Comments on: Finally: Cocaine breast implants

By: JimLennon

JimLennon — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:40:59 +0000

2009: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Episode 11.06 : Spooked

Shy Guy on December 13, 2012 at 2:12 AM

I seem to remember an episode of Nip/Tuck with a similar premise.

By: Nephew Sam

Nephew Sam — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 12:31:14 +0000

Really?

So cigarettes – which were never illegal – are not bootlegged?

Rebar on December 12, 2012 at 11:43 PM

They certainly are. But they are also taxed at greater rates than the average product in the marketplace. When taxes reach a certain level, it’s similar to when the government sets a price floor (increasing the price above what the product is actually worth), which, via supply and demand, creates a black market with enough supply to meet the demand at lower price points.

In the United States, 56% of the cost of cigarettes is in taxes, which is probably more than the average for other products. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cigarette_taxes_in_the_United_States#Proportion_of_taxes_in_cigarette_prices)

It could be argued there is a black market for every product, with size proportional to the amount the government increases the price via taxes or regulatory cost.

The reason other products are not commonly associated with expansive black markets is because the taxes and regulatory burden do not make up 56% of the cost. If taxes for, say, food were that high, people would buy bread in shady alleyways more often.

By: Shy Guy

Shy Guy — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 07:12:31 +0000

Finally

2009: Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Episode 11.06 : Spooked

By: tjexcite

tjexcite — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 04:43:12 +0000

Breaking new directive: All woman flyers and some men must go top less to prove they are are not hiding cocaine or a bomb under their chest tissue.

If they could they would make a humans marsupial with a hidden pouch. One that can carry anything and not need surgery to get it out but the risk of infection and time needed to heal is not worth it when they have a catapult or some “mule” to just walk it across.

By: Rebar

Rebar — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 04:43:07 +0000

Bootlegging ended when Prohibition ended.

Seven Seas on December 12, 2012 at 11:25 PM

Really?

So cigarettes – which were never illegal – are not bootlegged?

By: Seven Seas

Seven Seas — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 04:25:45 +0000

The LEGALIZE IT crowd is gonna get here any second now.

tommy71 on December 12, 2012 at 10:11 PM

This type of smuggling only exists because it is illegal and results in massive profits for the smugglers.

Bootlegging ended when Prohibition ended.

By: Rebar

Rebar — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 04:05:59 +0000

Wait until the muslem women with explosive implants start getting on airliners.

That’s when the real fun begins, because you KNOW they’d never DARE take them off the airplane, forget about removing the implants.

By: MelonCollie

MelonCollie — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 03:31:21 +0000

The LEGALIZE IT crowd is gonna get here any second now.

tommy71 on December 12, 2012 at 10:11 PM

Awaiting for some snot-nosed pothead to call reputable posters ‘statist’, etc. Which IRL would result in them picking their teeth up off the floor.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 03:31:08 +0000

YouTube has a series from National Geographic where they dramatize drug mule arrests at various airports across the world called “Locked Up Abroad” that is totally addicting. These people are just that: mules who drug thugs get to visit exotic countries and the elaborate and not so elaborate things they are put through: one poor Dallas teen girl got trapped into trying to bring back cocaine strapped to her body from Bangladesh under a raincoat which of course got the security at the airport in 110 degree Bangladesh to stop and inquire “Why are you wearing a raincoat?” And those machines that detect even traces: this woman HAD to have kept strongly registering cocaine – to operate and remove them?!

By: Bitter Clinger

Bitter Clinger — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 03:30:42 +0000

Cocaine breast implants

The perfect mix of Snort & Suck.