You really thought the military industrial complex was going to sit on its hands, subby?

I hated doing drug interdiction work personally while on active duty. The REAL problems stem from my fellow Americans excession consumption of illegal drugs.

/Legalizing pot would be a step in the right direction, IMHO

We just HAVE to blow the money shooting at brown people.

Admittedly... it would seem fun to run down a drug boat in an Apache...  or an A-10.  Just mess with them for a bit with the cannons before you lock on and blow them out of the water.

"
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence - economic, political, even spiritual - is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together.

"

While I'm all for legalization of some drugs, commitment of military assets to dealing with drugs isn't that bad.  Even with pot legal, we'll still have issues with things like heroin which I assume won't be legalized any time soon.  In additional to that, some cartels present border security problems.  Others have gotten in local politics and are destabilizing regimes in their home country (or started as a rebel movement that sells drugs to fund operations).

Just look at Mexico, where mayors who stand up to corruption and cartels die in a hail of gunfire.  I'm not exactly bothered by the thought of the Zetas coming into contact with a USMC platoon and finding out what it feels like to be at a firepower disadvantage.

Honestly 20 billion or so does not seem that excessive.  If the cost balloons out of control, then we need to think about scaling back funding, but it doesn't seem to be at that point.  If anything I'd rather see more attempts to build up Latin American forces along the lines of how we helped train and build the Egyptian Army.  The end result in Egypt was a professional military that refused orders to crush the protests and now is helping to check their new President and his power grabs.  Spend the time and money to build various armies down there into something like that seems to have value.

Don't want so much money and blood over drugs?  Stop sending the drug cartels your bucks.  Question the nearly world-wide legal prohibitions all you want, but as long as they're in place a cocaine habit, as well as one for a lot of other narcotics, is funding the cartels.

I have no problem with DIY folks, but pot and shrooms aren't ratcheting up the kill count like the industry surrounding cocaine, meth, and heroin either.

Cythraul: You really thought the military industrial complex was going to sit on its hands, subby?

Hey, I'd rather them take the War on Drugs (tm) off of our shore and keep poor pot-smokers out of prison just coz they have an ounce or two.

Overall, though, our priorities are horribly misplaced.

zarberg

Pair-o-Dice: Yea, cause the war on drugs is going sooo well...

Since 2000 we've spent over $600 a second on the war on drugs for no appreciable positive outcome.

It is because we need to spend more.

How about spending that money at home, treating and preventing drug addiction?

Nevermind, playing world cop and blowing stuff up is so much better for our ego.

# of times word used at Hagel confirmation hearing

War: 160
Peace: 2