Community | August 09, 2008 | 13 comments

Nader calls for end of War on Drugs, urges crack-down on corporate crimes

source: http://www.rttnews.com/Content/PoliticalNews.aspx?Node=B1&Id=680036

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JackHerer
Independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader Friday called for an end to the war on non-violent drug offenders in favor of a war on corporate crime.

Nader said that the "so called war on drugs" consumes far too many resources while clogging the courts.

"We pour almost endless resources - roughly $50 billion every year - into catching, trying and incarcerating people who primarily harm themselves," Nader said. "This insane war on drugs damages communities and drains crucial resources from the police, courts and prisons. These resources could be better used to combat serious street and corporate crime."

He added, "Nader/Gonzales would empty prisons of nonviolent drug offenders and fill them up with convicted corporate criminals."

Drug offenses are better addressed as health concerns rather than criminal matters, Nader said.

"As with alcoholics and nicotine addicts, the approach to drug addicts should be rehabilitation, not incarceration," he said. "We don't put nicotine addicts in jail. We don't put alcoholics in jail. They lead to far greater mortality and morbidity than drug addicts."

On the other hand, Nader said, corporate crime costs "hundreds of billions of dollars" every year, kills tens of thousands and injures or sickens hundreds of thousands more.

Special Agent Michael Sanders, a spokesman for the Drug Enforcement Administrations in Washington, vehemently disagreed with Nader's characterization of drug use as a victimless crime.

He pointed out that even marijuana use can have serious long-term health and neurological side effects.

"There is no such thing as a victimless crime," Sanders told RTTNews in an interview. "Somewhere along the line, somebody's going to be paying for it."

Sanders added that even small amounts of marijuana have to come from somewhere, and in many cases that somewhere is the hands of violent drug trafficking organizations.

"There is a lot of violence, a lot of people get killed," Sanders said. "The small amount some ordinary kid has in his pocket, probably some Mexican federal police and possibly U.S. law enforcement died protecting our border [from the traffickers who supplied it]."
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13 comments // Nader calls for end of War on Drugs, urges crack-down on corporate crimes

  • Dr_Dank_Thumb
  • shortbusgeek
    • 0
      shortbusgeek  

    • It's time to legalize this plant. While I don't smoke it myself, being a libertarian, I think we're spending way too many tax dollars to try and rid America of something that's really not all that much of a real "problem". Alcohol causes quite a few more issues than Marijuana ever will. Yet another reason to support Bob Barr for President. Forget about his past voting record. He knew the Patriot Act was going to pass whether he voted for or against it, so he at least worked to ensure that it wasn't nearly as detrimental as it was originally going to be. He used to be hated by the Libertarian Party and the Marijuana Policy Project, but now both whole-heartedly support him now that he's seen the light. http://www.BobBarr2008.com

    • 3 years ago
  • heathurrrrr
  • Dut
  • SAMMY_797
    • 0
      SAMMY_797  

    • this is great lets end this drug war
      but let me say this i like drugs that i know is outraced
      it's me and i will keep fighting for drugs and if i can't have them than okay no drugs

    • 3 years ago
  • ihateyou
  • Enjoy_Cannabis
  • ihateyou
  • Prijedor
  • kennymotown
    • 0
      kennymotown  

    • Ralph is correct, In time we will change this country in the right direction. I wish Ralph was a viable canidate
      but he is not. He has done this country a great service
      and I think he would be a great cabinet member for Obama.

    • 3 years ago
  • mo1y
    • 0
      mo1y  

    • The first smart thing Nader has said in a long time.

      We could fill the jails with foreman, managers, vice-presidient, and CEO's of Global Corporations that hire illegal aliens.

      Next we could fill the jails with Bankers that charge loan shark rate for Credit Cards. Loan shark Credit Cards is where the sub-prime crisis started.

      There are more, but I don't have the time

    • 3 years ago
  • JBANKS
    • 0
      JBANKS  

    • In this economic decline, it makes less and less sense spending so much money on drug enforcement. Especially in the case of marijuana.

    • 3 years ago
  • JudahEvan
    • 0
      JudahEvan  

    • That is great. This is also why I believe it would be in Obama's interest to have a debate with the third party candidates. Invite McCain, but leave it up to him. Don't pressure him to join. He will have to. When up there, the only place for McCain to go is down. The American people will see how far right McCain is. All the candidates will gang up with Obama against McCain regarding the war and neo-con policies. Then, at the same time, Obama will look somewhat centrist on some other issues. In all, I would just love to see it.

      And specifically, I think this is an issue Obama could co-opt extremely well. It goes along with his populist strain, but it would betray his previous statements about legalization of drugs, even though in general I think he is a social libertarian though he is hiding it.

    • 3 years ago
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