[err_badprocrast]

I definitely agree about the War on Drugs, and I think the disparity in who gets busted for it is explained in large part by just where police departments focus their efforts. In a rich neighborhood you can get away with stuff that would be stupid to try in poorer areas - for example, walking down the street at high noon smoking a blunt. Good luck getting away with that in the poorer areas where you'll find a cop who's trying to fill quotas around every corner. Related to this is the fact that you're likely to find higher numbers of police officers stationed at schools in poorer areas.

I agree with a lot of what you say here, but I really have no authority to comment on long term effects of welfare or the state of huge cities like NYC (as well as the East Coast in general).

Thanks for a well-reasoned reply!