Maybe we should go a little redneck on this Blog entry. The war in Afghanistan where Canadian troops are fighting and dying seems to be about to change. With the America threatening to add almost enough additional forces to meet General (retired) Lou McKenzie’s 10,000 additional troop commitment for victory it might be time to consider letting other NATO countries back up the Yankee juggernaut. American generals will after all be commanding the Afghan mission and our troops might become the ‘other guys’ making them expendable fighting the Taliban and El Quad in the no-win mountain regions of the country. Not only the Russians but in the recent past British forces were unable to defeat insurgents living in those mountains. The free world should be wondering why the American’s seem set to commit to escalating the war in a country that in effect lent credence to the political and economic decimation the USSR. Warrior societies never seem to learn, or realize the consequences of invading the mountains of Afghanistan.
We have a great deal of work for our troops to take care of right here at home. A man died defending his wife after coming out of a Toronto restaurant. Another man and his wife were victim to a knife-wielding thug after coming out of grocery store in the same city. The need for drugs and the money to buy them creates acts of lawlessness, thievery, and prostitution in every major and smaller cities towns and villages across Canada. Police officers trying to cope with the changing face of the nation are also falling victim to the lawless drug crazed minority prowling the streets. Meanwhile gangs appear to be getting stronger, reports of drug busts more frequent and Canadian children must face added pressure to experiment with the ready available drugs.
An easy solution might create the demise of today’s political system or create the atmosphere for a strong central government to emerge. On the other hand, if the power such a solution spins out of control, the voting public could be the losers. So far, government legislators have successfully established permanent voting dates. Will the next move extend the term of governments followed by dispensing of elections all together? The scenario can happen. Simply read history books to discover power usually corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That aside, one of our political parties could decide to end the ever-circular chain of events plaguing Canadian and every other country’s politicians. It would require organizing a massive campaign led by a specially trained and directed police contingent backed by Canada’s military to weed out drug gangs, distributors, and importers in every corner the country. Parliament would need to pass a temporarily law with a clause negating individual rights to challenge the constitution and bill of rights while the temporary law is in effect. It would be a law similar to the one America passed after the infamous September 11 attack.
We wrote that the blog would be redneck in nature. However, if the measures ever passed the result once the idea proved effective would end the carnage escalating in our streets and the streets and back alleys of every civilized country. People from other jurisdictions living illegally in Canada putting stress on the country’s envied social and health programs would be weeded out and unable to use the constitution or bill of rights to further their own personal agenda. If legislated properly complete with an irrevocable sunset clause, Canada would once more become the county of peace-loving people wanting to immigrate to a new land with opportunity to live without the fear of drug-induced crime. The movement could spread around the world reducing the tremendous worldwide tax-free illegal drug industry. It could even win a Nobel peace prize for another of political leaders.
We have a great deal of work for our troops to take care of right here at home. A man died defending his wife after coming out of a Toronto restaurant. Another man and his wife were victim to a knife-wielding thug after coming out of grocery store in the same city. The need for drugs and the money to buy them creates acts of lawlessness, thievery, and prostitution in every major and smaller cities towns and villages across Canada. Police officers trying to cope with the changing face of the nation are also falling victim to the lawless drug crazed minority prowling the streets. Meanwhile gangs appear to be getting stronger, reports of drug busts more frequent and Canadian children must face added pressure to experiment with the ready available drugs.
An easy solution might create the demise of today’s political system or create the atmosphere for a strong central government to emerge. On the other hand, if the power such a solution spins out of control, the voting public could be the losers. So far, government legislators have successfully established permanent voting dates. Will the next move extend the term of governments followed by dispensing of elections all together? The scenario can happen. Simply read history books to discover power usually corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. That aside, one of our political parties could decide to end the ever-circular chain of events plaguing Canadian and every other country’s politicians. It would require organizing a massive campaign led by a specially trained and directed police contingent backed by Canada’s military to weed out drug gangs, distributors, and importers in every corner the country. Parliament would need to pass a temporarily law with a clause negating individual rights to challenge the constitution and bill of rights while the temporary law is in effect. It would be a law similar to the one America passed after the infamous September 11 attack.
We wrote that the blog would be redneck in nature. However, if the measures ever passed the result once the idea proved effective would end the carnage escalating in our streets and the streets and back alleys of every civilized country. People from other jurisdictions living illegally in Canada putting stress on the country’s envied social and health programs would be weeded out and unable to use the constitution or bill of rights to further their own personal agenda. If legislated properly complete with an irrevocable sunset clause, Canada would once more become the county of peace-loving people wanting to immigrate to a new land with opportunity to live without the fear of drug-induced crime. The movement could spread around the world reducing the tremendous worldwide tax-free illegal drug industry. It could even win a Nobel peace prize for another of political leaders.
3 comments:
I think it's about time we tried a new approach to the entire problem of the drug trade. Prohibition isn't working and we are spending enormous amounts of money on combating it with no tangible results. Our present attempts have only led to an increase in the wealth and power of the criminals who now control it. The rise in drug related crimes, from B&E through gang warfare on the streets can be tied to this failed policy.
This unworkable attempt at trying to control people's baser instincts was proven a failure with the prohibition of alcohol, which is the most insidious of the drugs. The carnage on our roadways and the broken families are a testament that legalization is no panacea but, at least, society has some control over it.
People will always find a way to get their hands on these substances and rather than expending vast sums on trying to close down illegal meth labs or interdict the poppy growing of some dirt poor farmer in Afghanistan, society would be better off if it were legalized. At least it would be made subject to the same laws and restrictions that govern booze and smokes.
A panel of health professions and experts in the field of addictions(not some brain-enfeebled government committee) could come up with a categorized list of substances rating them, for example, as the least harmful and available over the counter, the second group requiring a prescription and the last requiring a controlled substance prescription. A monitoring system could more easily identify those who can be helped by treatment and those who are beyond all hope of rehabilitation. The poorest of the groups, who also seem to be the ones who are outside of any intervention by the medical system, would have their drugs provided for free under clinical settings. Once under government control the situation would be much the same as for booze and cigarettes. Gradual tax increases, to the point where the cost of these substances has skyrocketed, has not increased the flow of illicit alcohol or tobacco to any great extent and has, in fact, lowered per capita consumption.
As callous and defeatist as this may sound, there comes a time when you just have to admit you're whipped. If nothing else, it would help reduce the affects of the criminal activities on the lives of the great majority of people who have no involement with drugs. Right now it is the ordinary citizen who pays the greatest price, whether it be from having loved ones gunned down as innocent bystanders caught in the middle of some gang shootout or having a child carrying a criminal record for selling a buddy a joint.
The U.S. has much more stringent punishments for drug offences than does Canada and it hasn't made a dent in the criminal activities related to drugs. Whenever law enforcement agencies attempt to convince the general public that they are making headway in the war on drugs that is simply the bureaucratic empire builders conniving to get increased funding.
Society has lost this war and it is time to try winning the smaller battles. It's a lousy proposition, but it beats what we have in place right now.
P.S. Don't even mention the increased tax grab by the government. That's the worst reason in the world to legalize this stuff.
The comment makes some sense except that legal drugs already available by prescription are also available on the street. Would more drug restriction by prescription partially solve the problem or just shift distribution?
The writer is correct in stating invading poor countries growing the drugs is not the solution. Declaring war on the domestic drug culture and getting rid of aliens living off the profits would probably be an expensive start and unpopular with many minority groups caught in the backlash of deporting those illegally in the country. The real solution is to educate the next generation of children so using drugs is less of a way to avoid the pressures of life and in developmental years oppose parental control. If the market for drugs reduces, profit declines and just like with legitimate greed running rampant through society, less consumption leads to lower commodity prices finally making the entire operation unprofitable and ending commercial expansion sending the greedy to another pursuit.
The solutions outlined in the entire blog and commentary is undoubtedly idealism. Little will change when children are protected from becoming children to such as an extent a little boy or girl playing in the yard is equipped with a helmet in the event he or she hits their head on the ground. When parents dictate a child’s entire life because of the fear that something might happen, or the child must excel to where parent feel they are supposed to be in the ranks of society, the natural consequence will be for the child to become prey to those wanting to exploit the situation for profit.
The light on the horizon might be the economic downturn in industrial countries. As income plummets the need for food and shelter eventually overtakes finding pleasure and recreation. Again, history states the good times for any society will end as the cycle of life on earth evolves. Greed always leads to rebellion, turmoil, death, and destruction before the cycle begins again. Does that mean our future is God or humankind controlled?
Don't you have a tv channel 4 which carries live broadcasts of provincial parliament Bob. You don't have to rely on biased journalists. You can form you own appearances live by watching the antics of our school children in Parliament.
I think I would rate it about kindergarten level. Hooting and hollering is allowed in this public display of stupidity.
Gerr
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