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Legalization of drugs and the effects on South America.

Gandhi>Bush

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I was having a discussion about the legalization of drugs, and I was told that if America were to do so, South America would no longer be an area of the third world. The corruption and crime would evaporate from Mexico and the rest of Latin America for that matter. Without the corruption Mexico might turn into a place that's worth staying in.

I thought I'd bring up the topic and let a few you guys kick it around.
 
Gandhi>Bush said:
I was having a discussion about the legalization of drugs, and I was told that if America were to do so, South America would no longer be an area of the third world. The corruption and crime would evaporate from Mexico and the rest of Latin America for that matter. Without the corruption Mexico might turn into a place that's worth staying in.

I thought I'd bring up the topic and let a few you guys kick it around.

the black drug market would collapse, but latin american has a lot of other problems as well that would not be solved.
 
star2589 said:
the black drug market would collapse, but latin american has a lot of other problems as well that would not be solved.

What other problems? The corruption of their leaders is at least partly (a large large part) due to how profitable and lucrative the drug business is, but I would be curious to know what you think the other problems are.
 
Gangs could also be a problem, als o terrorists (muslims aren't the only terrorists, for those of you who don't realize that). The lack of tourists, cuz those countries are kinda shizzy. Who wants to look at a mud puddle? Drug Lords, and a corrupt gov't. Ain't some of em' communist? I know Cuba is. And the Chupacabra wreaks havoc upon the livestock, so that creates agricultural problems..... Ah, and disease as well, those rain forest diseases mutate faster than residents of Chernoble (spelling?).
 
I'm against the legalization of drugs, and so should you G>B. All drugs do is make people dumber. And our youth is dumb enough already, especially in FL where the ed. program is very shizzy.
 
South America is too anchored to socialism at the present time for the legalization of drugs to help bring it out of the third world. Surely the legalization would help somewhat, as it would end violent wars and/or uprisings. But you're exaggerating the impact that it would have. Why do you assume that it would eliminate corruption in the government?
 
Donkey1499 said:
I'm against the legalization of drugs, and so should you G>B. All drugs do is make people dumber. And our youth is dumb enough already, especially in FL where the ed. program is very shizzy.

And how has the criminalization of drugs prevented this? It's been an abject failure by nearly every criterion.
 
Donkey1499 said:
Gangs could also be a problem, als o terrorists (muslims aren't the only terrorists, for those of you who don't realize that).

Are you trying to tell me that South American gangs have nothing to do with drugs?

The lack of tourists, cuz those countries are kinda shizzy.

Why are they "shizzy?"

I'm against the legalization of drugs, and so should you G>B. All drugs do is make people dumber.

I don't smoke, and cigarettes are legal. I don't drink, and alcohol are legal. I'm not going to smoke pot or to snort coke or inject myself with herione regardless of it's legal status. Just because it's legal doesn't mean that a person will do it. What you do is you educate people more on the effects of drugs and legalize and regulate it. You allow people to make an informed decision. You give them the choice along with the responsibility that that choice entails. That does not make people dumber, it makes them responsible. It is not the government's duty to be responsible for us, it is their duty to protect us along with our rights (choices).

It's a choice, and it should be an individual's choice, not the government's.

And our youth is dumb enough already, especially in FL where the ed. program is very shizzy.

That sounds like a problem with our education system rather than our system of narcotics allowance or lack thereof.
 
Kandahar said:
South America is too anchored to socialism at the present time for the legalization of drugs to help bring it out of the third world.

Creating a legal market of demand would create the desire for capitalism and market freedom wouldn't you say?

Why do you assume that it would eliminate corruption in the government?

I don't think it would necessarily eliminate all of the corruption problems, but the "corruption" would at least become a legal enterprise and cut off alot of other illegal activities. If you don't have to bribe an official, you won't. If you don't have to smuggle, you won't. If you don't have to kill, you won't. If you don't have to have a gang that runs protection for you, you won't.

The desire for an efficient and legitimate and respected enterprise would helpe alot of problems, I feel.
 
Gandhi>Bush said:
Are you trying to tell me that South American gangs have nothing to do with drugs?
When did I say that?



G>B said:
Why are they "shizzy?"
because the gov'ts are. And the cities suck.



G>B said:
I don't smoke, and cigarettes are legal. I don't drink, and alcohol are legal. I'm not going to smoke pot or to snort coke or inject myself with herione regardless of it's legal status. Just because it's legal doesn't mean that a person will do it. What you do is you educate people more on the effects of drugs and legalize and regulate it. You allow people to make an informed decision. You give them the choice along with the responsibility that that choice entails. That does not make people dumber, it makes them responsible. It is not the government's duty to be responsible for us, it is their duty to protect us along with our rights (choices).

It's a choice, and it should be an individual's choice, not the government's.
I didn't bring cigs or beer into this. There are programs that teach drug prevention (D.A.R.E) but you got these hippies that tell kids that it's all lies, then almost all of our youths believe that.
 
Donkey1499 said:
I'd rather see the potheads behind bars than behind the wheel.

1. Since the subject of this thread specifically mentions South America, I assume we're talking about cocaine, not marijuana. Most marijuana sold in the United States is grown in the United States.

2. What percentage of drug-users is in prison for driving while intoxicated? What percentage of drug-users actually drives while intoxicated? I don't have numbers but I'd estimate that the first is very very low and the second is no greater than a comparable statistic for alcohol, thus eliminating the argument that they're a threat to others and incarceration is a deterrent to this.

3. Legalizing drugs doesn't necessarily mean legalizing driving while intoxicated.

4. You ignored my question so I'll ask it again: By what measure has the war on drugs been anything other than a total disaster?
 
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Gandhi>Bush said:
Creating a legal market of demand would create the desire for capitalism and market freedom wouldn't you say?

Of course, and I'd welcome drug legalization for that reason. But South America has too many economic problems unrelated to drugs for this to single-handedly pull it out of third-world status.

Gandhi>Bush said:
I don't think it would necessarily eliminate all of the corruption problems, but the "corruption" would at least become a legal enterprise and cut off alot of other illegal activities. If you don't have to bribe an official, you won't. If you don't have to smuggle, you won't. If you don't have to kill, you won't. If you don't have to have a gang that runs protection for you, you won't.

That's a reasonable argument, and perhaps you are correct that it would end some corruption. However, much corruption in South America is just part of the standard cost of doing business and has nothing to do with drugs. Even if they were legalized, the drug business would still be rife with corruption just like any other South American business.

Gandhi>Bush said:
The desire for an efficient and legitimate and respected enterprise would helpe alot of problems, I feel.

I agree with that. Legalizing drugs would end the justification for several civil wars, would move the drug market into the hands of legitimate businesses instead of criminals, and would cut the US crime rate by more than 50% virtually overnight.
 
Gandhi>Bush said:
What other problems? The corruption of their leaders is at least partly (a large large part) due to how profitable and lucrative the drug business is, but I would be curious to know what you think the other problems are.

government corruption, poverty, illiteracy, disease, inflation...
 
Donkey1499 said:
Bring it on, man with less stars than Donkey! Buahahahahahahahahaaaaaa

just you wait, in 172 days I'll be the one with more posts!
 
Kandahar said:
South America is too anchored to socialism at the present time for the legalization of drugs to help bring it out of the third world. Surely the legalization would help somewhat, as it would end violent wars and/or uprisings. But you're exaggerating the impact that it would have. Why do you assume that it would eliminate corruption in the government?


If socialism was that much of a problem for south americans wouldnt they stop voteing for socialist governments? On the contary socialism has done alot of good for latin america. Cuba has some of the best literacy and education in south america and there have been a number of improvements under chavez namely

• Venezuela has been declared free of illiteracy by UNESCO (39)
• Infant mortality has been significantly lowered (40)
• 70% of its citizens previously marginalized now have free health services in their community (41)
• Almost half the population is studying (42)
• Poverty has dropped to 37% in 2005 (43)
• And, as for the economy it grew by 9.4% in 2005, the highest in Latin America, with most of this growth occurring in the non-oil sector (increased by 10.3% while the oil sector increased 1.2%). (44)

Those figures where from

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=45&ItemID=10013
 
I don't think a legalization of drugs will be possible at all. Any side, Latin America or the USA.

so that makes this discussion worthless. BEsides I bet any of you know Latin America at all so your opinions are basically whatever you heard in the media which is controlled by uncle sam. In two words, you have been brainwashed.

Corruption is found in every government and for you to want to clean up other governments you need to clean up yours first.

And Mexico is a great country and is worth staying, that is why we have lots of people currently living there or wanting to be there, also other many are force to leave against their will for their current economy but a country can have a great economy and be a country where nobody wants to stay and viceversa. If the economy of other countries were ok, you wouldn't have anybody here, maybe you would had had never been born here. The only reason you were born here if because your ancestors were looking for better opportunities, bad economy in their home country, that doesn't make irish, germany or other european countries bad.

If you have never lived in Mexico, don't give such a bias, senseless opinion. Why can't anybody start a threat without hate?
 
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