Organized Crime In Mexico and Elsewhere

by jay @, Friday, July 24, 2020, 02:02 (15 days ago) @ Ernie Gorrie

I always thought Chamberlain got a bad rap for his "peace in our time" statement. Between the wars Britain rebuilt its navy to protect its empire, at the expense of its other armed forces; apparently France was preparing for an 18th century war; and the US, standing down after World War I, had no stomach for another European war. And all were asleep at the wheel. In 1938 the western powers had no ability to slow down Hitler, much less stop him. So Chamberlain bought some time by giving away chunks of Europe, the time Britain, and the US, desperately needed to rebuild its forces. And he has been vilified as a doormat and a quisling ever since.

It's always good and proper to make moral statements, like standing up to tyrants. But sometimes you just have to be practical no matter how distasteful it may be, especially if you're dealing from weakness like Chamberlain was. It's the same dynamic in the drug war. Just Say No and a prim disdain for illegal drugs might be fine moral statements, but they don't work as deterrents in the real world. Perhaps a more practical approach, like limited legalization, might work better.

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