New at Reason

David Weigel | September 13, 2006

Jacob Sullum tracks the battle formations of drug warriors, as they line up in step with the Taliban in the war on terror.

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thoreau|9.13.06 @ 8:15AM|#

Excellent article, Jacob. Excellent, excellent article.

|9.13.06 @ 9:40AM|#

Slow day over at Reason today or something?

|9.13.06 @ 9:59AM|#

"On Tuesday, citing ties between opium trafficking and the Taliban insurgency, UNODC Executive Director Antonio Maria Costa called upon NATO forces in Afghanistan to get more involved in efforts to stamp out the opium trade. This is exactly the right strategy to pursue if the aim is to alienate the Afghan people, undermine their government, and strengthen the insurgency."

It's also the right strategy to pursue if the aim is to produce more poppies, apparently.

|9.13.06 @ 10:40AM|#

We are pro-criminalization and anti-family in this country as well. Why would we care about families and economies in places that send us terrorists and funny talking cabbies?

Mom arrested on pot charges

|9.13.06 @ 10:56AM|#

Lamar,

That's not really a very good example. I suppose moms should be able to buy hookers and alcohol for their 13 year-olds as well.

Warren|9.13.06 @ 11:02AM|#

Drug warriors and Islamic Fascists, the Baptists and bootleggers of the 21st century.

|9.13.06 @ 11:03AM|#

jf

Actually, the European upper classes had a fine old tradition of "sex education" for their pubescent sons: They would take their sons to whorehouses for their sexual initiation.

And many parents carefully introduce their children to alcohol as a way of showing them how to drink moderately.

|9.13.06 @ 11:44AM|#

How can this be so basic to us here and like differential equations to everyone outside of H&R?

Reminds me of Sinincincinnati City Clowncil wanting to deal with violence here by adding the perennial 100 more cops and a new jail.
(Ain't a-gonna work. Duh.)

|9.13.06 @ 1:06PM|#

"The CIA estimates that one-third of Afghanistan's GDP comes from opium export, although the Asian Development Bank states a lower figure, namely $2.5 billion (12% of the GDP)."

Agriculture is the main industry in Afghanistan even though there is a small percentage of land that is arable (Wiki claims 12%). The main problem caused by the poppy trade is that it takes up food growing land when Afghanistan only grows enough food to feed 50% of its population (on a good year). The opium trade brings in money, but the profits go towards guns for warlords on both sides of the conflict and do not improve the overall health of the economy. And, remember, they use those guns to assure that they are getting their crops. In an area controlled by a warlord, it is hardly like the farmer has the choice not to grow the poppies. He is commanded to grow them, and then given much less than market value for his crop (even if this is many times the money he would get for growing wheat). The centralized control of the economy through force of arms by the opium warlords is not, in my estimation, something that libertarians should see as a positive influence on the Afghan economy.

Although I agree with Sullum's main points, he underestimates the complexities of the issue. Afghanistan has lots of natural resources that could be exploited with much greater chance of benefitting the population at large. Vigorous cultivation of those economic avenues will do more to reduce the opium trade and break the back of the warlords (and the Taliban) than concentrating on reducing opium production, but as long as the opium warlords control as much as a third of the economy, and use that to suppress other economic activity and political reform, they are a legitimate concern for anyone who wants to see Afghanistan as something other than a failed state run by criminals.

Decriminalization around the world would be helpful, but that has little chance of happening soon.

|9.13.06 @ 2:14PM|#

"Afghanistan has lots of natural resources that could be exploited with much greater chance of benefitting the population at large."

MainstreamMan,
This and a buck fifty will grow you a cup of Afghani coffee beans.

|9.13.06 @ 2:25PM|#

Ruthless,

True -- can I get that with a twist of lemon?

So, given your views on anarchy, have you given thoughts to moving to Somalia or Afghanistan? They seem likely to stay free of state power for the forseeable decades...

Just a thought.

|9.13.06 @ 4:18PM|#

jf,
How is it the government's business how the mom motivates her kid? And Aresen is correct, your worst case scenario of booze and hookers is only shocking within the context of American bible-thumping. I'm sure people aren't bragging to their neighbors about how many hookers their kid bangs, but the very fact that you think this is bizarre shows your exposure to the world.

|9.13.06 @ 5:37PM|#

Lamar,

I didn't say I disagreed with you; just that it was a bad example. I also should have pointed out that I was throwing out something a typical drug warrior would say regarding that story, which I also do not agree with.

I will say that this woman is a bad mother, and an idiot, but that shouldn't necessarily be a crime.