Quote:
Originally posted by Hell Puppy@Jun 26 2004, 05:32 PM
people want it, they're gonna find a way to get it, and the government spends tons of money and time chasing what is ultimately a victimless crime. But then the U.S. hasn't figured that out in regards to drugs yet, we just keep spending money on it and filling up our jails.
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I beg to differ. They figured that out a long time ago.
1- it pleases a large part of the self-righteous electorate
2- it creates a huge risk premium, pure value-added without any improvement to the base product.
3- the 10,000$ cash deposit limit (without reporting) applies to most everybody WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES. The drug lords need to buy equipment to get into legit business. They then go to General Electric for their cooking range or General Motors for their delivery trucks or some armament companies with ties to the govt bigwigs (mmm... since when a skull and bones has a wig?) for their guns and bullet proof vests... They pay cash, and they pay TOP PRICE. Will the comptroller of the company refuse such a deal? Nope. For deals big enough, they use a maze of corporations, exploiting juridictional barriers. For a transaction big enough, the cost of the legal overhead becomes insignificant.
4- then, there is the money rain to finance prisons to catch 18 y.o. kids who sold pot... All supplier of prison equipment, security equipment, police equipment, legal papers, lawyers, wardens, custom agency, black helicopter manufacturers etc. Heck, even the military get it's cut of the pie !
All of these people vote. All these people make the govt look strong. All these people makes the populace fear the govt. And all these people live off from the proceedings of the seized monies(modest) plus through transaction of assets forfeiture (freebies to the friends), plus the hefty monies from the taxpayers financing them.
So, the drug industry is a dual-action money pump into the hands of the financial elite. 1- by recirculating the drug money into the economy via the large corporations and 2- by pumping ressourses out of the taxpayer's pockets.
Anyone wants to say that this is not a brilliant racket? Despicable but brilliant and efficient, nevertheless.