Trump's take on 'Drug War' unhelpful, hollow

Earlier this week Trump called for the death penalty for drug dealers as if that will solve the opioid “crisis”. Given that the problem opioids are generally prescription drugs I suppose he’s planning to execute an awful lot of pharmacists and doctors. Like his border wall to fight unauthorized, immigration executing drug dealers is all noise and no solution.

There are numerous similarities and connections between drug smuggling and human smuggling. The similarities are that much of both are controlled by the same criminal organizations and they use similar routes and techniques often tractor trailers or carried on the backs of people walking across the desert.

Walls don’t work to keep out people who want to be on other side, it didn’t work for China around 200 BCE and it didn’t work for the Romans who built Hadrian’s Wall across England around 140 CE. Whether it is do to insufficient enforcement or bribes to those supposed to be watching if people want to cross the wall they’ve always found a weakness to exploit.

The “War on Drugs” that Nixon ramped up in the 1970’s has been a proven failure ever since yet we as a nation continue to the same tactics expecting a different result, a failing referred to as insanity in an oft quoted remark. We know the “War on Drugs” has failed because availability of a wide range of drugs is as high or higher than ever and prices have fallen while the potency has increased over time. In addition it drives other violent crime as dealers contend over sales territories.

Much of the authorization immigration and asylum seekers are driven by economic problems and violence caused by United States policies over the last two centuries. Some times it was overthrowing democratically elected leaders or fighting locals to protect the business interests of American companies such as Chiquita of banana fame and hence the term banana republics. On other occasions it’s been violence and corruption involving drug cartels that wouldn’t exist without the financial incentives of the black market for drugs in the United States.

We could pull the rug out from under the drug cartels overnight by legalizing drugs. Their income streams would take a massive blow that can’t readily be made up in other ways. The cessation of violence and reduced funding of corrupt officials would likely make many living in the source countries and transit countries more willing to stay. If the United States would take the money we now spend on DEA agents, funding provided to the military and police forces in those countries and reallocate them to education, infrastructure and business loans instead there would be less incentive to leave.

Natural experiments on both of these topics have taken place on the Iberian peninsula of Europe. Throughout much of the latter half of the 20th century unauthorized immigration by Spaniards to other European nations was very high due to a poor economy. Once Spain’s leadership gained the assistance of the EU and its economy improved Spanish immigration dropped off and many who were out of the country returned home. Spain wages still aren’t at the German level but they are markedly improved and so has life in the nation.

The other experiment is Portugal’s decriminalization of all drugs. Drug inspired crime is down dramatically, so are drug overdoses and HIV infections. Contrary to the expectations of many overall drug use didn’t rise significantly.

The proposals of the Trump administration are proven failures but there are other existing models that have been successful. It’s past time we tried them.

Published in the Seguin Gazette - March 23, 2018