The War on the War on Drugs

I will start this post by stating my opinion outright: The War on Drugs is the most ineffective, corrupt, exploitive and expensive thing the American government has ever attempted, and it is failing completely. An examination of the history of drug prohibition in the US shows that it has always been an attempt to keep "good" (AKA white) kids from falling under the influence of "bad" (AKA coloured) people. Opium, the first drug to be banned, was prohibited because women from "respectable" families were at risk of becoming morally corrupted by the Chinese men running the opium dens. When cocaine was banned, newspapers spoke of "Cokanized Niggers" who were roaming the streets looking to rape white women. With the passing of the Marijuana Tax Act, in 1937, the commissioner of the Bureau of Narcotics stated that the weed had to be banned because of its violent effect of the "degenerate races" (AKA Mexicans) (Wikipedia). Wow, to think that billions of dollars are spent enforcing laws built on blatant racism just boggles the mind.

How much exactly is being spent? We all know its a lot, but what number are we looking at. Thanks to The War on Drugs Clock, we can all know what the US government has spent this year. As I type this, the total is $24,952,248,726 spent, 777,397 people have been arrested for drug offences. Most drug offences are non-violent and committed by people who are addicted. Can you imagine how many treatment programs could be created with $24 billion! And the year is only half way through.

Canada, unfortunately, is forced to mirror American policy when it comes to drugs. When the Liberal government was considering the decriminalization of marijuana, the American government threatened a backlash. The Conservatives do not have the balls to stand up to the Americans on this issue. As though Canadian policy would have any affect on the number of marijuana users in the US, which is higher than ever before.

Here's a little secret about me. I do not drink to excess - no more than one or two for me, thanks. I do not eat deep fried food, I exercise regularly. I am a full time student, and I have two part-time jobs. I will soon have my Masters in my field. I have been driving for 10 years, and have never had an accident that was my fault. I also smoke pot regularly. To the American and Conservative government, I am a criminal. So are most of the people I know. Scary.

BTW, since I started this post $4,614,060 more has been spent on the War, and 141 more people have been arrested.

War, What is it Good For? Peace.

62 years ago, Allied soldiers were regrouping after successfully taking the coast of Normandy. This was the first big step which eventually lead to the downfall of Nazi Germany and the end of the war in Europe. When looking at the big picture, WWII in Europe was the ideal war. There were two strongly defined sides. The Nazis committed heinous war crimes that can be described as evil without hyperbole, while the Allies were working together to free occupied countries that could not defend themselves. On VE Day, the sentiment was that good had triumphed over evil and that this war had been for the good of humankind.

Unfortunately, the ideal war has ruined our perception of what war truly is. There is no black and white in war, only shades of grey. We cannot hope that our side will be all right while the other side is all wrong. The world does not work that way. However, that does not mean that war should not be undertaken. Diplomacy can only go so far, and there are those out there who only understand force. War is an inevitability, unless we want to bury our heads in the sand and pretend that three quarters of the world does not exist.

Everyday, I hear Canadians condemning the war in Afghanistan. However, few people against the war seem to consider the afghans at all; there is greater concern that we are becoming an American patsy than for the lives of people in Afghanistan. I think they are being selfish. It is selfish to live in our peaceful and bountiful country and being unwilling to help innocents elsewhere who are dying. I commend the bravery of Canadian soldiers who are willing to risk their lives in order resolve the conflict. This is not a problem that will go away by itself should we remove our troops. This is an issue that will take years of hard work to resolve. But it will only be resolved if countries like Canada are willing to help.