De-fund the D.E.A.

Hey fiscal conservatives, are you looking for a government agency to de-fund?  Why don't you start with the Drug Enforcement Administration?  It seems like the DEA would fit the very definition of a useless government agency.  Even assuming we need law enforcement to enforce criminal drug laws (I'm not particularly convinced of this), why do we need a unique agency to investigate this particular brand of crime?  Isn't the FBI capable of investigating drug crimes?  They can't walk into any bar in America and find some coke?  If they can't, then they're too stupid to be cops in the first place.

The issue with having a law enforcement agency with such a narrow focus is that they can never come close to eliminating problem they're slated with dealing with.  If the DEA were able to come close to eliminating drug use they would be out of jobs.  This is why they are so diametrically opposed to any form of marijuana legalization, because without marijuana to prosecute there simply isn't enough cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin use to justify an entire federal agency with a $3 billion annual budget.

I could go on and on about how the DEA is a worthless agency charged with a law enforcement approach to medical problems, how they routinely undermine civil rights through mass incarceration and surveillance, and quite frankly make drugs a bigger problem then they actually are.  I could write about how the only reason for their existence was to find jobs for people who lost theirs after alcohol prohibition was overturned.  I could cite numerous statistics about how much of a complete failure the drug war has been and numerous instances of abuse and corruption of those charged with fighting it.  But really, all you need to see to realize how useless this organization is is watch this video below of outgoing DEA Chief Michelle Leonhart try to avoid answering simple questions.