Comments on: Whose war is it, anyway? http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/2009/03/10/whose-war-is-it-anyway/ Of sex and science. Elizabeth Pisani's blog about HIV and other sundry things. Mon, 26 Dec 2011 02:54:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: r g pisani http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/2009/03/10/whose-war-is-it-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-2201 r g pisani Fri, 13 Mar 2009 20:02:07 +0000 http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/?p=1437#comment-2201 Economist article "impeccable"? here is a copy of my letter to the Economist: Sir: your article, "how to stop the war on drugs" is interesting in that it contains so many un-Economist traits both in logic and style. You state that "legalization would not only drive away the gangsters..." having previously said, "the drug business adapts to market disruptions". Presumably two easy adaptions would be: * sale to minors (since you propose that legal sales to them would be banned) * undercutting of legal prices (as you have noted on other matters, add government tax and bureaucracy costs to the item and anyone can undersell it) You state, "the resources gained from tax and saved on repression would allow governments to guarantee treatment". But as you have pointed out on another issue, the enormous receipts by states in the tobacco settlement largely went to the general fund and not to prevention and treatment. Surely you do not believe in a different result with drug taxes? I admire the Economist style for the confident positions taken on so many issues. The caveats in this article are most un-Economist. "might encourage", "might accept", "might see". Finally, you suggest that making drugs cheaper, safer, and more widely available will increase use (marketing 101). So if I understand correctly, you want to increase use of a harmful product so you can tax it to raise the funds to help people not use it...very un-Economist! Economist article “impeccable”? here is a copy of my letter to the Economist: Sir: your article, “how to stop the war on drugs” is interesting in that it contains so many un-Economist traits both in logic and style. You state that “legalization would not only drive away the gangsters…” having previously said, “the drug business adapts to market disruptions”. Presumably two easy adaptions would be:
* sale to minors (since you propose that legal sales to them would be banned)
* undercutting of legal prices (as you have noted on other matters, add government tax and bureaucracy costs to the item and anyone can undersell it)
You state, “the resources gained from tax and saved on repression would allow governments to guarantee treatment”. But as you have pointed out on another issue, the enormous receipts by states in the tobacco settlement largely went to the general fund and not to prevention and treatment. Surely you do not believe in a different result with drug taxes?
I admire the Economist style for the confident positions taken on so many issues. The caveats in this article are most un-Economist. “might encourage”, “might accept”, “might see”.
Finally, you suggest that making drugs cheaper, safer, and more widely available will increase use (marketing 101). So if I understand correctly, you want to increase use of a harmful product so you can tax it to raise the funds to help people not use it…very un-Economist!

]]> By: Dora Theo http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/2009/03/10/whose-war-is-it-anyway/comment-page-1/#comment-2193 Dora Theo Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:02:04 +0000 http://www.wisdomofwhores.com/?p=1437#comment-2193 It's funny that I was just having a discussion with my father earlier today about how the war on drugs doesn't work and how legalization is the smartest answer. I can see how that's not going to happen any time soon, not with how stubborn they've been for so long. They're not going to turn the whole thing around in one go. But I'll be happy if they just change their tactics. Especially if they stop throwing perfectly harmless people in jail. It’s funny that I was just having a discussion with my father earlier today about how the war on drugs doesn’t work and how legalization is the smartest answer.

I can see how that’s not going to happen any time soon, not with how stubborn they’ve been for so long. They’re not going to turn the whole thing around in one go. But I’ll be happy if they just change their tactics. Especially if they stop throwing perfectly harmless people in jail.

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