[lbo-talk] US upholds medical marijuana ban

[John Thornton]

Wojtek Sokolowski wrote:
> Dennis:
>
> but more importantly, the Drug War makes big money for the state and those 
> in business with the state. It's all pretty rational, really. Fucked up, but
>
> rational.
>
>
> [WS:] See, that is the part about which I have doubts.  Would not they make
> a bigger buck if they legalized and taxed the stuff?  As they say, in the US
> the most scandalous thing is not what is illegal, but what is legal.
>
> It just does not seem to make any sense.
>
> Wojtek

It's about controlling the dangerous classes.
The drug war is the perfect pretext to harass and intimidate whoever the 
cops feel like harassing and intimidating.
I believe it was Nixon who said the drug war was a way to "target the 
blacks without seeming like we're targeting the blacks".
Substitute poor for blacks and you have most of the drug war explained.
Occasionally non-poor get caught up in the sweeps but they can almost 
always buy their way out.
The drug war is a pretty good example of the judicial system behaving as 
a market. It isn't perfect but it works well enough for the wealthy.
For the ruling class this is as it should be.

John Thornton