Comments on: The Murder of Shane Geoghegan and the Wider Context of Drugs, Criminality and Violence in Ireland http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/ It's a group blog. What more do you need to know? Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:51:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.1 By: Andrew Lawlor http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68966 Andrew Lawlor Tue, 25 Nov 2008 13:44:32 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68966 '...what also ensued was a very strident political reaction which displayed the typical opportunism that such extreme cases provide.' There are very, very few politicians at any level in this country who are interested in anything but a vote. The high minded ideals of those who say that they are engaged in public service are simply platitudes. Did anyone believe Haughey when he said, 'I did the state some service?' That was almost two decades ago and I have seen nothing in the interim to change my extremely low opinion of politics. This strident, opportunistic poitical reaction is best ignored. As to how we tackle the menace of illicit drugs in modern society, I will not pretend to have a complete solution. However, as has been pointed out on many occasions by a multitude of commentators before me, the war on drugs has been a losing battle for a very long time. Fintan O'Toole recently outlined in The Irish Times the lenght of society's fight against the proliferation of illegal substances in human society, a fight which has been going on for centuries and one which we seem unable to win. I don't believe that, as some suggest, we should simply legalise and tax substances such as cocaine and heroin. For the state to legitimise the use of class A drugs can only lead to the creation of generation after generation of new addicts. It does, though, seem to me that a disproportionate amount of resources are deployed in tackling the suppliers of illegal drugs. Despite many high profile successes in taking out large traffickers the line of up and coming drug lords to replace them seems unending. This is, obviously, a very stark case of a simple supply and demand economy. As long as we fail to adequately tackle the demand side of this equation there will always be a people flooding into the supply side. The current laws on the use of class A drugs are quite adequate to put a serious dent in demand if they were properly enforced. There would seem, however, to be little appetite in poitical circles for the unpopular tactic of locking up otherwise hard working, tax paying citizens. As long as we ignore the huge middlle and upper class market for cocaine and heroin we will never win the war. ‘…what also ensued was a very strident political reaction which displayed the typical opportunism that such extreme cases provide.’

There are very, very few politicians at any level in this country who are interested in anything but a vote. The high minded ideals of those who say that they are engaged in public service are simply platitudes. Did anyone believe Haughey when he said, ‘I did the state some service?’ That was almost two decades ago and I have seen nothing in the interim to change my extremely low opinion of politics. This strident, opportunistic poitical reaction is best ignored.

As to how we tackle the menace of illicit drugs in modern society, I will not pretend to have a complete solution. However, as has been pointed out on many occasions by a multitude of commentators before me, the war on drugs has been a losing battle for a very long time. Fintan O’Toole recently outlined in The Irish Times the lenght of society’s fight against the proliferation of illegal substances in human society, a fight which has been going on for centuries and one which we seem unable to win. I don’t believe that, as some suggest, we should simply legalise and tax substances such as cocaine and heroin. For the state to legitimise the use of class A drugs can only lead to the creation of generation after generation of new addicts. It does, though, seem to me that a disproportionate amount of resources are deployed in tackling the suppliers of illegal drugs. Despite many high profile successes in taking out large traffickers the line of up and coming drug lords to replace them seems unending. This is, obviously, a very stark case of a simple supply and demand economy. As long as we fail to adequately tackle the demand side of this equation there will always be a people flooding into the supply side. The current laws on the use of class A drugs are quite adequate to put a serious dent in demand if they were properly enforced. There would seem, however, to be little appetite in poitical circles for the unpopular tactic of locking up otherwise hard working, tax paying citizens. As long as we ignore the huge middlle and upper class market for cocaine and heroin we will never win the war.

]]> By: Hubris http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68942 Hubris Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:17:43 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68942 ok - I have no idea what is going on with your comment-funtions - now my first comment is viewable once again SO maybe you are trying to confirm before you publish - in which case be my guest. ok - I have no idea what is going on with your comment-funtions - now my first comment is viewable once again

SO maybe you are trying to confirm before you publish - in which case be my guest.

]]> By: Hubris http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68941 Hubris Sat, 22 Nov 2008 22:16:08 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68941 Since you removed the first comment the other 2 make no sense - that doesn't seem smart Was there something in the first comment that you found to be a) False b) offensive c) Libelous? If not your removal of it is very strange indeed You might as well remove all other comments by me on this blog entry if you are going to do your damndest to remove all sense from them Since you removed the first comment the other 2 make no sense - that doesn’t seem smart

Was there something in the first comment that you found to be
a) False
b) offensive
c) Libelous?

If not your removal of it is very strange indeed

You might as well remove all other comments by me on this blog entry if you are going to do your damndest to remove all sense from them

]]> By: hubris http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68940 hubris Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:41:07 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68940 Jim Mansfield also happens to be a major Fianna Fáil contributor - luck for him I'd say Jim Mansfield also happens to be a major Fianna Fáil contributor - luck for him I’d say

]]> By: hubris http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68939 hubris Sat, 22 Nov 2008 21:39:44 +0000 http://dublinopinion.com/2008/11/21/the-murder-of-shane-geoghegan-and-the-wider-context-of-drugs-criminality-and-violence-in-ireland/#comment-68939 Hegelian Dialectics at it's finest - doncha think? Hegelian Dialectics at it’s finest - doncha think?

]]>