You'd think that everyone who uses prhobited drugs recreationally would be crying for an end to prohibition, even if they weren't otherwise politically libertarian. But you'd be wrong.
A few nights ago I stood in a smokey beer hall festooned with “No Fumar” signs. My friend, whom we'll call Gustavo in honnor of the recently departed "Breaking Bad", had just distributed little “finger” packets to those in our group who had pitched in for the delivery of a refined powder whose possession the heavily armed ruling gang didn't want anyone to trade or use.
One of our group had pissed off the owner of the beer hall by handing a packet to a drunk guy who proceeded to use it rather openly in a corner. It's one thing to smoke tobacco in open violation of the law, but open use of this other substance could result in property seizure and kidnapping at the hands of the local ruling gangsters. I took advantage of the situation to wax philosophical.
“Ugh. This idiot prohibition,” I said, “It does nothing to curtail use of anything and studies indicate it actually increases addiction rates. Plus, it ruins addicts' lives even further by subjecting them to arrest and prison. And then it essentially creates violent criminal cartels out of people who would otherwise be simple merchants and drug store employees.” [For empirical proof that decriminalizing drugs decreases addiction, I give you Portugal here, here and here.]
That's when Gustavo– who I will remind you had just arranged the illicit delivery – said to me in all seriousness that the cartels would exist anyway. They'd just focus on theft of the legalized substances instead of black market trade he thought. He, a dedicated scofflaw, honestly believed that the violence would be there with or without the state's immoral, violence-backed prohibition.
I was too stunned to offer an articulate response at the time. Plus I was on my third pisco and soda. I countered that there would always be some thievery in the world, but prohibition so drastically raises the potential profits of black marketers that it funds the creation of those cartels who are willing to take the risks and use meta-market violence to settle trade disputes. It's the inescapable laws of the market under the perverting pressure of centralized coercion. Government does to markets what foot binding did to the lower extremities of Chinese girls.
Gangsters get rich and organized because prohibition makes the prohibited trade so insanely profitable. Minus prohibition, criminal activity remains the basic kind like mugging and burglary. You might get a complex network of pickpockets, second-story men and fences, but that's about it (but minus welfare and regulation, you get less poverty over time and decrease even that kind of crime). You don't get Pablo Escobar. You don't get the cartoonishly grizzly cartel mutilations plaguing northern Mexico. Without prohibition you lose Scarface and you get Walgreens.
Regular merchants selling cocaine and morphine. That's what it used to be like before the Harrison Act made it impossible to getting these things without worrying about getting kidnapped by the cops. Over a century later and drug abuse is a much greater problem and millions of people have been kidnapped and repeatedly raped in state cages for consuming plant products that the state says they shouldn't. Further, arguably worse, more addictive and unhealthier drugs developed as a direct result of previous prohibitions. The difficulty in moving cocaine, for example, has led very directly to the development of freebase version like crack and "pasta de cocaine" and completely artificial conoctions like methamphetamine.
It just struck me as so sad that my friend really believes that freedom means just replacing one form of violence with another…especially since he is so at risk for the aforementioned state kidnapping and internment in a rape camp for enjoying himself in the way that he does. Even more, he has no idea that criminal gangs were a direct creation of prohibition. The state has created some of the worst violence plaguing society (on top of the other violence like war and poverty-spawned criminality) and Gustavo just assumes that that violence is part of the human condition.
The gangland stuff gained traction AFTER prohibition for both alcohol and other fun chemicals. Note that gangs aren't killing each other over who gets to sell alcohol now that it's legal to sell alcohol. But the gangs did continue running with the rackets in other prohibited goods and services, like prostitution, gambling and recreational controlled substances. Remember, the state is a self-licking ice cream cone; it creates its own demands. It wants you to think that its centralized violence in the form of public police and courts funded with money it steals from you is necessary to protect you from pimps, pushers and thieves, as well as foreigners. But it's tne state's prohibition, "immigration" laws, welfare policies and foreign aggression that creates these criminals in the first place. Good lord, I can't wait for acceptance of this ancient, violent parasite to wither away.
Regards,
Gary Gibson
Editor, The Dollar Vigilante
Before we get to the review let’s have a look at what you missed in this week's TDV Dispatch.
First up this week, I had a look at John Kerry’s distaste for the freedom of the Internet.
Next, in his “Vigilante’s View”, Jeff Berwick had a look at the media misrepresentation of Mexico in contrast to the USSA.
Then, Ed Bugos kept us apprised of the markets in his “Review & Outlook” and Jeff took us around the world in his weekly tour of absurd acts of statism.
Finally, we profiled Smedley Butler.
If you’re interested in receiving articles like these, consider our weekly subscriber-only publications, like our Issue, Dispatches, and Homegrown you may subscribe here.
Here’s what we wrote about this week…
MONDAY, October 7
Tyler Yasaka on his voyage to Galt’s Gulch Chile.
“As my freshman year of college came to a close, I began to keep a close eye on the project of Galt’s Gulch Chile. A growing frustration was brewing in me. You would think having completed 50 credit hours by the end of freshman year with a 4.0 GPA and being paid to attend school would be enough to make any intellectual, or even non-intellectual, person happy. I am the former, yet I was not satisfied.
So I decided to just go visit Galt’s Gulch. I had the money, and I had the time during summer break. It was time for me to go on an adventure.”
TUESDAY, October 8
Freedom: A Moving Target (Reflections from a Dozen Years in Mexico)
Jim Karger reflects upon his time in Mexico, and how the country has evovled.
“I love living in Mexico. The “live and let live” culture here works for me. When I arrived a dozen years ago, I felt free. I felt the joy of being left alone, of not fearing making an inadvertent mistake that might cost my money or my freedom. Except for physical violence, there wasn't much that was really prohibited here.
Most of Mexico's laws at that time fell under the headings of "Suggested" or "Optional." Government in Mexico seemingly could get nothing done, and for the most part didn't try. Government here reminded me of the Keystone Cops, totally incompetent but who knew they needed to look busy and so stamped papers with their "official" imprimaturs, usually many times. The only exception was CFE, the government-owned electric company. If you failed to pay your electric bill, they would show up and physically disconnect the power line to your home until you paid up. Then, at some point, they would come and reconnect you.”
Wednesday, October 9
The Federal Reserve's War on Seniors
Antonius J. Patrick on the Fed’s treatment of seniors.
"The Federal Reserve’s “zero interest rate policy” (ZIRP) of the last half dozen years or so has been a financial act of war on the country’s seniors and, for that matter, on all savers. Under ZIRP, interest rates are artificially lowered through the Fed's monetary policy popularly known as, "QE," quantitative easing.
The primary reason for this is twofold: first, to allow the federal government to borrow money at next to nothing in order to maintain its current gargantuan level of spending; and, second, to prop up the nation’s insolvent banking system which can continue to engage in all sorts of reckless speculations.”
Thursday, October 10
Why Dear Slavey Embraces Gun Control
TDV’s resident advice columnist answers a reader’s question on gun control.
“So enjoy your firepower, but learn how to use your weapon safely and keep the damn thing locked and away from children with the ammunition stored away from the gun until you plan to use it. If you have kids, get something they can relate to, like an Elmo doll, and shoot its puffy little head off in front of them so they understand what a gun is capable of doing to them or their friends. And PLEASE don't leave it loaded under you bed if you want to see your kids graduate grade school. Your kid will find it and play with it and he or she will die.”
FRIDAY, October 11
Feedback Friday – October 11, 2013
In this week’s Feedback Friday: Online education, retirement, Germany, and more.
SATURDAY, October 12
The Weekend Vigilante — October 12, 2013In his weekly address to TDVers, Jeff Berwick is traveling, so you know he has TSA stories. Plus some Hong Kong and Thailand tales.
TDV VIDEO
Have a look at our wide array of informative videos featuring interviews, opinions, and analysis on TDV’s media page.
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Managing Editor
