Jay Wolff, a noted expert on South American history and culture, recently discussed the cocaine flow from that region, particularly Venezuela. His comments to a group of people traveling in that country were discouraging even to many optimists.

There are so many barriers to individual and group achievement and prosperity in the lands to the south that the majority seek alternate routes just to survive. For many, that involves growing and processing coca plants, which then find their way into cocaine pipelines that help make many traffickers obscenely rich. Those on the lower levels of the illicit drug chain do not fare nearly so well, but they make enough to survive, which in many parts of South America is a daily challenge.

Wolff was asked if he agreed with experts who have said that 2 percent of the world’s population (the people of the United States) are behind some 60 percent of the world’s illegal drug usage.

“I’m not sure those figures are totally current, but a tremendous imbalance exists, as they indicate, and it is not likely we are going to see any major changes for the better,” Wolff responded.

Why?

“Because people in the United States have more money to use than those in most other parts of the world, and drug people are smart enough to send their products where they can make the most money,” Wolff explained.

Criminal Willie Sutton was asked why he robbed banks and his response was, “That’s where the money is.” The same holds true for drug trafficking and sales. Not only South American sources but drug lords throughout the world trade on that situation. All the while the rich keep getting richer because Americans keep their markets prospering.

Consider the recent local discovery of a marijuana-growing operation in Lawrence. The accused would not be operating and taking risks they knew existed unless they felt sure there was money to be made, perhaps big money.

A big drug operation, say in Venezuela, is discovered and destroyed and perhaps some key people even are imprisoned. Almost overnight replacement operations spring up, or old ones expand, so the beat goes on because of the demand.

We hear often about how “we have to crack down on foreign producers and traffickers” to curtail drug abuse in our country. But as long as our population provides such a massive depth of opportunity, things will not change.