Creativity in a Crisis

Since the world's shaky financial situation blossomed into full-blown crisis in 2008, there have been many casualties.  Unfortunately, the so-called financial gurus do not seem to wish to acknowledge that the current crisis was caused principally by the foreign policies of some extremely bellicose nations as well as by unregulated financial markets in those same bellicose nations.  Those at the pinnacle of shaky financial pyramids skimmed their funds from the tips and scampered off with their ill-gotten earnings, for the most part hiding them from legitimate tax authorities in various creative ways.

The resulting national deficits have to be paid by someone.  So various national authorities find themselves compelled to practice austerity measures that, for the most part, fall hardest on the most vulnerable members of their populations.  While most of us recognize that there are legitimate needs for a return to sanity, good governance and fiscal restraint, we see increasingly that those who are most suffering the brunt of austerity measures are NOT the ones who caused the various crises in the first place.  Life is unfair, yes, but this is too much.

That is why these words from the plain-speaking Senator Bernie Sanders hit home, not simply for the United States, whose unscrupulous business practices coupled with global greed have dragged most of the rest of the world into the current spiral, but for us all:

"This country [the US] does in fact have a serious deficit problem.  But the reality is that the deficit was caused by two wars - unpaid for.  It was caused by huge tax breaks for the wealthiest people in this country.  It was caused by a recession as result of the greed, recklessness and illegal behavior on Wall Street.  And if those are the causes of the deficit, I will be damned if we're going to balance the budget on backs of the elderly, the sick, the children and the poor.  That's wrong."  --Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Senate Budget Committee, 18 November 2011

As described in this article from today's Guardian newspaper, one tiny country town in Spain has come up with a creative solution - intended to make its unemployment, debt and economic crisis literally disappear in a "puff of smoke - by leasing out its land for marijuana plantations."

Apparently Spain's laws permit the existence of "cannabis clubs" whose members may smoke the drug in private.  Thus, the tiny town of Rasquera has voted to enter into a EUR 1.3 million lease with a club in Barcelona - and continues to negotiate with other clubs elsewhere in Spain - to grow marijuana for sale to club members.  While some of the older residents fear that these steps may lead to their town's becoming a drug mecca, others believe that it is one way to bring in money for the town and create jobs.  More information can be found at the links provided.

I believe - and I am in very good company (the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, for example) - that it is long past time to legalize, regulate and tax the production of at least some of the drugs on which too many ineffective and costly prevention and punitive measures are being wasted.   Some of the funds that are currently wasted or worse - diverted into the pockets of corrupt officials - could be much better used for education, rehabilitation and treatment - or even for reducing fiscal deficits.  After all, alcohol and cigarettes, both also drugs, are legal, regulated and taxed.  The world has not completely fallen apart as a result.