Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
I understand the actions that he's taken so far. The difference between us is that I see them as overcompensation by a Democratic President and ex pot smoker not wanting to look weak on the drug issue rather than an honest ideological belief.

He's been playing Republican the past four years so that Republicans can't use any of their go to attack ads (weak foreign policy, weak on drugs, etc) in this election campaign.

Obama admitted to being a pot smoker in his youth, what kind of pot head actually wants to keep marijuana illegal?

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
It was Reagan and the Republicans that created the prison industrial complex and expanded the war on drugs in the first place. What you say is true, but it only serves to differentiate between Obama and Romney further.

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
Banks and prisons aren't the same lobby. Now you're talking about conspiracy theories.

Lockheed Martin also has won lucrative contracts to help DEA with drug enforcement operations. In September 2007 Lockheed Martin was among five companies—including Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Arinc Inc., and Blackwater USA—that were awarded $15 billion in contracts by the Defense Department to help support the war on drugs while the government focuses on the war on terrorism. The companies will develop and deploy new surveillance technologies, train and equip foreign security forces and provide key administrative, logistical and operational support to the Pentagon and other agencies, including DEA.

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
The government has a tendency to bend towards corporate interests, but that doesn't mean that all corporate interests are equal to the whole of government or to both parties.

Banks are their own lobby, as are private prisons, as are defense companies.

And when it comes to private prisons and the drug war, we're talking about a very specific lobby that is largely the pet of the Republican party. Just because Goldman Sachs gives money to both candidates doesn't mean that both candidates think about the drug war in the same terms. Banks are not private prisons and Republicans are much less likely to downsize one of their multi decade pet projects than a Democrat is.

Moreover, the Obama administration has for the third consecutive year set a record in the number of undocumented immigrants detained and deported—nearly 400,000—from the U.S. during FY 2012. Nearly half of detainees are housed in privately owned or operated detention centers. Just two companies—the Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) and the GEO Group (GEO)—account for 70% of the “private detention” market.

Since President Obama’s first day in office the Corrections Corporation of America and The GEO Group have been awarded $1.7 and 1.8 billion dollars in federal contracts, respectively. And beginning in October 2011 the Corrections Corporation of America has taken its place as the government’s top contractor whereas the GEO Group comfortably maintains the third-place position. Finally, according to USAspending, over one-quarter of private prison contracts have been established under “non-compete” agreements.

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
I get what you're saying, and I'm telling you that it's wrong. The military industrial complex is not the prison industrial complex and neither of those are banks. Big agriculture is it's own thing too, and so are car producers. The only thing they have in common is that they're all dominated by major corporations.

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
The links you posted are about him transferring Gitmo prisoners to the US and beginning to try them via military tribunal. Not to mention that neither Gitmo nor any facility housing gitmo detainees is privately run.

I'm starting to question your literacy.

Originally posted by: Mockery

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
The links you posted are about him transferring Gitmo prisoners to the US and beginning to try them via military tribunal. Not to mention that neither Gitmo nor any facility housing gitmo detainees is privately run.

I'm starting to question your literacy.

I re-posted the point I was trying to make in an edit. I had the two articles mixed up in my mind.

Originally posted by: ~~Snake~~

Originally posted by: Mockery

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
The links you posted are about him transferring Gitmo prisoners to the US and beginning to try them via military tribunal. Not to mention that neither Gitmo nor any facility housing gitmo detainees is privately run.

I'm starting to question your literacy.

I re-posted the point I was trying to make in an edit. I had the two articles mixed up in my mind.

See what drugs do? You dam druggie!!!!

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
Banks and prisons aren't the same lobby. Now you're talking about conspiracy theories.

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
Banks and prisons aren't the same lobby. Now you're talking about conspiracy theories.

Originally posted by: (SF) DirtyRatFink

Originally posted by: William T. Sherman
Banks and prisons aren't the same lobby. Now you're talking about conspiracy theories.

There are 264 private prisons in the US. They are owned by investors with deep pockets. Banks are also owned by investors with deep pockets. Prisoners supply labor for almost nothing to industries whose investors have deep pockets.

Banks (finaciers) launder billions for drug cartels. If the drug cartels get taken down and the members imprisoned, financiers make money by having them imprisoned, and then the companies the finaciers own get cheap labor. It's pretty basic business. Cover your bases, have your fingers in all the pies, and pay off enough govt officials so you become untouchable.