From shoddy premises to final 'failure,' a look at the War on Drugs

[marmar]

from the Detroit Metro Times:



The roots of the fiasco
From shoddy premises to final 'failure,' a look at the War on Drugs

By John Sinclair
Published: January 5, 2011


I'd like to start off the new year, if I may, with a radical look at the War on Drugs — a close look at its roots and at the ugly growths that have resulted in America's failing social order today.

I'd like to take as my text a statement by — of all people — TV evangelist Pat Robertson, who commented recently on his 700 Club broadcast on the Christian Broadcasting Network: "We're locking up people that take a couple of puffs of marijuana, and the next thing you know they've got 10 years.

"I'm not exactly for the use of drugs — don't get me wrong," Pat said, "but I just believe that criminalizing the possession of a few ounces of pot and that kind of thing, I mean it's costing us a fortune and it's ruining young people. Young people go into prison ... as youths and they come out as hardened criminals, and it's not a good thing." Robertson's spokespersons later tried to back away, saying that he only wanted government to "revisit the severity of the existing laws," but the episode is telling.

Our subtext is provided by the Associated Press in a piece cited by Tony Newman in Alternet last month. The AP headline: "The U.S. drug war has met none of its goals." The AP said, "After 40 years, the United States War on Drugs has cost 1 trillion dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives, and for what? Drug use is rampant and violence more brutal and widespread."

"This year," Newman adds, "Mexico President Calderon called for a debate on drug legalization to help reduce the bloody war in Mexico. Former Mexico President Vicente Fox has since gone further and called for an end to prohibition. Just last week, United Kingdom's Bob Ainsworth, the former drugs and defense minister, called for the legalization and regulation of drugs. ...............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://metrotimes.com/columns/the-roots-of-the-fiasco-1.1085709

[FiveGoodMen]

1. "The U.S. drug war has met none of its goals."

It's infringed on our rights.

It's allowed planted drugs as a way to take down political opponents.

It's help BigPharma sell all kinds of mood stabilizers at outrageous prices.

It's provided the cover for all kinds of spying.

It's filled the US prisons with slave-labor candidates.


What in the world would make someone say that it's met none of it goals?

[musiclawyer]

2. We came very close last year , and in '12 CA will legalize BUD

Then it will be like dominoes falling

[walldude]

3. Bill Hicks:

"George Bush says 'we are losing the war on drugs'. Well you know what that implies? There's a war going on, and people on drugs are winning it! Well what does that tell you about drugs? Some smart, creative motherfuckers on that side."

BTW Hicks died of cancer in 93' so he was talking about Bush 1.