Unintended Consequences

Great Moments in Unintended Consequences: Colombian Coca, Seattle PayUp Law, Bomb Dogs (Vol. 21)

Good intentions, bad results.

Austin Bragg, Meredith Bragg, and John Carter | 3.27.2026 10:00 AM

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Great moments in unintended consequences—when something that sounds like a great idea goes horribly wrong. Watch the whole series.

PART 1: High Ground

The Year: 2014

The Problem: Colombia produces too much coca, the raw material for cocaine.

The Solution: Announce a crop substitution program designed to pay farmers to voluntarily eradicate coca and replace their fields with legal crops.

Sounds like a great idea,........

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