Would America Be Better if Drugs Were Legalized?

Is there any possible way that we could reduce crime?

Harry Browne explains the advantages of a legalized drug market...

*clip from C-SPAN's Washington Journal

Can Math Solve the Nursing Shortage?

A survey published by UNISON reports that 2/3 of nurses working at the National Health Service in England do not have enough time with their patients.  With half of NHS nurses taking care of 8 patients per day it's clear they are overworked and understaffed.

One nurse commented:

“My department is running at VERY UNSAFE levels due to inadequate staffing.”

The major theme coming out of the survey is that demand for nursing services outstrips the supply of nurses.

In response to this nursing shortage, union boss Gail Adams pleaded:

"The Coalition Government needs to face up to the damage it is inflicting on patients and staff, by not introducing legally enforceable nurse to patient ratios, and take urgent action.”

A legal dictate which increases the nurse to patient ratio would reduce the workload of existing nurses.  But this is a local solution to a global problem.  

Adams is totally ignoring both halves of the real issue which is that supply of nursing services is not keeping pace with patient demand.  Basic math tells us that to create a balance there needs to be an increase in nursing services, a decrease in patient demand or a combination of the two.

My proposal?  Anyone in England who wants to offer nursing services should not be interfered with by the state.  Anyone in England who wishes to contract for nursing services should be free to do so.

Finally, a voluntary-market for healthcare services makes politicians, NHS and taxes redundant.

Marijuana, Texas and Law

A new survey from Progress Texas shows that nine out of ten people in Texas support decriminalization of marijuana.  

It's pretty clear at this point the people have simply decided what the law is in regards to the marijuana plant.  The scribbles of dead politicians are no longer relevant.  

Remember that statues are not law.  Law exists before statutes are written.

Law is sometimes codified in statutes but politicians words written on paper are not necessary in order to have law.

150 Troops to Kill One Man?

The Mexican navy killed one of the leaders of the "Knights Templar" gang last week.  The GlobalPost reported that over 150 troops were needed to take out this one man.

So what heinous crime was the gang leader accused of?  Supplying the American consumer with crystal meth.

Save lives.  Decriminalize drugs.  

Kudos to Maryland for Decriminalizing Marijuana

Let's give credit to the people calling themselves "State of Maryland".  Thankfully, they plan to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana.  Mr. Martin O'Malley said in a statement:

 I now think that decriminalizing possession of marijuana is an acknowledgement of the low priority that our courts, our prosecutors, our police, and the vast majority of citizens already attach to this transgression of public order and public health.

This is a classic example of the politicians taking forever to catch up to the people.

It was 42 years ago that Milton Friedman wrote a column for Newsweek titled "Prohibition and Drugs".  In it Friedman said:

Whatever happens to the number of addicts, the individual addict would clearly be far better off if drugs were legal. Today, drugs are both incredibly expensive and highly uncertain in quality. Addicts are driven to associate with criminals to get the drugs, become criminals themselves to finance the habit, and risk constant danger of death and disease.

The same logic that Friedman applied here should be extended to the argument for the decriminalization of sex.  Individuals involved in the exchange for sex (like drugs) will be far safer and healthier if the act of simply doing business wasn't a crime.