"The problem with the DEA isn't their mission or charter"
On the contrary, that's the only problem. Once you have an agency mission to violate human rights and the Constitution, all the abuses follow directly.
The problem isn't corrupt behavior from the DEA and drug police. The problem is that prohibition is illegal and unconstitutional and inherently contrary to basic human rights.
You can't create and run an operation to deprive people of their agency, choices, and rights and then conduct that operation in a decent, honest, and civilized manner. That would be self-contradictory; everything the operation does is wrong; doing it well can't make it right.
In fact, the abuses documented in op and widely elsewhere are really not a part of the problem at all. If we had an agency that read people's minds and imprisoned them if they did not love big brother enough, then failures of the mind reading device would be a benefit because at least some people would retain freedom of conscience by accident. Likewise, every time the DEA or drug police kill and imprison innocents, it's good for the country. They would be killing and imprisoning someone no matter what and at least when the victims are innocent, someone out there is retaining his fundamental right to choose what substances to use or not use inside his own body.
On the contrary, that's the only problem. Once you have an agency mission to violate human rights and the Constitution, all the abuses follow directly.
The problem isn't corrupt behavior from the DEA and drug police. The problem is that prohibition is illegal and unconstitutional and inherently contrary to basic human rights.
You can't create and run an operation to deprive people of their agency, choices, and rights and then conduct that operation in a decent, honest, and civilized manner. That would be self-contradictory; everything the operation does is wrong; doing it well can't make it right.
In fact, the abuses documented in op and widely elsewhere are really not a part of the problem at all. If we had an agency that read people's minds and imprisoned them if they did not love big brother enough, then failures of the mind reading device would be a benefit because at least some people would retain freedom of conscience by accident. Likewise, every time the DEA or drug police kill and imprison innocents, it's good for the country. They would be killing and imprisoning someone no matter what and at least when the victims are innocent, someone out there is retaining his fundamental right to choose what substances to use or not use inside his own body.