Imigration in America

[--Pete]

Hi,

Whatever was in demand would need to be readily available to prevent an illegal black market. Can you see any legitimate government doing that? Allowing is one thing, but promoting?

How many states have package stores? How many states restrict the sale of alcohol (some, only hard liquor, others, everything) to their monopoly?

I just don't see the moralistic US being able to do a 180 on drug policy.

Did Prohibition occur in your universe?

It's not unusual for certain businesses to keep two sets of books.

Tighten up the laws, tighten up the enforcement, and make the penalties such that the risk is not worth the result. Usually I agree that increasing the penalties does not deter crime since most criminals are either stupid, sociopaths, or both and do not consider the risks. But we're talking business people here, if they stand a very good chance to lose everything they own (as proceeds of a criminal activity) and spending ten or more years in jail, I suspect most of them would not risk it.

That would, indeed, be addressing the problem. Of course, the savings you envision to the taxpayers are ephemeral. The amount saved in taxes would be spent many times over in higher cost goods and services. Or the migration of more jobs to low labor cost countries. I'm enough of an idealist to think the cost is worth the results, but I don't think most of the country would agree.

Have you ever noticed how many "Buy American" bumper stickers there are in a WalMart parking lot?

--Pete