del Valle, Traffic

I think the war on drugs is winnable on the political level only. If drugs were legalized and regulated, the government would thrive on the profits. However, even if it were legalized, the individual and social levels would still be negatively affected. Although drugs would be regulated through the government, people would still be selling them on the streets, therefore, street crimes would still happen, and individuals who’s loved ones are lost in this would still be affected, and, even if legalized, people would still run the risk of becoming addicting, which is another way it would affect the individual. Also, there would still be gangs involved in selling drugs on the streets, which would mean there would still be a push to join these gangs in certain societies.

Oria, Traffic

It is almost impossible to win a war on drugs on a political or social level. The only somewhat winnable war on drugs is on a personal level, but even then it is still hard. If you look at the movie, it is clear that even on a personal level it is hard to win. Once someone becomes addicted to drugs it is hard to get off of them, especially when you are addict to the drugs that the girl was using. Those were some seriously hard drugs that she was on. When she was put in rehab, she runs away the first time. She ends up sleeping with her dealer to get drugs. Her father tries to keep everything under control but it is next to impossible to control someone else’s actions. One only has control over their actions. If a person does not want to stop using drugs, then there are only two options: either put them in jail or put them in rehab. Then again you can just leave them be and allow themselves to ruin their own lives. In all honesty I think that the war on drugs is next to impossible to win. People are going to do whatever it is they want to do. You can try to retrain them and put them in rehab but if there is a will, there is a way. So if someone wants drugs they are going to find a way to get them. This mentality goes both ways though. If an addict is willing enough to quick drugs, then all hope is not lost, it can be done.

Roulakis - Traffic

The Wakefield family is a wealthy family that lives in Ohio. This family includes a prominent father figure who is not only a judge, but now the head of the President's Office of National Drug Control. Though this movie is about drug trafficking, it shows how and why drugs are a part of each character's life. Robert Wakefield's daughter, Caroline, is sixteen years old, at the top of her class, and an honor student. Throughout the film we slowly see how her experimentation with drugs turns into an addiction and eventually leads her on a path that could destroy her life. Her addiction, and her father's persistence to stop the drug cartel's in Mexico end up impacting each other's lives more than they could imagine.

Robert Wakefield believes that he can win the war on drugs on both a political and social level. He speaks to the public, travels around the country and even to Mexico to meet with important political figures that could help him "win" this war. However, he never looks at his own home and how what he really needs to do is look at how drugs are effecting him and his family on an individual level. In the end, he realizes that it is the only way that he can win the war that's almost impossible to stop. He was so busy trying to stop all these powerful and corrupt people, that he and his wife did not even realize how bad their daughter's addiction to cocaine was getting. Eventually, at the end of the movie when Wakefield is giving a speech for the press at the White House, he realizes that a war on drugs was actually in his own home, and that he couldn't contribute anything to his country before helping his own family. During Caroline's second time in rehab, the audience can actually tell that she is willing to get better and is happy that she is getting help. After she gives a touching speech the camera falls onto her father who is asked to respond to her speech and he says, "My name is Robert. And my wife, Barbara and I are here to support our daughter Caroline. And we're here to listen." This is when I believe the Wakefield family has won the war on drugs - on an individual level.

Cassimere; Traffic

The War on Drugs is not winnable on any level. If enough people want to have access to something, there are people willing to provide it for them in order to make a profit, regardless of the legal consequences or legal status of the product. The people who run the drug cartels that smuggle drugs across the American border for distribution only care about the money they will be making from it. An example of this in the movie would be the Mexican Military General Salazar, who was using his position in the military to aid his drug trade. If someone has a strong addiction to a substance, they will do anything it takes to get it. This is especially apparent in the movie Traffic when Caroline runs away from rehab and is sleeping around with drug dealers, most likely in exchange for drugs. She essentially gives up her whole life, friends, family, and school, so that she can lie around and get high all day. Of course in the end, she joins a support group and gets clean, but in reality that doesn’t happen for most people who have serious drug problems. As far as the social level goes, if there are drugs out there, at least some people will try them and most likely influence other to do so as well. There will always be groups of teenagers who experiment with drugs, and drug dealers to push drugs on them. The War on Drugs will most likely never be won.

Wilson Traffic

I think that the war on drugs in unwinable simply because of the intelligence of the drug using population. As shown in the film, dealers are coming up with more and more ways of shipping drugs into or out of the country to keep them untraceable. That scene shows a lot about the intelligence of drug dealers, because the dolls are almost completely untraceable to cocaine, yet still they move the product across lines.

On an individual level, scoring drugs is way too easy because of how unenforced the "War on drugs" is on that low of a level. all of the money on the war on drugs is going to stopping it higher up on the chain, like large amounts coming across the boarder, but on the street level, drugs are still highly attainable. socially, there is a draw to drugs. there are people who are desirable as friends, and there are desperate people willing to do anything to gain acceptance that they will turn to drugs, and be accepted because of it. we see the social side of drugs in the film when caroline's friend overdoses. they are in a social setting, conversing and having a good time, free basing cocaine and snorting heroin! it because of all these reasons that i feel the war on drugs is unwinable.

Armentor Traffic

The war on drugs is a political crusade that initially had good intentions, but with years of mismanagement and overspending translating to little results, the war has now turned into a useless and dangerous mess. The war on drugs has been lost, this verdict being apparent a number of years ago. Experimentation with Marijuana in America is at an all-time high; and while the government attempts to eliminate the supply of drugs by burning crops and raiding medical marijuana dispensaries, the truth of the matter remains that the accessibility of these drugs has completely undermined the governments futile attempts. Of the more henious attempts by the government to quell drug usage is this issue of raiding medical marijuana dispensaries. To hassle sick people, take their medicine, then put them in jail is the epitome of disgrace that this war has become. One of the biggest problems with the war on drugs is that although many consider the war a complete failure, the DEA has yet to change its message on the issue. Instead of trying new ways to combat drug usage like setting up health clinics or taxing the products, their mantra of "Drugs are bad, and we're gunna arrest you" has been their guideline.

Another big problem with the war on drugs is that it assumes that everyone involved, dealer or consumer, is a criminal. But the reality of the issue is that people turn to selling drugs out of necessity. This statement is supported during the scene where Robert Wakefield and Seth are prowling around the ghetto looking for Caroline. Seth tells Robert that the low incomes of people in the slums forces them to turn to the drug trade in order to make quick money to support their families. But the War on Drugs and the big whigs who run it fail to see this side of the story. They remain obssessed with the initial notion that drugs should be eliminated from society. With that said, their task is a futile one. The availability of drugs is in no way a reflection of the governments efforts to stop it. Already trillions of dollars have been spent on this unsuccessful and misguided war, a war that either needs to be halted or undergoe major redirection.

Leary Traffic

The war on drugs has been a huge problem for a very long time now. Personally, I don’t believe that the war on drugs is winnable for the social or political levels but I do think it could be winnable for the individual level. The movie, Traffic, showed how these levels are winnable or not winnable. Many characters in the movie were doing everything and anything they could to stop the war on drugs or at least help it. The scene at the beginning of the movie were the two Mexico cops stopped the truck full of drugs is a good example of this. These cops helped stop a huge distributer of drugs which in all helps contribute to stopping the drug war. Other characters were contributing to the war on drugs and making matters even worse. For example, this happened in the scene when Mrs. Ayala decided to help her husband get out of jail and do whatever she could to help him. This in fact worsened the drug trade because her husband was in the trading business and made it so that the trade continues. From the social and political aspect, I don’t think it is possible to win the drug war and stop it for those reason. It just doesn’t seem possible since so many people are involved and violence it brought into it if sellers or buyers are trying to be stopped. On the other hand, it might not be easy for the individual to stop doing drugs but it is definitely possible. I think that if the individual wanted to stop doing drugs then they could with some willpower. You see this in the movie with Caroline and her drug addiction. The scene where she is being sent to rehab for the second time describes this because she is attempting to get better and stay off the drugs individually.

Nguyen Traffic

The war on all drugs is not winnable because banning all forms of drugs will do nothing but cause more problems. The approach of the government should be regulating rather than illegalizing it. When the government banned alcohol, people brewed their own or found a way to get it into the country. The problem became so horrific that the ban was lifted. They should do the same for drugs because it is just draining the government’s resources while producing little results in comparison to the problems the situation creates. It is a fact that in America it is more difficult for a student to obtain alcohol than it is to obtain illicit drugs. If the government regulated drugs like alcohol, then it would be more difficult for people to obtain it and it would ruin the street drug market.

The scene with Seth and Caroline going to buy drugs demonstrates the ease of the whole process. The two are strolling down the sidewalk having fun. They do not seem scared or worried and just enjoying themselves. Then, we find out they were walking into a rundown building to buy drugs. The process is quick, easy, and casual. Even though the government is struggling and fighting hard on this problem. This scene shows that all the efforts of the government have little effect. The scene is dim overall to show the slight dark side of the purchasing of illicit drugs, yet it was a bright dim because Seth and Caroline are so comfortable with it.

Cawley Traffic

America is constantly concerned over our supposed “war on drugs”, however many do not understand that this is a war that will never end. However you look at it, be it social or political it is impossible to stop users from replenishing their supply. There is no way to control such a thing in a society even with the technological advances that have occurred over the past few years. In the film Traffic, this fact is proven multiple times. The head of the so-called “war on drugs” is constantly suffering due to the fact that his daughter is a drug addict herself. The Mexico story displays this even further. The character of Javier, a cop, cannot escape the impeding nature of the drug trade. He nearly enters it himself after his partner gives away priceless information over the status of a certain drug lord who was believed to be dead. In the story revolving around the DEA and the Ayala’s, Mr. Ayala is obviously guilty of trading and selling drugs. He is however declared innocent simply because the lead witness of the case is killed. All must realize these three examples are solely three experiences of the drug “problems” we have in this entire world. There are countless other instances that occur every day. Either way you look at it, and whether one is against drugs or not, all must agree that too much time is wasted on this war on drugs. Nothing can happen for there is simply no way everyone across the nation and globe will suddenly decide to stop using and/or selling.

Motsinger- Traffic

Politically I definitely do not think it is possible to end the war on drugs. I say this because the American government gets tons of money from illegal trafficking of drugs. Since they can sell drugs to rich teens, drug dealers don't have to worry about being arrested, because these buyers won't be arrested.

Ending the war on drugs socially doesn't look too promising either, due to the fact that selling drugs is a quick and easy way for teens to get money. Take Mexican male teens for example-- the Mexican economy is awful so joining an illegal trafficking group is one of their only options that will allow them to move up in social status.

Individuals that have been negatively affected by illegal drugs may rally against drugs, along with relatives who support recovering family members. Seeing the corruption first hand in the trafficking system could most definitely turn an individual away from supporting illegal drugs. Although these are all steps in the right direction, it still isn't enough to squash drug trafficking and end the war on drugs-- that being said, it appears that this "war" on drugs will never end, so long as people are able to make a profit off of illegal drugs.

McLemore Traffic

The war on drugs has long since been a losing fight in America. Every illegal substance that America has demonized is used daily, probably in every city in America. The government spends billions on this war on drugs but there is no profit to gain. This “war” only tears apart families, waste tax dollars, and waste the time of DEA agents. This is not to say that these illicit substances are necessarily good things. Many drugs, especially cocaine, heroin, and meth, should never be used, but making these drugs is not the way to solve the problem. Addicts do not get help in jail; prison simply becomes a brief rehab. Once let back on the streets many of these addicts have not been given the skills to learn to avoid these substances. This creates an endless cycle of arrest imprisonment. The only way to truly try to prevent drug use is to educate the community. Drugs cannot be demonized, because for many that only makes them more appealing, almost like reverse psychology. If people are told the truth about many drugs, effects, side effects, and other things of the sort, then they go into drug use as an informed person making a knowledgeable decision, and with deal with the consequences of using that drug. There are several particular scenes that show the uselessness of a war on drugs, but the most compelling argument is the character, General Salazar. He creates such a good argument because it shows just how high up drugs go. Even those paid to get rid of drugs somehow fall under its influence. Salazar never explicitly used any drugs in the film, but he became part of the distribution. Although this film is fictional, imagine how many real DEA agents are like Salazar, even if there are only a few, that’s all a cartel would need to keep up their criminal activities.

Rivera: Never-Ending Traffic

The answer to "Is the drug war winnable?" depends on which war exactly you are speaking about. There is the war America faces within American individuals, our addictions. Then there is the physical war between police forces and drug cartels, which more often than not, innocent civilians are strongly affected by. There are also political and social aspects that must be considered when discussing such a large scale problem.
I do not think there will ever be a difinitive end to the drug wars. I think saying there will be an end is like saying we can overcome every disease known to man. Maybe the idea seems plausible; maybe one day we could find a way to stop everyone's addictions, maybe we can find a way to form vaccine to every illness-they would still be there, but we would have built a wall between us and them. However, it will never be this easy. First of all, many people are currently focused on the issue of marajuana's legality; this is not the only drug in the world, nor is it the one I think should be the issue. As mentioned in class, the mob was formed as a result of the prohibition era. The government could stand to gain a lot with the legalization of marajuana. For a long time I was really against the idea of legalization of MJ, then I realized it might as well be legal when everyone in my class (except us lonely three) has smoked it. My point is that keeping pot ilegal has no purpose; those who really need it and try to obtain it legally have no hope, and those who just want to get high do it anyways.
The driving issue over the drug wars is simple. America has the highest number of drug users in the world. Mexico, the number one drug distributor for the US, knows this. At one point the President of Mexico was quoted in blaming all of Mexico's current cartel violence on America, saying that we have allowed them to gain power through the strenght of our addiction. I do not think that we can ever kick the habbit of addiction in America, and that is the only end to the social and individual drug wars America faces. Even if the governemnt legaleized pot, the heavy drugs (cocaine, heroine, etc) are still out there and being used-there is certainly no reason to legalize those. We will face this issue for a very long time, because there will always be money to be made in selling drugs to Americans.

McElvaine Traffic

The war on drugs is not winnable. It is a fight that goes back and and forth and even though progress can be made in reducing drug use in our country, drug use and traffic will never be fully eliminated. The movie, Traffic, is a testament to that claim. The film depicts wealthy, caucasian, teenagers using heavy drugs as a way to escape their anger and depression and as a way to seem "cool" in front of their friends. We see the teens going into unsafe neighborhoods to buy drugs and it is clear that it is very easy for them to attain drugs. At one point in the film, Robert Wakefield takes Seth Abrahms into the part of town where they buy drugs in order to find Wakefield's daughter. Wakefield says to Abrahms, "I can believe you took my daughter to a place like this." Abrahms replies that the drug trade in this part of town is a flourishing business and that it has become of a cycle of young white people buying drugs from young black people. It is clear that the cycle is endless because their will always be a demand for drugs and as long as there is a demand the suppliers will continue to produce the drugs.

The war on drugs is not a winnable one because of the powers of drug addiction and the ease with which people may attain drugs. As much as the government can enforce the illegality of drug use and production, they cannot force people to stop their use of drugs and they cannot force people to treat their drug addictions. Ending drug use is a personal choice for every user and many drug users are not willing to quit. This, in turn, creates a demand for drugs which perpetuates the production and trade of drugs. In essence, the war on drugs is not a winnable one because there is no effective way to control every individual who uses or sells drugs.

Lanaux Traffic

The war on drugs is a persistent problem that will never be won on an individual and social level. There is so much money and power in the drug trafficking industry than some realize, and the U.S. government has previously tried many tactic to stop this ongoing problem that will probably never be solved.

First, by looking at the Wakefield family, we see Robert Wakefield be appointed the new drug czar of the government yet his own daughter is a drug addict. Caroline's addiction is so severe that she runs away from treatment and moves to a bad part of town to trade sex for drugs. Her parents can barely control the situation and realize that listening and understanding Caroline is the only way to really help her. While Caroline, and many other addicts, were able to get treatment, the fight between the individual and drugs is a constant struggle. When Robert is making his speech to the press he says that to fight the drug war he has to fight his family, so he backs down from the drug czar position.

On a social level, the war on drugs is much worse. Drug lords and dealers will go to great lengths to get their drugs shipped and most importantly, get money. An example is when a man tells Helena Ayala that he will kill her son if he doesn't get the three million dollars her husband owes. Because of this, Helena takes over her husband's drug business and has people murdered. Violence and murder are the resorts people in the businesses will take to keep the drug dealing rich and powerful. The governments can try everything they can but unfortunately, the war can't be won.

Farris - Traffic

The Wakefield family serves as the perfect example as to why the drug war will never be won on an individual level. Caroline Wakefield, who is the daughter of a leading proponent in the war on drugs, is herself a teen drug addict. After being caught using drugs in her own home and after having to deal with the overdose of a friend at a party, Caroline steals money from her parents and runs away. She finds herself living in the most destitute, poverty stricken, violence-filled area of the city, and even becomes involved with exchanging sex for drugs, showing the lengths drug users are willing to go to get their "fix." Caroline's mother even admits at one point that she knew about her daughter's drug use and didn't do anything about it because she thought it was important that she experiment and make her own conclusions on the issue, because she herself used drugs in her teenage years. These statements infuriate her husband and clearly show that the drug cycle is unescapable, when both the wife and daughter of the drug czar are somehow involved with his opposition.

On a social level, we also learn through the Mexico story about the lengths that drug users will go to to acquire their substances. Prostituting, as witnessed in Caroline's story, is only one method. The drug trade is a multi-million dollar industry, and Traffic portrays how Mexican drug lords will resort to any means necessary to acquire money, even if it includes violence, murder, theft, assassination, etc. Through this, it is shown that the manufacture and sale of illegal substances has been going on for ages behind closed doors, and will continue, no matter who tries to stop it, simply because of how organized these drug lords are, and how many resources they have at their disposal.