn't be lucrative businesses either. That would be the proper equation, I think. Drug use and murder certainly are two very different things. Alcohol is a drug, tobacco products are drugs and yet both are perfectly legal. We tried making alcohol illegal back in the days and that didn't work out so well. Why not learn from that lesson and drop the prohibition on drugs? People that want to do drugs will do drugs whether they are legal or illegal. People that do not care to do drugs won't do drugs whether they're legal or illegal. So I ask again, what exactly do we gain from the war on drugs? Who benefits?

Edited September 26, 2012 by Mr. Big Dog

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Tobacco bad. Alcohol bad. Drugs even worse. It is amazing what people that can't function in society without government assistance are willing to do to get their fix. Every see a tobacco fiend collecting butts and rolling their own with toilet paper from a public restroom? Now that is a nasty nicotine habit. I can't even describe here what I have seen how some alcohol and drug fiends demean themselves for a taste.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

Tobacco bad. Alcohol bad. Drugs even worse. It is amazing what people that can't function in society without government assistance are willing to do to get their fix. Every see a tobacco fiend collecting butts and rolling their own with toilet paper from a public restroom? Now that is a nasty nicotine habit. I can't even describe here what I have seen how some alcohol and drug fiends demean themselves for a taste.

Addiction is bad. I think we can all agree on that. But the war on drugs doesn't actually reduce addiction, does it?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Addiction is bad. I think we can all agree on that. But the war on drugs doesn't actually reduce addiction, does it?

Yep. Addiction and drug use are two separate issues. People take narcotics under a doctor's prescription all the time and don't become addicted.