Wednesday Open Thread [1.9.13]

Filed in Open Thread by on January 9, 2013

When can you say an idea is gaining momentum? The WSJ had an essay on Saturday calling the War on Drugs a Failure. To be sure, this essay did not appear on the famously wingnutty WSJ Opinion page, but still. I’m intrigued by these articles that point out the high cost of some of our worst social decisions — it is looking like we are trying to give ourselves permission to get smarter and stop throwing so much money down the drain:

One moderate alternative to the war on drugs is to follow Portugal’s lead and decriminalize all drug use while maintaining the illegality of drug trafficking. Decriminalizing drugs implies that persons cannot be criminally punished when they are found to be in possession of small quantities of drugs that could be used for their own consumption. Decriminalization would reduce the bloated U.S. prison population since drug users could no longer be sent to jail. Decriminalization would make it easier for drug addicts to openly seek help from clinics and self-help groups, and it would make companies more likely to develop products and methods that address addiction.

Some evidence is available on the effects of Portugal’s decriminalization of drugs, which began in 2001. A study published in 2010 in the British Journal of Criminology found that in Portugal since decriminalization, imprisonment on drug-related charges has gone down; drug use among young persons appears to have increased only modestly, if at all; visits to clinics that help with drug addictions and diseases from drug use have increased; and opiate-related deaths have fallen.

Interesting idea. It will be hard to get law enforcement types, their suppliers and enablers to let go of this river of money, though.

Then on New Year’s Day, the NYT discussed how states are pulling back from using the death penalty.

A distinguished committee of scholars convened by the National Research Council found that there is no useful evidence to determine if the death penalty deters serious crimes. Many first-rate scholars have tried to prove the theory of deterrence, but that research “is not informative about whether capital punishment increases, decreases, or has no effect on homicide rates,” the committee said.

A host of other respected experts have also concluded that life imprisonment is a far more practical form of retribution, because the death penalty process is too expensive, too time-consuming and unfairly applied.

The punishment is supposed to be reserved for the very worst criminals, but dozens of studies in state after state have shown that the process for deciding who should be sent to death row is arbitrary and discriminatory.

Plus death penalty cases cost taxpayers alot of money. Money that most states just don’t have. The good folks at the Delaware Repeal Project are working on getting the First State to abolish the death penalty. Join them (and like them on Facebook) to help them with this goal this year.

And for your Point and Laugh opportunity of the day — the Birthers are BACK and they want to impeach Chief Justice Roberts if he swears in President Obama. Who — if you need reminding — do not think that the President is a natural born citizen of this United States of America. Just when you think these people cannot be any more stupid, they reach a new height of stupidity and silliness.

What interests you today?

About the Author ()

"You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas." -Shirley Chisholm

Comments (9)

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  1. socialistic ben says:

    Im not sure i like the Portugal Model. It seems to be working out for them, but this is ‘Murca. we have a for-profit prison system. If someone is in possession of drugs, somewhere along the way, there was illegal drug trafficking, making them a part of the act. There will be a billion times more cases of people just “finding” a bag’o’weed on the street. I think full scale legalization of marijuana is the only way to go. We should also so away with our Scheduling system. It prohibits even medical testing of substances that could be very useful and helpful. If you want to keep Ecstasy off the street, fine…. just realize that small doses (less than one would take at a rave) have shown to improve PTSD for long periods of time after just one treatment.
    Another interesting thought on decriminalization. There are (tens, hundreds, of?) thousands of people in jail for pot alone. Will all their sentences be commuted or pardoned? What is the plan to deal with all those unemployed people? BTW, trolls, i didn’t just suggest we leave them in jail 🙂

  2. Jason330 says:

    I’m not sure if this has been studied, but decriminalization would make drugs less edgy and mysterious, and more ridiculous.

  3. socialistic ben says:

    They are pretty ridiculous now. Bath Salts, K-2, the endless list of E and Acid “analogs”. They are all WAY more dangerous than the original article and nothing is known about effects of any span of time since they are all so new.

  4. anon says:

    Marijuana should be legalized. Period.

  5. cassandra_m says:

    Here’s a reason to be tough on changing the filibuster rules. Senate GOPers are looking to fight not just over judicial nominations, but also nominations to Treasury, CIA, Defense, EPA.

    As long as these people are unconcerned about getting the business of the US government done, then do what you need to to sweep them out of the way. There’s nothing deliberative about just trying to shut down key bits of government offices.

  6. bamboozer says:

    Start by decriminalizing pot and consider legalizing it like Colorado and Washington. Substitute counseling and treatment over incarceration for the rest, jail should be for the violent only. As for the Birthers let the fools rant and threaten, even the Republicans shun them at this point.

  7. jason330 says:

    John,

    Sick motherfuckers? That would be my suggestion.

  8. Roland D. LeBay says:

    jason-

    More like STUPID motherfuckers who can’t accept reality.