Originally posted by: bamacre
Why are none of the candidates talking about the war on drugs?
Because, like the military-industrial complex, the prohibition machinery is an extremely powerful government-funded special interest.
A lot of the dreamers here don't understand sh!t about democracy, but instead of this kind of petulant child notion that democracy is whatever the people might vote for. What they don't understand is that institutions, once voted into power and money, become special interest powerhouses with their own bureaucratic momentum to control every election.
We can't stop fighting in Iraq because "Defense" is $500 billion+ per year powerhouse. Elected officials dare not go against that because any cut in spending WILL cost jobs.
Likewise with the drug prohibition, to the tune of more than $100 billion a year. How many cops, judges, and correction guards will lose their jobs? So yaknow how they will vote. Just like all the military people who voted for Bush.
The desire to intoxicate has sh!t to do with that.
Can you imagine what it will be like if we were to socialize the entire $2 trillion per year health industry? We won't even have democracy anymore.