Drug Wars and Coffee Houses Paper - 1197 Words

INTL 4997: The Mexican Drug trade | Reading Response #3 | | | Audrey Robert | 10/31/2012 | | David Mares gives us insight into the political economy of drug trafficking in his book Drug Wars and Coffee Houses. To help us understand how psychoactive substances are organized and distributed, he uses the concept of a commodity chain. A commodity chain is the system that links consumption of psychoactive substances to everything that makes it possible, and proves that if something affects one phase of the system, the other phases are affected as well. Consumers and producers in this system depend on each other, and â€Å"neither one could exist without the other† (Mares, p.13). The whole system consists of various pieces that†¦show more content†¦These strategies include demand reduction, supply reduction, crime reduction, harm reduction, and civil rights protection. He states that while most countries want to pay attention to all of these, they may give priority to one in particular. There is demand reduction, which is basically attempting to reduce the demand for psychoactive substances and therefore set a chain reaction to where producers don’t make profit and so they turn to other means of making money. Mares states, â€Å"the ultimate expression of such a demand reduction strategy would be a population in which ‘just say no’ actually happens,† and he gives the example of fundamentalist Muslim countries in which people actually choose on their own or they are socially convinced not to drink or smoke. We can compare this strategy to supply reduction, where a country focuses on reducing the supply of drugs to consumers, which Mares explains as being both economically and politically attractive to policy makers. They assume that if the supply decreases, prices of these drugs will rise, and the demand will decrease. The focus is not so much on finding and punishing the people who use drugs but the people who produce them and â€Å"push† them on these â€Å"victim† drug-users (Mares p. 30). Supposedly this strategy could potentially focus on all the phases of the commodity chain leading up to the consumer; this includes money laundering, producing, andShow MoreRelated Legalization of Marijuana Essay1712 Words   |  7 Pagessame plant. Hemp is a form of cannabis, cannabis sativa L, which contains less than one percent THC; it is used to make clothing, paper, and building materials. Tobacco is smoked just like marijuana is smoked, rolled in paper or in a pipe. The only d ifference is that tobacco is legal and marijuana is illegal. The government spends billions each year on the war on drugs, yet it is still around. For people under the age of 21 it is much easier to get marijuana than it is to get alcohol. Although manyRead MoreWhat Are Three Men From Different Cultures1220 Words   |  5 PagesMidterm Paper Katelin Gephart Bellarmine University In this image are three men from various cultures. One appears to be from the Middle East, the other from China and the final from some American country. The American is in warrior regalia and is wearing a crown of feathers. Also with him is a bow and a bowl-like cup. He is not fully dressed and is standing up. By his feet is a large cauldron type device. The Middle Easterner and the Chinese guy are sitting down and are completely clothed in robesRead MoreJesus Made Today By Stephen J. Nicholas1359 Words   |  6 Pagesfor Christian gospel music was during the hippie era in the 1960s. During that time, gospel, youth, and music had merged together into songs that preached about Christ and love. Many people became Christians during that time to protest the ongoing war in Vietnam so it would make sense that they would start to make that a main topic in the music of that time. Hippies usually referred to themselves as the Jesus People (named by Duane Pederson who was one of the leaders in Los Angeles) which led toRead MoreEssay on George Washington Carver1242 Words   |  5 PagesMoses Carver plantation in Diamond Grove, Missouri. He spent the first year of his life, the brutal days of border war, between Missouri and neighboring Kansas. George was a very sickly child with a whooping cough, which later lead to his speech impediment, and he was tiny and puny. Georges father, James Carver, died in a wood hauling accident when he was bringing wood to his masters house one day. George was sick a great deal during his early years. In 1861, when George was one year old, raiders kidnappedRead MoreThe Music during the Hippie Movement1133 Words   |  4 Pagesduring the Hippie Movement Background The hippie movements of the sixties were driven by a plethora of factors. There were many new technologies that were being introduced in this period, a war against Communism around the globe, internal struggles against several types of injustices, a growing drug culture, and several other important developments. To say the least, it was a volatile period in American history and many sub-cultures were actively seeking to carve out new paths that were starklyRead MoreLegalizing Weed Essay2923 Words   |  12 Pagessystem of controlled distribution (â€Å"Still Crazy†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ). Marijuana is really not as harmful as it has been made out to be. Oftentimes, brain damage or other severe harm is caused not by marijuana, but by impure samples (Thompson Interview). Some drug dealers pass off many other substances as marijuana, often with adverse consequences. Samples of marijuana have been found containing rat poison or household cleaners This is often the cause of many emergency room cases and deaths (PetersRead MoreCoffee And Its Effects On The World s Most Widely Consumed Beverages And One Of The Globe2735 Words   |  11 PagesCoffee is one of the world’s most widely consumed beverages and one of the globe’s most internationally traded commodities, prized highly as much for its pharmacological effects such as a useful source of caffeine as well as for it sociological role amongst consumers (Topik, 2009: 81). And yet historically coffee consumption never really grasped a strong role within Asian geographies, a region of the world highly dominated by tea as the go-to-beverage historically and socially. Thus it makes theRead MoreWhy Should The Federal Government Legalize Marijuana?1969 Words   |  8 Pagesgovernment legalize marijuana? For many years, there has been a war against society and the federal government on whether or not marijuana should be legal in the U.S., for medicinal and recreational purposes. There are so many positive aspects as to why it would be a highly viable asset to communities all over the U.S. Though there are some aspects to be looked at and taken into consideration when it comes to legalizing this drug, it still stands as an important fact that marijuana should be inRead MoreComprehensive Health Assessment Paper1716 Words   |  7 PagesCOMPREHENSIVE HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF M. H. 1 A Comprehensive Health Assessment of M. H. Nicole M. Henneberg Empire State College A COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH ASSESSMENT OF M. H. 2 The purpose of this paper is to discuss the results of a comprehensive health assessment on a patient of my choosing. This comprehensive assessment included the patient s complete health history and a head-to-toe physical examination. The complete health history informationRead MoreThe Island Of Jamaica, Jamaica1464 Words   |  6 Pagesinhabitants of Jamaica were the Arawaks who were from South America. Later on, in 1494, Christopher Columbus was the first European to explore the island. In 1510, decedents from Spain began to settle in. After the Europeans began to settle, they brought war and disease to the island and this greatly affected the Arawaks and eventually they died off. The British arrived in 1655 and took Jamaica from Spain. Then, in 1670 Britain took full formal control of Jamaica. Near the 1930s, Jamaica began to gain its

The Causes and Effects of the 1945 Vietnamese Declaration...

History Essay – Causes and Consequences of the 1945 Declaration of Independence. The 1945 Declaration of Independence of Vietnam is a key event in history, which caused and by which caused consequences that affected not only them, but other countries of the world as well. The French colonization of Vietnam was the long term cause of the 1945 Declaration of Independence because it challenged Vietnamese freedom, violating their national pride and depriving them of a cultural and national identity. France colonized Vietnam for a variety of reasons, while there were extensive economic opportunities; control over Vietnam established them and a major colonizing power in Southeast Asia. Vietnam had a wealth of natural resources that†¦show more content†¦When, on August 25, Bao Dai, the puppet emperor of the Japanese, abdicated, Ho proclaimed independence for the new â€Å"Republic of Vietnam† and looked to America for support and to recognize his government. He was inspired by America’s history – their revolutionary war – and becaus e of the promises they had delivered after being made in World War II. An example of this was the way that Ho used phrases from the US Declaration of Independence in his speech on 2 September 1945, during the Vietnam Declaration of Independence in Hanoi, as a gesture, to seek the support of the Americans. In accordance with the rest of history, the incident of the 1945 Declaration of Independence had many effects. The immediate consequence of the Declaration of Independence was the French determination to recolonize Vietnam, which led to a compromise with Ho Chi Minh. After they had declared themselves an independent state, there was a chance for the American’s to recognize the government of Vietnam, but they were more intent on rebuilding Europe. France however had more on their minds than just returning France to its full glory, it wanted to re-enter it’s lost colonies. They wanted to reclaim what they believed was their territory to reclaim. The US, who had previously sided with Vietnam, and supported Ho, changed sides. This could beShow MoreRelatedThe United States Involvement During The Vietnam War1729 Words   |  7 Pagesengagement due to the fact congress never formally declared war with Vietnam (FCNL). The Vietnam War began on November 1, 1955 and lasted for 20 years until April 30, 1975. The war was fought between the communist Northern Vietnamese and the anti-communist Southern Vietnamese after the country was temporarily divided by the Geneva Accords. 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This new on-slot of foreign business in the formerly closed country have completely rejuvenated the Vietnamese economy. For the first time since the re-unification of Vietnam in 1976, the doors of the market place are opened to the outside world and Vietnam is aggressively taking a stance for further economic development. Before any International firmRead MoreNgo Dinh Diem Essay example3600 Words   |  15 Pagesbut a civil disobedience campaign led by the countrys Buddhist monks contributed more directly to his downfall. Brutal persecution of the dissident monks in 1963 damaged the regimes already shaky international reputation. With American support, Vietnamese generals overthrew and assassinated Ngo later that year. This basically sums up how the majority of people thought of Ngo Dinh Diem. He was a narrow leader only worried about gaining and keeping loyalty. Diem believed that he had a mandate ofRead MoreCompare and Contrast Japanese and Western Imperialism in Asia and the Pacific3853 Words   |  16 Pagesat 18:10 The Japanese pursuit for an empire in South East Asia helped changed the balance of world power away from Europe, by taking their most lucrative colonies. Soon after the Japanese defeat in World War II, most of the colonies won their independence from their European masters. This essay will be arguing that despite the vast geographical distance and cultural, racial differences, as well as the different time periods involved, Japanese and European intentions were very similar, and that these

Charles - Okay, Dale, now just... free essay sample

Charles Okay, Dale, now just where have you been?Dale I was out there in all that traffic! Those folks dont know how to drive out there! [BELCHES]Charles Well, what happened?Dale Well, I almost died about 48 times, thanks to some stupid drivers out there who dont know what theyre doing!Mark Well, it looks like you finally know what its like to be around people who cant drive.Dale Are you saying I cant drive?Mark Especially since youve had a beer.Dale I aint had no beers! Ive been sober! [BELCHES]Mark Then what explains the belch?Dale That was the spaghetti and lasagna I ate last night. Well, those losers, they dont know what theyre doing? They were driving down the road at who knows how many miles an hour! [BIG BELCH]Charles Well, I hope youve learned your lesson. We will write a custom essay sample on Charles Okay, Dale, now just or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Dale I aint learned no lesson! [BELCHES] If theres any lesson Ive learned, its that you can speed. You can treat any highway like the Talladega Superspeedway and get away with it!Mark No, you cant! The cops will pull you over! Dale I aint never been pulled over by no cops!Charles You didnt?Dale No! Them stupid cops are just [BELCHES] all stupid over there in the doughnut shop eating doughnuts and drinking coffee! I guess thats why theyre all obese! Theyre busy shoving down doughnuts, drinking coffee, and letting out huge belches, while all the motorists are out there driving stupidly and destroying property! Well, Im going to go to the kitchen and get me a beer.Charles We dont have any beers here!Dale What do you mean we dont have no beers here?Charles We just dont.Dale Okay, then, Im just gonna go into the kitchen and do something. Those people out there are reckless drivers! Dont nobody need to be driving like that! Theyre just stupid! S T O O P I D.Charl es Thats not how you spell stupid. Dale What? All this time, I thought that was how you spelled stupid.Charles No! Stupid has a u!Dale What? I aint stupid!Charles Well, you spelled the word wrong. One u, no os.Dale Shut up! You dont even know whom youre talking to! You aint my grammar teacher! I can spell words anyway I wish! If I want to use double negatives in front of you, Im gonna use double negatives in front of you! Understand?Charles Why dont you just go to the kitchen?Dale Thats where I was going! [BELCHES LOUDLY]Charles And stop that belching!Dale Im afraid I cant help that! I ate spaghetti and lasagna last night, and those dishes make me belch! Well, changing the subject now. I dont ever want to drive out there with those stupid losers ever again! Those clowns just run off the road and try to kill everybody! Theyre like suicide drivers out there, going off the road and killing everybody and themselves! And another thing! [BELCHES] I dont ever want to go down a certain road. I dont ever want to go down Gray Avenue at night time! The traffic lights on that road stay on red forever, and those drivers cut through parking lots and other places, trying to see how many people and cars they can hit and kill while theyre doing so! Thats illegal! Well, can one of you give me a cerveza?Mark Whats that?Dale You idiot! Its Spanish for beer! [BELCHES]Charles So you know some Spanish?Dale Just a little bit. I also know the German word for beer. Charles Then what is it?Dale Im afraid thats confidential. I aint supposed to tell you. Well, it seems those reckless drivers out there had themselves some beers. Theyre over there driving stupidly. One person was driving 85 in a 65.Charles Well, Dale: [BELCHES] And another thing! That beach I was going to this weekend, that aint gonna happen! Its 5:00 somewhere, but I dont think its 5:00 six feet under! [BELCHES] I can wait! Now, if you dont mind, Im going to go to the truck and listen to Its Five Oclock Somewhere. Wheres that CD?Charles What?Dale You know, the CD? Its starting to get warm outside, so Im listening to songs that are perfect for warm weather. You know its always on five in Margaritaville.Charles Get out of here! Im not going to Margaritaville!Dale And thats your problem! You have no wish to go to Margaritaville and drink your worries away! [BELCHES] Now, I have to catch the next boat to Margaritaville! Its better than hanging around with you losers! Im going to be a beach bum! Im out of here! And Im watching out for those careless drivers who aint got no sense in their heads! Well, [belches] Im gone!