Michael Swickard
Our society is languishing in the war on drugs and drug organizations. Not only are we not making any headway, we are in full retreat. It is not just the scourge of the drugs themselves that harms our society, it is the money in the hands of the drug dealers and their organizations. The guns and bullets that terrorize Mexico come dollar by dollar from our pockets for drugs.
Worse, the harm to our society by illegal drugs is not much different than the effect on our society of corruption, which is just as pernicious. And we are losing even the war on crime in general. Why? Because the funds most often used in all criminal ventures are not in a form to be easily traced. One thing we know for sure: Crime is powered by cash and lots of it.
I use very little cash in my life; instead I use my debit card for most transactions. I do so for a couple of reasons: first so that I do not have to think about cash and second so there is a record to review at tax time. My financial institution keeps a record available such that tax time is made much easier.
I am very much like most of my friends, where our transactions are quite visible. However, in some parts of our society there are some transactions where electronic records are not wanted. Most of the money that comes from crime and drugs is not kept electronically. Even though it may be organized crime, they do not want to be that organized because of the chance that law enforcement can penetrate the electronic transaction trail.
Hundred dollar bills
Most criminal purchases are made via currency such as the good old hundred dollar bill. In fact, it is said that almost every one hundred dollar bill has traces of illegal drugs on it because it is the prime currency of the drug trade.
Hundred dollar bills are transportable and universally spendable. Well, not with me and most of my friends, since getting a phony bill is very hard for us to take. When a bank tries to give me a large bill I demur, saying none of my regular merchants want them. Twenties and tens work much better.
While some people will worry at government’s reach, perhaps it is time to do away with all cash so that every transaction is visible. How would drug lords run their lives when everything they own is within the eyes of the authorities? How could drug lords bribe people when the spending can be noticed? Got a judge who buys a new Ferrari? It might just get the attention of authorities who know that most judges cannot spend that kind of money on their own salaries. Might be legit and then a “Thanks, and sorry to bother you” is said.
How can drug operations continue when every cent is visible? They cannot. We trade making government bigger, which I hate, for ending the drug operations, since they cannot protect their own illegal money from authorities.
How would it work?
So, Michael, how would that work?
I do not know. But I do know what we are doing where crime organizations use cash for their wealth does not work. Does someone have a better idea? I would be glad to not make government bigger. But the damage done to whole countries like Mexico requires we take on the crime syndicates and hit them where they are weakest, their pocketbooks.
If at some point all money has to have a paper trail, it would change drugs and crime along with the thriving under-economy in our country. Some people fear that people without legal status will be handed citizenship under some amnesty program. I do not worry, because I believe most people in our state are here not to immigrate but to harvest money. They will not want to pay a third of their earnings in taxes.
There are many hurdles to make this work, but I do not see anything else with any chance to work. Let us get some ideas on the table and then do something other than just bleed the lifeblood of our society down the drain.
Swickard is a weekly columnist for this site. You can reach him at michael@swickard.com.
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