US waves white flag in disastrous 'war on drugs'

US waves white flag in disastrous 'war on drugs'

www.independent.co.uk

After 40 years of defeat and failure, America's "war on drugs" is being buried in the same fashion as it was born – amid bloodshed, confusion, corruption and scandal. US agents are being pulled from South America; Washington is putting its narcotics policy under review, and a newly confident region is no longer prepared to swallow its fatal Prohibition error.

(visit the link for the full news article)

Interesting article, covers some ground! Have not seen this in the US main stream media, especially the parts about South American governments kicking out US drug agents. The article even touches upon the CIA rendition planes crashed in SA with drugs on board.

Find it surprising that this Nixon policy lived so long after he was knocked off his pedestal. About time that the policy of dumping billions into black holes in the name of the "war on drugs" was examined.

www.independent.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

Good news....but I'll only fully believe it when we stop guarding all the poppy fields in Afghanistan.
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From the article:

For the lives and sanity of millions, the seeing of the light is decidedly late. The conditions of the 1920s, when the US Congress outlawed alcohol and allowed Al Capone and his kin to make massive fortunes, have been re-created up and down Latin America.

I don't understand why people cannot see this. I guess this is because of the surgical-like precision of removing the logic gene from everyone via brainwashing really works. People are ok with ridiculous and unneeded prescription pills prescribed by a "doctor" who is controlled by Big Pharma yet a joint will land one in prison in most places. There's "logic" for ya.

Not only did Al and his gang make a lot of dough they created a lot of chaos and death, just like what is going on today yet this war keeps on going and going with no end in sight. I do hope this article is the truth as something needs to be done to stop this asinine war that cannot be won. I once read, and I do not know the truth of this but I did read it years ago in a book, the the Ancient Egyptians learned how to ferment alcohol before they learned to cultivate their fields. I would not be surprised at the truth of that as from my experience if someone wants to get high, they will.

Laws and jail time will not stop them from doing what they have to do to get what they are looking for. It's human nature and trying to change that isn't going to work. Just say no and all that worked out rel well, didn't it?

Can anyone say the war on drugs has done ANYTHING useful? Has it EVER curbed the flow of drugs into this country? Has it ever stopped people from doing them?

Was Ciudad Juarez the worst place to live, the most violent city on earth when this policy was put into place? No. Now it is a hell hole and that is solely the fault of the U.S. war on drugs. We are screwing up other countries with our failed policies and it will only get worse if this continues.

This is very interesting. I have been watching this happen over the last year or so. I really hope they stop wasting our money on this stupid policy. I guess only time will tell. It would be nice to be able to use the things earth has for us without fear of being arrested. Aren't laws supposed to be there to protect us?

reply to post by ChrisR


Its about time.

Seriously though, people have long suspected that these alphabet groups were part of the problem and not truly part of a solution. My opinion is the whole operation was just an excuse to put money and manpower into control. Now they have more than enough other reasons to strip us of our rights, drugs are at the bottom of the totem pole

The war on drugs to me has always been a means of funding some grand social protection agenda from those that created the war on drugs in the first place. I dont think it is going to actually stop because since its inception, the only certain fact we know is that they have funnelled huge amounts, millions, billions of dollars into a program that was never intended to stop anything except the competition hurting the governments own clandestine drug transport, drug distribution and money laundering operations.

What should stop is the use of national security to prevent disclosure of such incidents. To date I havent seen or heard of any internal CIA investigation bringing to justice the untold thousands within the ranks of the CIA that are either working collectively or independently to profit from the ability to use national security as a cover for the illegal drug operations or outright espionage for profit.

Someone, the NSA perhaps should be tasked to monitor and track each and every federal employee on a 24/7 basis. The purpose of such a new tasking would be to indentify corruption and in doing so identify who, where, when, how often and most importantly where is the hidden billions or trillions in profits that represent the sole reason for being in the drug business in the first place?

We have the means and the technology to begin curtailing corruption. We shoud do so without haste because failed programs that have been kept in place for so long are clearly only around not because of their success but because of it dual use as cover for what the government seeks to do and in doing so provide itself the monetary means to fund projects that no one has any oversight over. Stop the corruption and the war on drugs might then take on new results.

reply to post by ChrisR


I believe the War on Drugs has been more successful then any other campaign in the history of the US.

You need to ask yourself, what was the campaign?

Was it a ad campaign? Successful

Was it a campaign to throw millions in jail for no true crime? Successful

Was it a campaign to make trillions on the enforcement and the imprisonment of said non-criminals? Successful

Was it a campaign to make trillions off of the sale of drugs? Successful

Was it a campaign to get our military into other countries to help? Successful.

Was it a campaign to demonize any drug use hence helping to destroy the family, the moral fiber of our country? Successful

Maybe one should ask this question. Does the government purposefully try to make everyone a criminal for a reason? Can it be just SOP for governments to want their citizens to be criminals, because criminals can be controlled?

The only true and valid Constitutional Law is that you cannot hurt another or infringe on another's rights.

Today we can be found quilty of over 600,000 statutes.

Thanks to the American People, that are sooooo afraid of freedoms, I must go to jail for possessing a FRELLING PLANT. Oh my God would you people wake up and quit being afraid of your frelling shadow.

I would say the reason behind the War on Drug's has been HUGELY successful.

[edit on 1/18/2010 by endisnighe]

reply to post by MaxBlack


You are correct we have the means. We have had the means for a VERY long time. However the ones that need to be looked at are heading the alphabet agencies as well as the executive and legislative arms that arm giving the marching orders and funding. Can't damn-well keep other peoples hands out of the cookie jar if both of yours are jammed in it.

It's about time that we see this multi-billion dollar black hole start to collapse on itself.

1. The war on drugs NEVER was a winnable fight; and
2. If it was winnable, then these alphabet agencies would let drugs slip through, so they can have job security. (No enemy=no war=no job)

Would we not be better off just decriminalizing and taxing?

Star and Flag.

A very informative article, well worth the read.

It is high time the old institutions start going out the door. In another sense, this is very symbolic.

No more war on drugs is a healthy start towards ending the war on our minds.

Originally posted by Aggie Man
It's about time that we see this multi-billion dollar black hole start to collapse on itself.

1. The war on drugs NEVER was a winnable fight; and
2. If it was winnable, then these alphabet agencies would let drugs slip through, so they can have job security. (No enemy=no war=no job)

Would we not be better off just decriminalizing and taxing?

tax and regulate like alcohol for recreational use - which means no limit on the amount you can grow - but then you ask "if anyone and everyone grows it, where would be the market?" anyone and everyone can brew beer, but that doesn't stop people from buying it at the store.

this war has been a "phantom menace" from the get-go, there is no way to win because there is no real enemy!!!!

think about the jobs created from decriminalizing marijuana - you would be able to grow for fuel, clothing, rope, medicine, recreational etc - someone has to tend the crops right?

which would you rather be around - a loud, obnoxious, angry, violent unpredictable drunk - or a passive, nonviolent, hungry stoner with lots of ideas on how to better humanity?

reply to post by endisnighe



We have out differences of opinions; but in total agreement on this one. Well said!

Agreed with other folks. ALL drugs should be legalized, not just marijuana which is what usually comes up in legalization type threads. It's the only sane and responsible way to go about this. The war on drugs is a failure that should never have been allowed to happen in the first place.

[edit on 18-1-2010 by Solomons]

What form will the official policy take ?

The devil will be in the details , of that I am sure .

I say we use one of our rights of redress to stop this draconian form of governance.

The next time you get called to jury duty and end up on a jury for a non-violent you vote not guilty and explain in your jury voting sheet a vote of non confidence in your government.

Jury nullification is your right and duty to get these laws off the books.

I cannot wait to see the first case of health care insurance refusal and them trying to get a conviction.

I wonder if they are going to use the Federal Income tax courts for those cases. For everyone's information you do not get a jury trial for those type cases.

I wonder why that is?

End the tyranny.

So what I propose is that we replace the so-called controlled substances,which is actually outright prohibition,with actual control type thing.Without heavy handed gov't involvement,as I think they want us to fail in our quest at ...whatever ultimate goal of generating good we may obtain from these tools.

For instance,in a controlled setting a Dr.Strassman was allowed to explore connsciousness with test subjects with the strongest Hallucinogen known.Only the powers that he had to work with in a years long process insisted he do it under a landing flight path at an airbase.All the details are in his book.The sound of a landing fighter plane kinda ruins the effect of a very sound mediated effect.The shamen in Ayahuasca rituals sing a gentle tune in as quiet and serene a space as possible.In the Church which legally practices Ayahuasca ceremonies,there is alot of emphasis on sound controls in the rituals.(After all,isn't that what all out-loud prayer is,but saying the right sounds at the right times?Mantra?Religious wars based on what's god's real name?)Ayahuasca is a brew which contains Dr Strassman's active agent.All legal currently for the right people in not-the-wrong-places,as potential states rights issues arise.

Anyway,in the hands of and under the guidance of more compassionate religious type persons than the guys impeding and ultimately scuttling Dr.S.,most all of even schedule one controlled substances have a great deal of potential for good and great things.This would under my scheme reduce the problems associated with this whole mess.The facts are on our side.

The reason I think these must be actual religious folk is that we do already have some pretty strong laws protecting religious practices with controlled substances as long as no one got hurt and no diversion occurred.The RFRA is one and most importantly there are a bunch of international treaties the recent crews of Christian elected officials got through to protect and promote missionaries,so the legal protections are already in place and broadly worded at that.But it has to have the cooperation of the laws not opposition.And to get that one must win a Supreme Court Case methinks.

I think it's high time we reviewed our drug laws.

What is funny, is this could be a major export in both pot and hemp for a variety of reasons. This could alleviate any funding and job curtailment that could arise from the massive decrease in prison, law enforcement, and operations.

Considering the lion's share of the drug problem is prescription drugs, which is seen to be a health issue mostly, but most of the money goes into non-prescription offensive action, there is no doubt we need a serious and thoughtful dialog about the future of drugs in this country.

I have been against the war on drugs for over a decade now, but I still get labeled by the ridiculous social drug dogma that has come from the war on drug culture.

finally, the government needs to worry about more serious things than people getting high

And once again Canada takes two steps back on this issue as America sprints ahead. Glad to see this happening as the trends set south of the border, sooner or later affect what we do here. I hope against hope in my life time to see prohibition ended.

Personal responsibility has gone out of the window in our culture of victim hood as if we can't possibly be responsible for our own lives. We must have a mommy and daddy government to takes us by the hand and show us what is good and what is bad along with the "do as I say not as I do" motto for their own behaviour.

I'm excited to see where this goes in the end but I'm not holding my breath for a logical and common sense solution.

Cheers