I was told the war on drugs has been worse than ISIS could ever be.

[Aedaz]

I love my cousin to death. He's my best friend. I'm not in any way trying to talk bad about him here, but sometimes he says things that I just can't get behind. He recognizes Islam as a threat, but he thinks it's ridiculous that so many people are worried about our safety. He thinks things like the war on drugs has been way more damaging than ISIS could ever be to western civilization. I try telling him that radical Islam is a cancer that needs to be dealt with fiercely. After all we're dealing with an enemy who, in their mind, wins if we back off at any point. But he insists that Islam, whilst loud and flashy, should not be the center of attention.

Again, I don't intend to talk bad about him as a person. But I thought maybe this could bring up some interesting discussion if posted here, and perhaps teach me a thing or two as well. What do you all think of this? What would you tell my cousin?

[Solar]

Good idea for a topic, I'll come back to this.

[supsalemgr]

I love my cousin to death. He's my best friend. I'm not in any way trying to talk bad about him here, but sometimes he says things that I just can't get behind. He recognizes Islam as a threat, but he thinks it's ridiculous that so many people are worried about our safety. He thinks things like the war on drugs has been way more damaging than ISIS could ever be to western civilization. I try telling him that radical Islam is a cancer that needs to be dealt with fiercely. After all we're dealing with an enemy who, in their mind, wins if we back off at any point. But he insists that Islam, whilst loud and flashy, should not be the center of attention.

Again, I don't intend to talk bad about him as a person. But I thought maybe this could bring up some interesting discussion if posted here, and perhaps teach me a thing or two as well. What do you all think of this? What would you tell my cousin?

People who do not think Islam is a threat are just not living in reality. They refuse to understand that the basic goal of Islam is to convert or kill any infidel. It is that simple. Obama just exhibited that this past week when he pooh poohed all the recent violence. He said people were overreacting as MOST people are unaffected by this violence. What he doesn't understand, or more likely wants us to believe, is that there should be zero tolerance for these acts.

BTW, welcome to the board.

[taxed]

I'd wonder what we call "worse off".  I'd say we'd need to quantify what damage has been done... lives, costs, freedoms, etc...

This would be an interesting topic.....

[Ms.Independence]

Drugs destroy people's lives, displace children away from their parents and destroy entire families.  Those involved survive but their lives are forever changed.  Sometimes the life of a drug user eventually leads to death.

Perhaps what was meant is that currently there are more killed by drugs than those killed by ISIS?  A study done in 2013-2014 indicates that there were a total of 47,055 opiod deaths, 18,893 heroin deaths and 10,574 overdose deaths that were reported.

"The Syrian Network for Human Rights (SNHR) documented at least 1,232 civilian deaths in December, with 1,049 killed by regime forces, or more than 85 percent. ISIS is responsible, by this count, for just over 5 percent of the civilian deaths."

There is help and hope for the individuals and families affected by drugs; lives still can be saved.  With ISIS, once a life is taken its taken; there is no help for the life that is lost.  Huge difference in my opinion.


www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/Causes_of_Death#sthash.mLWAWh9J.dpuf

www.quora.com/How-many-people-have-been-killed-by-ISIS

[Aedaz]

Perhaps what was meant is that currently there are more killed by drugs than those killed by ISIS?

He specifically told me he believes the war on drugs itself is the issue, and not that drug usage is the issue. I don't know why he used this as an example. He's one of those people who really, really push for Marijuana to be legalized and hates pretty much all cops for being cops.

[Solar]

It's not the toll drugs take, I don't think that was his point. He was talking about the "War on Drugs", the govt program to fight it, which many believe to be a govt plot to keep society distracted.
No one forces people to become addicted, where ISIS demands conversion and then death.
We can't stop stupid, if people want to use drugs, they will, but we can stop armies.

I see your cousins point, but his contention that it's somehow a controlled war by govt is ludicrous, drug problems have as many facets as there are ways to get drugs.
Is the govt exacerbating the issue, more than helping? That's the billion dollar question.

[Ms.Independence]

He specifically told me he believes the war on drugs itself is the issue, and not that drug usage is the issue. I don't know why he used this as an example. He's one of those people who really, really push for Marijuana to be legalized and hates pretty much all cops for being cops.

From what I have read the argument has been that decriminalizing marijuana and other drugs would take much of the profit away from the drug dealers hence curbing the drugs cartels influence and the monetary flow.  You take the profit away and much of the criminal element goes away and the appeal to import/export drugs diminishes, so I tend to agree. I'm still not quite understanding that analogy of ISIS and drug war.  They are two different types of wars; with the obvious being one religious and one substance abuse.  I am also a firm believer in medical marijuana; I believe it does much more good than harm and more people are harmed by pharmaceutical drugs than by marijuana. It becomes a viscous cycle when one has a side affect from a prescribed drug and the physician prescribes another drug to counter that side affect -- that's a whole other discussion.

As for the cops ... sure there are bad cops just as there are bad people in general.  They put their lives on the line every day.  God bless our law enforcement!

[blades]

everyone has a different view and I think your cousin is mostly right...over the last 35 yrs of the war on drugs thousands have been killed by both other drugers as well as government ..along with untold numbers of families and childrens lives ruined...

but how many have been murdered or destroyed by isis...not so many ...

so he is right that the war on drugs is a far more threat..''at this time'' than isis..

but dont ignore them cause the are competing with the feds to be the worlds biggest terrorists organization...and you know how the feds hate competition   

[Solar]

everyone has a different view and I think your cousin is mostly right...over the last 35 yrs of the war on drugs thousands have been killed by both other drugers as well as government ..along with untold numbers of families and childrens lives ruined...

but how many have been murdered or destroyed by isis...not so many ...

so he is right that the war on drugs is a far more threat..''at this time'' than isis..

but dont ignore them cause the are competing with the feds to be the worlds biggest terrorists organization...and you know how the feds hate competition

That's the distinguishing point. War on drugs vs drug problems.
This is the problem, there are no real stats on the war on drugs, because the term itself is too vague, like fighting a war on stupid, define stupid and where to start.
No, I think he is wrong because of his use of the broad and all encompassing use of the term. Problem with this is a lack of data where govt involvement is concerned.
They either haven't produced results, made it worse/better, no effect or it's all been a way for people connected to the govt to steal from the taxpayer.
Or all of the above. So comparing the govt program of war on drugs to ISIS, it's safe to say ISIS is by far worse a threat.
Compare drug use to ISIS and Drugs win out as the most evil entity where destroying lives and death totals are concerned.

[walkstall]

He specifically told me he believes the war on drugs itself is the issue, and not that drug usage is the issue. I don't know why he used this as an example. He's one of those people who really, really push for Marijuana to be legalized and hates pretty much all cops for being cops.

Then he should just move to the states that allow it.  His problem will be no more.

Don't most people that break the law and can't have things there way.  But then they have no problems calling them when they need them.   Would be interesting to know if your cousin has an arrest record that you don't know about.  Most of us have been around the block more then once, we know not all Officers walk on water. 

You sound like a very loving cousin that just my keep him for overdose before it his time.

[walkstall]

everyone has a different view and I think your cousin is mostly right...over the last 35 yrs of the war on drugs thousands have been killed by both other drugers as well as government ..along with untold numbers of families and childrens lives ruined...

but how many have been murdered or destroyed by isis...not so many ...

so he is right that the war on drugs is a far more threat..''at this time'' than isis..

but dont ignore them cause the are competing with the feds to be the worlds biggest terrorists organization...and you know how the feds hate competition

Islam/Muslims = ISIS.  They have been killing each other for over 3000 years, but then there not the only ones killing each other. 

[supsalemgr]

I love my cousin to death. He's my best friend. I'm not in any way trying to talk bad about him here, but sometimes he says things that I just can't get behind. He recognizes Islam as a threat, but he thinks it's ridiculous that so many people are worried about our safety. He thinks things like the war on drugs has been way more damaging than ISIS could ever be to western civilization. I try telling him that radical Islam is a cancer that needs to be dealt with fiercely. After all we're dealing with an enemy who, in their mind, wins if we back off at any point. But he insists that Islam, whilst loud and flashy, should not be the center of attention.

Again, I don't intend to talk bad about him as a person. But I thought maybe this could bring up some interesting discussion if posted here, and perhaps teach me a thing or two as well. What do you all think of this? What would you tell my cousin?

The two are entirely different issues. Both are bad. We should be fighting both and an argument as to which is most important is why this subject is in the "distraction" forum.

[blades]

That's the distinguishing point. War on drugs vs drug problems.
This is the problem, there are no real stats on the war on drugs, because the term itself is too vague, like fighting a war on stupid, define stupid and where to start.
No, I think he is wrong because of his use of the broad and all encompassing use of the term. Problem with this is a lack of data where govt involvement is concerned.
They either haven't produced results, made it worse/better, no effect or it's all been a way for people connected to the govt to steal from the taxpayer.
Or all of the above. So comparing the govt program of war on drugs to ISIS, it's safe to say ISIS is by far worse a threat.
Compare drug use to ISIS and Drugs win out as the most evil entity where destroying lives and death totals are concerned.

I would say lets skip statistics and look directly at personal experience...have you ever met or seen someone killed or effected by isis???not me, other than on the news...but I can name hundreds that I know that have been killed or effected by the war on drugs..
now thats not saying that isis is not a major threat just that if you dont see it or being effected  that it aint happening..
whats it say about a society that kills its people or puts them in jail and destroys the family cause they had a dead plant in their house???

just like prohibition crime goes up and the government gets bigger and the people are in fear...the guilty ones for being guilty or the innocent cause they dont want to be mistaken for the guilty...how many of those innocent bystanders deserved to be killed for just being in the wrong place at the wrong time...NONE!!!

the war on drugs like prohibition is just a fascist ideology that kills and destroys anything it can...

so her cousin is both right and wrong...isis is a threat to humanity while the war on drugs is a threat to humans
there will always be those with substance problems whether it drugs, soda, food, fast cars..the list is long of things that in excess   are killers...and if my wife dont put down the credit cards it may cost her as well.. OK venting there but I hope you get my point

[taxed]

A Hussein-enabled ISIS can probably make a big hit.... something like a coordinated mall-bomb effort, or a 9/11 type attack or whatever....