Joel Miller’s “Seized by Failure” (Reason) explains why it’s been so easy getting such affordable shit over the last decade or so. Turns out a gram of heroin that cost more than 275 ‘smack’eroos in ’87 (using 1999 dollars) only drains the pocket today to the tune of $50 (often less). All ’cause of an increase in product — and all during the tiresome “war on drugs” epoch. As for those few well-publicized busts and big-shipment seizures…well, keepin’ hope alive just may be part of the problem. Dig:

[…] The connection between more seizures and less drugs on the streets only holds true if you assume that incoming supplies of drugs are static. They don’t appear to be. For one thing, more seizures mean that heightened security isn’t scaring off traffickers. You’d expect seizures to decline if Customs’ teeth were adequately sharp. Instead, a boom in narco-nabbing might simply signal that traffickers are tossing more product at the borders to make up for what they expect to get pinched […]

[…] Drug warriors bluster and bellow about how the latest seizures are some sort of victory, but as the numbers demonstrate, it’s all a show. By jailing a few drug runners and pinching their product, drug warriors can continue to claim their well-loved token successes while drug dealers continue to claim the real ones.

And I still have money left over for a 12″ steak ‘n’ cheese and some DQ dipped! Eb-body wins!

[fyi: Belize was superfine, y’all. Conch salad and Island brew…I’m already pining.]

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