>From Jones:
... > The biggest threat to the West, in the eyes of the > Pentagon, is a non-nuclear or "nuclear-optional" (less > detectable) but near kiloton capable weapon in the hands > of the Taliban (or next radical terrorist group with > access to plenty of cash or a substitute like > Afghani heroin)... and by extension, a weapon which is > deliverable in the trunk of compact vehicle by a > surrogate group in our backyard- like the Zetas, > for instance. Regarding the profitability of illegal businesses, like Afghani heroin, I'm going to suggest something outrageous. We should seriously consider growing our own poppy fields and the manufacture of our own "illegal" drugs. In a sense, this is already done in certain Scandinavian countries, like Denmark. I realize this might seem to be a repugnant suggestion; however it would also seem that the staunchest critics do not necessarily come from Europe where these liberal drug policies are followed, but from our own back yard. See: http://www.justice.gov/dea/demand/speakout/09so.htm The point being: if we manufactured and sold our own "illegal" drugs we could then permanently undercut the competition's cash flow and help destroy terrorist funding. Again, I know it is repugnant to even suggest such a tactic, except for the fact that it's probably likely that significant portions of law enforcement have been in bed with the "enemy" aka: drug cartels for a very long time. I doubt that relationship will change anytime soon for the simple fact that there is too much money to be made on both sides of the fence. Occasional token arrests and drug raids paraded out in public do nothing more than help satisfy national morals that we are doing the "right thing", while business-as-usual continues under the counter. So, why not just come out of the closet and accept what is obviously a highly profitable global business enterprise with a business strategy of our own: Permanently undercut the competition's profit margin with our own line of "products". I think that would go a long way towards defunding a lot of terrorist activity. To make reparations for the terrible "sin" of selling "illegal" drugs to adults (not minors!) I would certainly advocate that a significant portion of the federal profits go towards funding rehabilitation and education explaining the evils of drug addiction. Regards, Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com www.zazzle.com/orionworks
