ABSTRACT
In few countries do puritanism and bureaucratic urges so fatally converge to maximize the criminalization of society by drug prohibitionism, but everywhere the futile comedy is daily played out as police forces proudly announce arrests and seizures that keep drugs expensive, thus ensuring the abundance of drug-related thefts, housebreakings and robberies. The first effect of drug prohibitionism on the workings of police forces, courts and governments world-wide: a tide of corruption at every level, from street cops to cabinet ministers. The second effect is to enormously increase the work load of police forces, courts and prisons worldwide. Under the new "three strikes and you are out" federal law that the world's greatest democratic politician recently saw fit to sign, life sentences are now mandatory for third convictions, even for simple theft. The politicians worldwide should be just as indifferent, is no mystery either, for it is very hard to be anti-prohibitionist without appearing to be pro-drugs.
