Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!uwvax!oddjob!mimsy!aplcen!kenf
From: kenf@aplcen.UUCP (7784)
Newsgroups: comp.society.futures
Subject: Re: Terrorism on American soil
Message-ID: <293@aplcen.UUCP>
Date: 24 Apr 88 16:01:55 GMT
References: <8804151639.aa22746@note.nsf.gov> <6218@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu>
Reply-To: kenf@aplcen.UUCP (Ken Firestone)
Organization: Johns Hopkins Univ. APL Center, Laurel, MD
Lines: 36
Distribution:usa


In article <6218@cit-vax.Caltech.Edu> beckenba@cit-vax.UUCP (Joe Beckenbach) writes:
>
>	I think that the anticipated terrorists were going to be foreign-
>born, foreign citizens with ideological axes to grind against US involvement
>in foreign countries' affairs. True, this wave has not happened, thank
>goodness. But the internal source of terrorism, outside the focus of the
>analysts' eyes, has not been touched.
>New York, and countless other cities and towns in at least 47 states.
>	The problem is rival gang-like drug organizations. Hardly a week 
>goes by without Los Angelos learning of yet another set of gang-related,
>drug-related shootings. I have heard that Miami is much worse, being the
>supposed port of choice for incoming cash crops of illegal drugs. 
>stock on the Big Board is that the products are very illegal, and more
>profitable than anything else available to those in a position to invest.
>   etc.....
>
>	This is America?

I have read and heard on National Public Radio that some in 
the Latin American countries that produce these drugs view them
as their ultimate wepon against the USA.
I suspect the only way to deal with the problem will be semi
legalization of drugs, and strong eductation against their use.
by semi-legalization I mean make posession and importation for
personal use legal, make sale a misdemoner (this keeps corporate
America such as RJ Reynolds out and prevents advertising) and make
being under the influence (ie driving, running a train) illegal.
with no profit motive, the big bucks people give up, and the whole
thing becomes a cottage industry.  With costs down, drug related
crimes against property get reduced to nil. 

There is at least one high up in the NYCPD drug division who
agrees with this.

Ken Firestone