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The Colombia Plan Essay, Research Paper Take a merchandise, Coke ; sell it around the universe ; do one million millions ; and, you have a great corporation: Coca-Cola. Take a merchandise, coke ; sell it around the universe ; do one million millions ; and, you have a atrocious state: Colombia. Everyone knows that the original Coca-Cola contained infusions of coca foliages, the same used to bring forth cocaine. So, early Coca-Cola had some of the cocaine drug in it. Coca-Cola still uses an infusion of coca foliages in Coca-Cola for spirit, but the drug has been taken out. Even the celebrated Coke bottle design is based on the coca bean. ( The Coca-Cola Company. Encarta Encyclopedia. 2000. ) However, cocaine ( and its derivative cleft cocaine ) is illegal, habit-forming, unsafe and destructive. In an attempt to command the job in the United States and Colombia, the American authorities late approved and is now implementing, with the cooperation of the Colombian authorities, the Colombia Plan. We will write a custom essay sample on The Colombia Plan Essay Research Paper Take or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In my sentiment, the Colombia Plan is a error. In order to see why its wrong, everyone should understand what the Colombia Plan is, why it was developed, good facets of the Plan, and bad facets of the Plan. The Center for International Policy reports that the Colombia Plan involves passing approximately 1.6 billion dollars to contend the cultivation, processing and transit of drugs in Colombia, the universe s largest cocaine manufacturer. Almost one billion dollars of this sum is traveling to the military and constabularies. About $ 180,000,000 will travel to assist Colombia s neighbours, including Panama, trade with the awaited reverberations of the Plan on these states. Around $ 280,000,000 are traveling to U.S. bureaus and for intelligence operations. The balance of the money, $ 220,000,000, will be spent on the alleged societal facets of the Plan: Alternate development, $ 68.5 million ; Aid to the displaced, $ 37.5 million ; Human rights, $ 51.0 million ; Judicial reform, $ 13.0 million ; Law enforcement /rule of jurisprudence, $ 45.0 million ; Peace, $ 3.0 million. The three million dollars for peace will travel to supply conflict-resolution preparation seminars to authorities nego tiants. ( Center for International Policy: www.ciponline.org/ colombia/aid/aidsumm.htm. ) Both the United States and Colombia have a batch at interest. Andres Pastrana became President of Colombia in August 1998. ( Background Notes: Colombia, January 1999. U.S. Department of State. hypertext transfer protocol: //www. state.gov/www/background_notes/colombia_0199_bgn.html. ) His ends were to happen a peaceable solution to the civil war in Colombia, to extinguish or at least cut down the drug trade and to work out Colombia s terrible economic jobs, particularly unemployment. Pastrana has failed in all sections and his popularity has plummeted. The Colombia Plan apparently can assist work out these jobs: the Rebels depend on drug money for funding and much of the country under cultivation is under their control ; besides, by collaborating with the United States, Pastrana is hopefully paving the manner for other aid to work out the economic jobs. The United States urgently wants to work out the cocaine job: its policies within the U.S. have mostly failed. As the instance of the histrion Robert Downey so vividly illustrates, rehabilitation plans are by and large ineffectual. Besides, while the usage of pulverization cocaine is a job, because it is so expensive it tends to be used recreationally by flush people. The existent job is ace cocaine, the derived function of cocaine that is smoked instead than i nhaled straight. Crack is more powerful, more habit-forming, and far less expensive ; it can be sold in $ 5 pieces called stones. Crack rapidly spread in the American inner metropoliss and shortly its sale and distribution were controlled by well-organized, to a great extent armed street packs totaling 1000s. Furthermore, cleft nuts desperate for drug money have become a condemnable flagellum of their ain. As the authorities tried to set a palpebra on cleft usage, it passed condemning Torahs which gave compulsory sentences of five to ten old ages to anyone possessing even a little sum of cleft. ( United States Sentencing Commission. Particular Report to Congress: Cocaine and Federal Sentencing Policy. February 1995. ) Predictably, the prisons are now filled to capacity with 1000s of drug wrongdoers, but the job persists. Having failed to command demand in the U.S. , America now wants to eliminate the supply in Colombia. The positive facets of the program are that it is an attempt to contend offense and to cut down drug maltreatment. Cocaine, because it is so moneymaking to sell, brings with it corruptness and force. The countryside and metropoliss of Colombia are non safe in big portion because of cocaine. It finances drug trusts and the Rebels, two ruthless, violent organisations. In the U.S. , interior metropoliss have become war zones where no 1 is safe because of the pack force that goes manus in manus with the sale of cleft. An full coevals has been lost in the interior metropoliss because of cleft and packs. Furthermore, the depredations of drug dependence are awful to the nuts, their households and society. The negative facets of the program are that the Colombia Plan is to a great extent affecting the Colombian armed forces in what was once a constabulary activity. Basically, contending offense is the duty of the constabulary. By shooting the military into the job, the United States is running the hazard that there will be an escalation of the Civil War. Unquestionably, the Rebels will contend to support their beginning of funding and may revenge by assailing more civilian marks. The military in Colombia can non get the better of the Rebels ; most of Colombia is now under Rebel control. Inevitably, the United States will hold to go more involved by directing more money, more advisers and finally military personnels: another Vietnam. The other job is that with the military involved combat may widen into neighbouring states necessitating more assistance to those states: Plan Bolivia, Plan Ecuador, Plan Panama and so on. Besides, there will be refugees traversing the boundary lines that will necessitate aid. Worst, as cocaine cultivation is fought in Colombia, it will merely travel to other safer oasiss. I am against the Colombia Plan because I think that it is incorrect for the United States to condition assistance on military engagement cognizing that, with the strength and finding of the Rebel forces and their vested involvement in protecting the drug trade, it will about surely lead to an escalation of the Civil War. Furthermore, I am afraid that one time America commits itself financially to a military cause, particularly one that so deeply affects the U.S. , the following measure will be American military engagement, either to contend drugs or to shore up up the authorities of its newfound friend, Andres Pastrana. Why so did the U.S. choose to set itself on the losing side of the oldest Civil War in South America? As Alexander Pope said, Fools haste in where angels fear to step. ( Essay on Criticism )