Comments on: Afghan Foreign Ministry at Odds with Hillary Clinton

By: The Haygoods - - Canon In D | Canon In D Major

The Haygoods - - Canon In D | Canon In D Major — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 15:30:16 +0000

[...] PoliGazette » Afghan Foreign Ministry at Odds with Hillary Clinton [...]

By: Jim Evers

Jim Evers — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 13:35:23 +0000

Opium may have been legal, but that is a far cry from saying that anyone intended it to be legal. Cocaine was legal until it was recognized and criminalized. Opium was criminalized. Opium is far more deadly than alcohol, one need only look at their effects on the population of abusers of each to see that. We do not legalize or decriminalize it for the same reason that it remains illegal throughout the world. Narcotics are harmful and are recognized as such by cultures all over the world throughout history. Narcotics are addictive, and should be and are tightly controlled by those who are authorized to make use of them — doctors. The destruction they cause to society is enormous and obvious. As for the poor starving Afghans, there are better ways to help them, if that is what you are interested in. As far as the Taliban and Al Qaeda are concerned, do you think they will go away if opium/heroin are legalized? They won’t, they will find other sources of financing. Want to see the downside? Visit any of the methadone clinics that serve addicts who are trying to get over their addictions, and keep in mind that these are the ones who have decided to help themselves. Guys who started using during Vietnam and 40 years later are still trying to get over it. As far as alcohol is concerned, alcohol is not opium and it has a history and a record, and societies over time have judged that alcohol can be tolerated and need not be banned. If you cannot see any downside, you need to consider the issue more.

By: David c Roach

David c Roach — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 05:26:40 +0000

Opium used to be legal in the US. Alcohol is far more deadly. why not legalize it, or decriminalize it in he nations where it is the most trouble? people arent going to go out and start shooting up heroin, or morphine( deriviaives). And then due to supply and demand, the profits from growing opium, and the global opium trade will collapse.
And the idea about “medical Opium/morphine”? brilliant- It the Pharmaceutical companie can use it, and help the poor starving afghan farmers feed their families, thats good.
and taking away the prifits from the taliban, and al qaeda, who finance their terror wars on the US and others? I dont see any downside to this one. except political correctness from the right( which isnt)