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A report at Alternet gives some context to the amount spent by the U.S. on its drug policy.
- 1,100 - The number of Americans that die each year due to violent crime caused by the drug war
- $51 billion - The amount that the U.S. government spends each year on the war on drugs
- 61 percent - The percentage of individuals targeted by drug-related SWAT raids who are people of color
- 82 percent - The number of Americans who believe that the government is losing the War on Drugs
- 18 months - The age of Bounkham "Bou Bou" Phonesavanh, a recent American casualty of the drug war
The article goes into further details on the number, including:
On May 28, a team of police officers raided the Phonesavanh's home, with the mistaken belief that the residents were involved with drugs. As they entered, they tossed a flashbang grenade that landed directly in the crib of baby Bou Bou, which exploded within point-blank range - critically injuring him.
In a harrowing article, his mother, Alecia, described seeing "a singed crib" and "a pool of blood", and later being informed by medics: "There's still a hole in his chest that exposes his ribs". Alecia said that the sole silver lining to this story is that it may "make us angry enough that we stop accepting brutal SWAT raids as a normal way to fight the war on drugs".
Fortunately, Bou Bou has been making a gradual recovery, but his family is relying on donations to support their living and medical costs.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Geezer on Friday July 11 2014, @05:02PM
The war on drugs took the hick speed trap mentality, gave it federal teeth, and proceeded to expand into the monster it is today. The feds were already experienced with the drug trade by the time Nixon came around, thanks to your friendly neighborhood CIA in South and South-East Asia. Now everybody (the feds, banks, cartels, and Andy & Barney down in Mayberry) are into the act. There's big bucks in money laundering, private prisons, asset forfeiture, and hush money. Nobody with a badge wants to miss their piece of the pie, all brought to you by the war on drugs.