We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities.
John Ehrlichman-Aide to President Richard Nixon
As its golden jubilee approaches, some, if they are to think hard about it, will wonder, based on the quote above, why this farce is still being called The War on Drugs. Ehrlichman said it in so many words. It was power defending itself; reclaiming the power it thought it lost in the 1960s. This power was and is maintained by, among other things, propaganda; and propaganda, as many of us know, is built on the irrational fear of the other. But before the war on drugs was codified in official policy, there was always the vilification of minorities, and those who stepped out of the linear fossilized mode of thought that was dictated by the dominator culture. Therefore, by tying an ethnic group to the use of a drug, it could be demonized and hence that group could be bludgeoned into submission.
The word, marijuana many might not be aware, is used instead of cannabis because it was tied to Mexicans who were vilified because they were thought to be stealing jobs from white men. Opium was given a similar treatment to vilify Chinese immigrants. For blacks, it was cocaine initially. Since then the war has only intensified. It seems to be abating though since many US states are pushing to either legalize or decriminalize marijuana use. But the side-effects continue to be felt, and they will be felt for some time still.
Consequences of the Farcical War on Drugs
Over a trillion dollars spent without any tangible gains: This involves arming contras and other drug lords on several continents especially in South America.
Paying drug lords to produce and transport drugs:
a. Recently, Pablo Escobar’s son wrote a book revealing his father was on the CIA payroll. As an aside, we have hardly heard anything about that from the mainstream media.
b. Those who follow this issue closely may recall Gary Webb, who, long before Escobar’s son published his book, wrote in an investigative piece, which was to later become a book, how the CIA was bringing drugs into black neighborhoods. He was vilified by the mainstream media, until, the reports allege, he killed himself. The Washington Post gave him a posthumous apology. So, while Nancy Reagan was saying, Just Say No, the CIA was making sure she had a campaign worth waging.
c. There are also the fumigation practices instituted by Washington, where the Amazon was sprayed with herbicides to eradicate coca—the plant that is used to make cocaine. The long-term effects of this have not been studied, but aerial spraying was suspended because there were fears of a rise in the incidents of cancer and other diseases in those areas. Whether or not the spraying of herbicides gave rise to diseases is still not resolved. Though a complex interplay of other variables must be considered, one cannot discount the fact that this is something in need of further investigation. The question, however, is, who is going to believe a group of peasants in the jungle over people in Washington?
Thousands dying
The opioid epidemic that is now afflicting the United States provides a wonderful case study regarding this war. The abuse of prescription opioids is touted as the biggest drug problem in the United States, and probably in the world. With close to one hundred (100) Americans dying each day from prescription overdoses (higher than illegal drugs), why have we not seen anyone from big pharma prosecuted? As far as I know, no one has ever died from smoking marijuana, which I think should be called a medicine and not a drug, but this is for another article.
Purdue Pharma, the makers of opioids, has raked in billions. Her competitors have also made their fortune. There have been multiple lawsuits against Purdue and her competitors by families whose loved ones have died or have become addicted using their products. The result is that they have had to contend with paying out millions. Paltry sums in comparison to what they have earned.
Opioid Abuse down in States where Marijuana has been Decriminalized
Colorado, California, Oregon are among the states that have reported a 25% decrease in the level of opioid abuse. Therefore, if the aim is to stop people from abusing and dying from drugs, wouldn’t it make more sense to reclassify marijuana as a medicine that could be used to treat pain, and push for its use? One would acknowledge that more studies need to be done. To say, however, that we have nothing working with is rather ludicrous. The fact that no one has ever died from using marijuana should be a starting point where the statistics, garnered from the aforementioned states, irrespective of how crude, could be used as a starting point.
Conclusion
If indeed there was a war on drugs, the CIA would have been investigated. The owner of Purdue Pharmacy and the developers of drugs like Percocet, Oxycontin and other opioid and non-opioid drugs would have been convicted. By the way, does it strike anyone as odd that since the invasion of Afghanistan, poppy production has gone up? Also, that it should coincide with the present opioid crisis should give one pause to consider. After all, Fox News above every other news station has shown US soldiers protecting poppy fields. Don’t believe, watch the video below:
Also, if marijuana, a non-lethal plant, has proven itself to be a potential anti-dote in this so-call opioid epidemic, shouldn’t the top scientists in that area be called in to conduct studies?
Shouldn’t the moratorium on studies into substances like marijuana instituted by the Nixon administration be lifted?
If there really was a war on drugs, this piece would be completely unnecessary. It is a war on people. It is a war on one’s right to not only heal oneself, but also to decide what goes into one’s body. As my friend Nadine Muschette wrote:
"Your rights and freedoms end where mine begin. That meeting place, that line that separates the two even as it brings us together, is called respect."
Please, leave me while I light my spliff.
Have you heard about how Portugal completely U-turned their stance on the drugs and how that has made a huge positive impact?
I heard. I have not delved much into it, but it is something I will look more into.
i heard too, but do you know any details?
I had not heard of it yet, but I'll look into it. I'm wondering how were they able to make it work? Doesn't seem like it would be that difficult, once the bureaucrats are out the way. Hmmm, I wonder!
The war on drugs is a Joke. it's just a way for the government to lock up people who don't go along with their plans. There's a huge drug war going on here in the philippines right now. The only difference is that the government isn't locking people up they are shooting them dead in their homes and claiming there was a shootout. The president has even called for the public to go out and kill people they suspect of drug dealing. Its getting pretty crazy over here. Spending Billions of dollars borrowed from china to pay for a war that can never be won. Humans have always been drawn to mind altering substances and there has never been a time where any government has completely got rid of them all. Sorry for the long rant this issue just bugs the shit out of me.
Rant all you want. It is just as frustrating for me too. I heard about the situation in the Philippines. But some Filipinos with whom I have spoken says that since Dueterte came to power and started his war on drugs the country has become safer. Is this true?
That's what I heard too from a friends who is going to marry a Filipino girl 20 years younger than him that that he never met in person... He sure seems to deliver concrete results. Maybe something our politician could learn from him :P .
Portugal provides an alternative story. One that is said to be working better than that in the Philipines.
In the words of Corporate avenger in this song (And possibly other peoples words)
"The war on drugs is a war on people"
Waaaaay cool...fbi got a file on me! Wow, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't have one on everybody! That's their M.O.
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thanks for all the cool vids and all the aweness. keep it up bro
Voted & resteemed to my audience as I really appreciate your message. Follow the money.
It seems quite obvious to me that there's never been a war on drugs, but an all out war against the people. It behooves me that a substance that was once the leading cash crop in the world (for thousands of years) can become criminalized, and ostracized. What gets me is, if this was the #1 crop, who was making all the money prior to the illegalization of this herb.
Apparently, they were looking to disrupt the market, at the time, and someone's (country perhaps) economic status; so that less than 100 years later they can overtake the industry, after so many lives have been ruined.
It seems quite malicious to me; why would one go through such great lengths to pull off such a scheme?
Awesome article! I enjoyed the fact that you included such detailed information I have never seen before.
Down in Central America, where I live there are still traces of the CIA's work. Now it is mostly political cartels that use the military in Central and South American countries to smuggle the products up. The US is the no. 1 importer of drugs world-wide.
Good article. You may wanna check out a podcast I was on recently. We have to start setting precedents in court and I have a way to do it.
https://dsound.audio/#/@movement19/jp-steinberg-vs-john-vibes-282018
Just listened man. Great stuff, especially about heroin and that the number of people who get hooked on drugs is so minute. Thanks for that revelation. BTW. I guess you are new here. It is best to reply to a post within 6 days. That said I am gonna follow your stuff.
Yeah I'm aware of the expiration dates. But I'm also perusing and reading posts for the firs time. Even if it's old it's relevant. And I think our comments can generate income as well.