True, but as England moves to decriminalize drugs, an open poppy market would give Afghanistan an opening to legitimize its cash crop.

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"Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear."

"An honest man can feel no pleasure in the exercise of power over his fellow citizens."

-Thomas Jefferson

Does anyone know the market value of morphine as a legitimate commodity versus morphine refined into illegal heroin?

Anyone remember what happened during Prohibition? Do retards in America ever learn? Yes, I'm talking to you, majority of America.

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A federal judge ruled today that graphic pictures of detainee abuse at Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison must be released over government claims that they could damage America's image.

Someone should tell them that bad press can be prevented by not abusing prisoners in the first place. Censorship is only needed to preserve the good reputation of those who have tortured and/or murdered already.

Maybe the US needs to get some prominent citizens involved in drug cartels as were involved in prohibition so they can see the wisdom of legalization with vastly reduced LE costs, windfall tax revenue and ROI from government approved entertainment drug firms they implement with total US production/distribution rights.

The Afghan government is already on board with it as long as someone else takes the responsibility for the licensing. (translation: "I have no problem with it, but I'm not going to paint a bullseye on my ass")

From Article:

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Screw Change!! Let's have a Seamless Transition of Power and Policy.. John McSame in 2008!

I've got to say I'm amazed by the support this idea has had on this forum (for a liberal suggestion) - could we really all be agreed on this as a way forward?

If a broad spectrum of society supports it, then why are the politicians scared to do it?

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'They'd rather be alive than free, I guess. Poor dumb bastards.' Private Eightball - Full Metal Jacket

The art of war is of vital importance to the State. It is a matter of life and death, a road either to safety or to ruin. Hence it is a subject of inquiry which can on no account be neglected
- Sun Tzu, the Art of War

This drug is no friend to humanity.

It's amazing how the Taliban attempted to eradicate the drug and now that the U.S/U.K. is in there, the opium business has blossomed.

Anyone that can't connect the dots is probably an idiot. Nothing like the U.S. of A involved in producing and trafficking drugs.

Expect a drug epidemic in America in less than 5 years. Expect it to be worse than it already is in China.

In the sense that you're looking at it I would agree, CF. But ironically it also is, especially in the realm of medicine, very much a friend of humanity- more so than alcohol, and even that has benefits for humanity. I don't believe we're going to have any more of a drug epidemic if it is legalized than we do now. That was one of the fears of the prohibitionists concerning the repeal of the 18th Amendment, a fear that never materialized when Prohibition was repealed. Since we're going to have addicts whether the drug is legally available or not I would propose legalizing it and making it reasonably and affordably available through a pharmacist. That would at least alleviate the problems of the associated crimes commited by addicts and those looking for quick sources of astronomical sums of cash, and probably result in a reduction of overdose deaths as well.
And it would rip the financial underpinnings of organizations like Al Qeada, the Taliban and the world-wide drug cartels right out from underneath them.

Seems to me legalizing the stuff would kill a multitude of birds with one stone, if you'll excuse the pun.

Gem

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There is no political solution to our troubled evolution.

"Reality, the left-wing liberal conspiracy. "
Credited to Angry American.

Very true, Sir. The poppy industry is run mainly for the benefit of the CIA secret budget. This is why they hated the elected government of Afghanistan back in the 80's. That government was paying the farmers not to grow poppies and was trying to move the crop into other profitable areas.

The true story of the invasion of Afghanistan is not as simple as the 'Bushies' would have us believe.

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Lucky is he (sic) who has been able to understand the causes of things
Virgil

Thorhammer, I think you are on to something here. Of course it would be up to an elected Afghan government, however, as there is no such animal, the 'imperialists' are promulgating laws which suit themselves.

It was ever thus.

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Lucky is he (sic) who has been able to understand the causes of things
Virgil

It's a myth that the Taliban tried to eradicate Opium production while they were in power. What happened is that they curbed production for a couple of years to drive the price up. They had huge surplusses in storage and so they created a false shortage so that it would be more profitable.

The Taliban still makes money off the drug trade.

If poppy production were legalized and regulated, the Taliban would lose a vital part of their funding.

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Screw Change!! Let's have a Seamless Transition of Power and Policy.. John McSame in 2008!

You must be somewhat sheltered as meth, not heroin, is now the street drug of choice and any cop will tell you it has already reached epidemic proportions. Far less expensive than heroin will ever be, longer lasting high and physically far more destructive than heroin.

You're missing an important piece of the management chain. Afghanistan tribal and clan leadership derive the majority of profits from poppy production. Taliban received a 'tax' on those proceeds until a couple of years before the US invasion and were convinced to formally outlaw poppy production by the US DEA by more money than the taxes were earning right up to the invasion while poppy production continued. In spite of US propaganda, Afghanistan is absolutely controlled by tribal leaders, many of whom also serve in the puppet government.

The tribal leaders still profit off the poppies today, but the drugs (as they always have) make their way into the world largely via Pakistan where the Taliban are now operating.

The Taliban still make money by enforcing "laws" in the lawless region of Pakistan. The drugs get trafficked right through the area that the Taliban control. The Traffickers work in concert with and fund the Taliban to a large extent.

Legalization would dramatically cut the amount of poppy that gets smuggled out through Pakistan. That can only be a good thing.

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Screw Change!! Let's have a Seamless Transition of Power and Policy.. John McSame in 2008!

Viability depends on market value of legal exports (I have no idea), will they generate as much revenue as illegal production. Resistance to US occupation will tax those proceeds in one form or another and, if illegal exports are more profitable, tribal chieftains will play both the legal and illegal sides of the street.

Here's a US state department paper opposing legalization:

U.S. Opposes Efforts to Legalize Opium in Afghanistan: The Rationale Against Legalization

One of their talking points is legal poppy exportation having far less value than illegal exports. The paper claims legal morphine is in adequate supply and stockpiled, but contradicts itself by blaming unavailability in undeveloped countries on this and that. Typical anti-drug message tied in with expressed democratic principles from an administration in bed with the pharmaceutical industry.