Lately I've been watching a lot of Fox News, trying to compare it to the other "news" channels on American television, and I almost choked when I stumbled upon a list of the "most wasteful spendings of 2009." I'm against government waste, I feel like our tax dollars should be making a difference out there, and I agreed with the Citizens Against Government Waste interviewee that many (not all) of those expenditures weren't worth it.
But my only reaction was, "What about the Drug War?!?"
How could people who speak against government waste ignore the War on Drugs, the most ineffective, counter-productive waste of our time, money, and lives? During the interview, I remember somebody talking about $300 000 being spent on a new skateboard park. To be completely honest, I would rather have the government saving that money for something more important. But the skateboard park will definitely be more useful to society than the War on Drugs. A skateboard park doesn't create violent gangs or cartels, doesn't lead to overincarceration, doesn't get innocent people and good cops killed, et caetera. The skateboard park will at least achieve its primary goal (giving a place for skaters to skate), whereas the Drug War barely even gets close (reduce drug use).
So basically, if you think a skateboard park is a waste of government money, think further. Building $50 billion worth of skateboard parks every year will always be better than the failed War on Drugs. That's something like 166 666 new skateboard parks every year, more than a million and a half every decade... And as economically apocalyptic as that sounds, it would always be better than the War on Drugs.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
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But, Dragan, what could police enforcement possibly be doing besides going after drug users?? And how on Earth would all those extramilitary forces and foreign militaries who commit human rights abuses get all their money?! And how could any politician look "tough on crime" without supporting the War on Drugs? And what would all those lobbyists be doing without their prized War on Drugs?
ReplyDeleteNow I see why it's called "politically necessary." No matter how irrational or stupid it is, someone's pockets have to be lined!
Good post.
That was the most rediculous thing i have ever seen. Honestly, most of the people that are creating political cartoons aren't even credible to say such things.
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