[tn13]

> the point of punishing criminals is to punish crime

True when the definition of crime and the procedures around punishing crime borders on even serious crime I would question if the crime should be crime in first place or not.

If USA had unleashed its capitalistic hounds and allowed Target and Wallmart to deal in drugs El Chapo and many people like him would either be selling tacos on a food truck (euphemism for honest hard working job) or be shot dead in some alley as result of their non-lucrative crime.

Drug industry has been super innovative and invested their mental energies in drugs. If the drugs are channelised they will get invested into something else which might actually lead to good result.