# Win the War on Terror, Lose the War on Drugs

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-the-war-on-terror-lose-the-war-on-drugs/211767>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [November 6, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-the-war-on-terror-lose-the-war-on-drugs/211767 "2003-11-06T20:34:04Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![hlanelee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3bc359/32.png) [@hlanelee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hlanelee)\
**Post date:** [November 6, 2003, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-the-war-on-terror-lose-the-war-on-drugs/211767/1 "2003-11-06T20:34:04Z")

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I just read this:

[http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20031029-081203-4810r.htm](http://washingtontimes.com/upi-breaking/20031029-081203-4810r.htm)

It seems opium production is up in Afghanistan these days. Sorry, I don’t know how to post a cite.

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**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-the-war-on-terror-lose-the-war-on-drugs/211767/2 "2003-11-07T00:45:01Z")

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Well it just goes to show you. Given an unbelievably brutal and fascistic regime, which the Taliban were, stamping out opium is no sweat. As I recall, before the attack on Afghanistan our government was handing out quite a few pats on the back to the Afghan government, which demonstrates how the war on drugs can certainly make for strange bedfellows.

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**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-the-war-on-terror-lose-the-war-on-drugs/211767/3 "2003-11-07T01:06:49Z")

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I think you misunderstand the US Government’s powers.

It will be as easy to win the ‘War’ on terror as it was to ‘Win’ the war on drugs.

All Bush needed was for the drug dealers to take the field of battle, and the Drugs Tsar did the rest. All as per plan.  
Similarly, once all the terrorists are wearing their army uniforms, they can all be defeated. (Same plan, really.)

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**Author:** ![ravage2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d07c76/32.png) [@ravage2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ravage2)\
**Post date:** [November 7, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/win-the-war-on-terror-lose-the-war-on-drugs/211767/4 "2003-11-07T16:45:23Z")

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Wouldn’t be surprised if the US was actually allowing Afghanistan to produce opium on purpose to allow foreign currency to flow in. Easier than foreign aid.