Sharp Edge of the Sphere 2.0

 Economics of Smuggling I'm writing this because it is a complex subject, and too much of what is being said and written about it is soundbites. There is a long history of smuggling. I want to look at some examples of smuggling from American history. First, we will look at a recent and semi-humorous example. Then we will look at the first serious attempt at controlled substance prohibition in the US. Along the way, we will examine the effectiveness of seaborne interdiction. First, the funny side of smuggling. Some of us may remember the days when Coors was a western regional beer, and any that showed up on the East Coast was smuggled. Many of us remember a Burt Reynolds movie, "Smokey and the Bandit." It shows us nearly everything we need to know about the economics of smuggling. Demand, restricted supply, and people willing to perform a service. More seriously, from 1920 until 1933, it was illegal to make or sell alcohol for human consumption. We got even more movies dur...