The War on Burglary has failed even worse in the UK. They might as well take that off the books too while they’re at it.
Give up the most valuable authoritarian tool of all when we are finally on the verge of implementing the totalitarian Utopia we have striven for for so long?
There was never a war on drugs. It’s ‘fought’ like the war on terror and war on poverty - spend lots of blood and treasure while not really trying to win.
Methinks those who advocate legalization should find another excuse to do it, like inceasing tax revenue, get corruption out of gov’t, or something.
The war on murder and rape are so old and useless
|
|
Amsterdam generally had a handle on local drug use. Their problem was “drug tourists” who would go there to party and be obnoxious. But the drug use of local residents was quite tame, especially with the “soft” drug, marijuana and hashish. Those that used it only used small amounts.
Importantly, their overriding attitude was one of “public safety”, which set their priorities. Though “hard” drugs were illegal, the government had set up testing centers, so if someone purchased, say, heroin, they could provide a small amount to be tested to determine purity and concentration of the drug, without being hassled about it.
BUT, if the sample provided was cut with something harmful, they would demand to know who provided it, so they could prevent them from harming others. And they were very serious about that.
Importantly, were the government of the UK to try a similar approach, it would need some modification. Mostly against the British government’s obsession with surveillance and compiling dossiers on everyone. If they tried stunts like that, the public would continue to deal in black market drugs and shun legalized sales. And they cannot be blamed for that.
That is, government intrusion is even more harmful than drugs. Which of course brings up the government of the US.
Since alcohol prohibition, these prohibitions have resulted in the loss of many civil rights—directly because of government control of these substances. If they are ever to be legalized or decriminalized, there must be a detailed analysis and effort to reverse these resultant civil rights intrusions.
Narcotics consumption is, as it’s always been, a supply and demand issue.
Thus far, we’ve focused on eliminating the supply, or rather, attempting to. I really don’t see a lot of success in that endeavor.
So we must then address demand, and what we must ask ourselves is the simplest of all questions; “Why do people want to get high?”
Is it because they feel their life is intolerable, or depressing, or whatever, and they utilize narcotics as a means of escape from the drudgery of their daily grind?
Or is it, as I believe personally, that altering one’s state of consciousness and perception is intrinsic to human nature? Arguably, people choose to alter their perceptions of the day-to-day realities of life through methods such as contemplation of philosophical abstractions, religious rites, meditation, the list goes on and on. Some alter their perception of reality on a smaller scale, through a beer after work to relieve the stresses of the day, or as I do, by smoking a Marlboro when I get stressed out.
If, as I believe, the desire to alter our perceptions of reality are fundamentally basic to our being human, then the logical answer is to legalize narcotics. Personally, I’d rather see possession and consumption decriminalized at the Federal level, and let the states do as they please. When all is said and done, I do not believe that any government, any man has the right in any way whatsoever to tell me what I can and cannot put in my body; the job of government is not to save people from themselves.
I am well aware of the arguments against it; what if some hophead kills someone while they’re high? You put them in jail, same as you would with anyone else. For me, intoxication is no excuse to commit crimes. I’ve been drunk, and yes, I’ll admit, high, and never once on those rare occasions have I felt the irresistible urge to out and rob a 7-11 at gunpoint.
The “War on Drugs” has become little more than a catch-all excuse for various forms of petty tyranny. Put an end to it, and reclaim some measure of freedom.
I agree. The US has 750 per 100,000 in prisons, half of those due to drug crimes. The US has become a police state.