Could legalizing drugs defeat the Taliban?

[ClayTrainor]

I was just thinking, we keep hearing about how many more troops are required to fight the taliban in Afghanistan and take control of the territory. Isn't the #1 source of funding for the Taliban forces, Opium?

Opium is only profitable for drug dealers, because it's illegal. Clearly there's still a market for it, and the profit from it is going to some of the most dangerous people on earth. The taliban are essentially the modern Pablo Escobars and Al Capones.

Why not let the average consumer compete with the taliban, and create legitimate jobs for our economy? Why does the government help the taliban have a monopoly on Opium production, when clearly there is still demand?

Legalize drugs and Bring the Troops home is how you Win the war in Afghanistan. This to me, seems like a good argument that should be used more often when discussing foreign policy, what do you think of it?

[tremendoustie]

I was just thinking, we keep hearing about how many more troops are required to fight the taliban in Afghanistan and take control of the territory. Isn't the #1 source of funding for the Taliban forces, Opium?

Opium is only profitable for drug dealers, because it's illegal. Clearly there's still a market for it, and the profit from it is going to some of the most dangerous people on earth. The taliban are essentially the modern Pablo Escobars and Al Capones.

Why not let the average consumer compete with the taliban, and create legitimate jobs for our economy? Why does the government help the taliban have a monopoly on Opium production, when clearly there is still demand?

Legalize drugs and Bring the Troops home is how you Win the war in Afghanistan. This to me, seems like a good argument that should be used more often when discussing foreign policy, what do you think of it?

I think that's an excellent argument, that had not fully occurred to me.

[constituent]

No, because most heroin in the United States and Canada originates in South America and Mexico, not Afghanistan.

In order for this strategy to work, countries in Europe, Asia and Africa would have to be in on the jig.

[ClayTrainor]

Because most heroin in the United States and Canada originates in South America and Mexico, not Afghanistan.

In order for this strategy to work, countries in Europe, Asia and Africa would have to be in on the jig.

Yea, you're right.

We do keep hearing about how this is a "global war on terror", so why not end the global war on drugs, to win the war on terror? :)

[constituent]

We do keep hearing about how this is a "global war on terror", so why not end the global war on drugs, to win the war on terror? :)

Well, for that you'd have to start at the U.N.

[Andrew-Austin]

Too easy to poke holes in. Would not at all be persuasive to the war inclined right.

Neocon: "So you think we should beat the terrorists at their own game of drug manufacturing"?

Remember to the neocon types, touching drugs is like a serious "zomg you are going to hell for all of eternity" sin.

[ClayTrainor]

Too easy to poke holes in. Would not at all be persuasive to the war inclined right.

Well my dad is coming around on foreign policy but still supports the war on drugs and Afghanistan occupation. He's a bit of a Christian conservative, but if i can convince him that the talibans power is directly related to the war on drugs, he may come around.

I personally think I can use this argument rather effectively on certain people, so i thought i'd share it. :)

[yokna7]

I was just thinking, we keep hearing about how many more troops are required to fight the taliban in Afghanistan and take control of the territory. Isn't the #1 source of funding for the Taliban forces, Opium?

Opium is only profitable for drug dealers, because it's illegal. Clearly there's still a market for it, and the profit from it is going to some of the most dangerous people on earth. The taliban are essentially the modern Pablo Escobars and Al Capones.

Why not let the average consumer compete with the taliban, and create legitimate jobs for our economy? Why does the government help the taliban have a monopoly on Opium production, when clearly there is still demand?

Legalize drugs and Bring the Troops home is how you Win the war in Afghanistan. This to me, seems like a good argument that should be used more often when discussing foreign policy, what do you think of it?

I like it, but I also think you do not have to legalize drugs to end the war. You can simply bring the troops and end the war.

The first step (we agree) on: Bring the troops home.

The second step: You favor an attrition technique to defeat the taliban and I like that, but I believe either way we need a sweeping overhaul of our foreign policy towards the middle east. Attrition, I believe, will not rid the world of the taliban. It will make an impact, but they can be financed in some other way. Muslim extremists are not isolated to opium farming.

I would prefer an almost complete disengagement from the middle east. Pressure the UN to lift sanctions from these countries. Withdrawal of troops and the transfer of all military installations to the hands of these governments.

Israel will always be the compromise unfortunately, but I would abandon all aid to this relatively wealthy nation.

[constituent]

On a related note, a winning strategy for the war on "drugs" (speaking from anti-drug war perspective) that dovetails with your idea would be taking the fight local and getting municipalities and counties to stop enforcing federal "drug" laws. Most common "drugs" begin as plant material, and through a small number of simple chemical transformations become the product that people consume.

If municipalities refused to enforce federal (and international) criminal "drug" laws, this would allow for the extreme localization of "drug" production thereby diffusing the supply chain and marginalizing "drug" production as a means of funding wars/failed states/black ops/etc.

But anyway...

[ClayTrainor]

Neocon: "So you think we should beat the terrorists at their own game of drug manufacturing"?



To this i would say, "Remember al capone, and how we fixed that violent problem?"

[ClayTrainor]

On a related note, a winning strategy for the war on drugs (speaking from anti-drug war perspective) that dovetails with your idea would be taking the fight local and getting municipalities and counties to stop enforcing federal drug laws. Most common "drugs" begin as plant material, and through a small number of simple chemical transformations become the product that people consume.

If municipalities refused to enforce federal (an international) criminal drug laws, this would allow for the extreme localization of drug production thereby diffusing the supply chain and marginalizing "drug" production as a means of funding wars/failed states/black ops/etc.

But anyway...

Well i agree, but the point remains that allowing people to compete with the taliban's source of funding is a legitimate way to destroy them, as it would lower the profit margins. It's a good way to get people considering that "terrorism" is actually an economic and social issue as well.

[erowe1]

No, because most heroin in the United States and Canada originates in South America and Mexico, not Afghanistan.

In order for this strategy to work, countries in Europe, Asia and Africa would have to be in on the jig.

That doesn't matter. Commodities are fungible.

What you just said reminds me of this news clip I heard a few years ago where the interviewer asked some leather retailer if mad cow disease in the UK would make his prices go up and he said that it wouldn't because he didn't get any of his leather from there. That guy probably also believes that if you take a bucket of water out of one end of a swimming pool, then only that end of the pool will get more shallow and the other end won't.

[Andrew-Austin]

Opium is only profitable for drug dealers, because it's illegal.

It would still be profitable to them even if it were made legal in a bunch of countries. Just not as profitable maybe.



Why not let the average consumer compete with the taliban, and create legitimate jobs for our economy?

Does Opium even grow well in the US?

And I think it is too ambitious to try and kill two birds with one stone here. If you have not already convinced them that the drug war is wrong, you won't convince them that we should end the drug war as a means to beating the Taliban. If they still think growing drugs is a zomg immoral sin, then they will just scoff at the idea of 'beating the terrorists at their own game' of drug production.

A neocon would just go on suggesting other strategies like "why don't we burn down all the Opium fields in the middle east"?

[constituent]

That doesn't matter. Commodities are fungible.


Yes, we're talking about illicit trades however.

Supply lags demand, often significantly. New alliances must be formed, trust relationships established, this takes time.

That's not to say it wouldn't happen, but that it would probably lag long enough that legalizing opium/heroin in the united states would have a nominal impact on the Taliban's operations.