Because it absolutely is. Fentanyl has been used as an incapacitating chemical agent in warfare and state terrorism by Russia. There are studies on this dating back to 2019. And who keeps the Maduro regime in place? Russia.
The WH is acting correctly in striking these boats and should continue doing so.
I am relieved every time I see one of those boat strike notices. It’s more than a dozen now, I think. I don’t know how that compares to the number *not* getting caught, but I’m sure hoping it is a deterrent.
The human wreckage from that stuff is ghastly, and I think a lot of police departments have either stopped trying to enforce, or are simply too overwhelmed– average local PD doesn’t have the manpower or funding to deal with the crazy scope of the problem. It’s like they can enforce drugs, or they can do everything else on their list– murder, rape, assault, welfare checks, traffic enforcement, etc.– but not both.
Boggles the mind that anybody in this day and age could be so politically tone deaf as to defend the smugglers. But you see enough of them out there.
-ethyl
Seconds before I read your comment I received a message from a former colleague condemning the strikes as fascist. Of course, she grew up wealthy and never had to come across the human tragedies created by this catastrophe. So yes, it’s exactly what you say. These people are deaf and blind to the suffering of the affected.
With many of the things this administration has done that I don’t like, this one is definitely in my positive column.
How you feel about fentanyl is now a bougie class marker. “OMG I can’t believe they’re just blowing up ‘fishermen’!” is the new conspicuous display of wealth.
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That’s stretching things beyond belief. People choose to take that garbage, nobody is forcing this “chemical warfare” shit on them. This is the same shit Democrats pulled with COVID, trying real hard to fit a narrative.
You want more war on drugs? How has that worked out?
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It’s all just consenting adults making voluntary decisions, amirite?
That shite is why I never, ever call myself a libertarian anymore.
It all sounds fine until you can’t afford *not* to live three blocks from their campsite.
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This is why I keep saying that “choice” is not an interesting category of analysis. People can make terrible choices, and then we all as a society have to eat the consequences. How about my choice not to suffer because they made the choice to get themselves into a beastly state? Why shouldn’t my healthy, socially responsible choices be privileged over the choices of the antisocial element?
Oh, but in the Perfect Libertarian Utopia, this would all be taken care of by Magic Property Rights, where the camps would not exist, because the property owner would not let them camp there: he’d either come blasting in with his flame-throwing bulldozer and heroically boot them out, maybe hunt them in the woods with a sniper rifle, or perhaps sue them for unpaid rent or environmental damage in a completely voluntary civil tribunal.
In real life, the woods are owned by the electric utility, they DGAF, the cops clear it out temporarily about once a year (after which they all move back) and everybody who lives within half a mile gets to just deal with it.
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That’s a domestic issue. Blowing up a few boat will do absolutely nothing to slow this down. It’s naive to think this will make any difference at all.
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This won’t eradicate drug trafficking so let’s do nothing to increase the risk of drug running.
Piracy and smuggling have been a perennial issue in the area. Any ideas why there are fluctuations in the rate? Couldn’t have anything to do with capturing or sinking involved ships.
-k
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