phooph
01-13-2009, 11:01 AM
Five Essential Things We Must Do to Stop America's Idiotic War on Drugs | DrugReporter | AlterNet (https://www.alternet.org/drugreporter/119061/)
View Full Version : Five Essential Things We Must Do to Stop America's Idiotic War on Drugs
Tars
01-15-2009, 09:47 AM
From the article:
The world is in an intense time right now! We have wars raging in Iraq and Afghanistan; millions of people are out of work; and a growing economic crisis is on everyone's minds.Thanks Phooph, for the reminder that our world society has this problem, the huge majority of which is caused by the mis-guided drugs prohibition in first-world countries.
There are so many serious problems, which are overdue to be addressed by the Obama administration. Though many of us would like to see the drug prohibition problem go away immediately, the administration might have to put off directly addressing this one until a second 4 years. As big as this problem is, jump-starting the world economy is profoundly more important, as is a new U.S. health system paradigm.
For the near future, I'm thinking that the Obama administration might best serve the solution to the "Drug War", by handing the solution of it off to the individual states. Most of the states seem to be following the national trend of putting more centrist and liberal politicians in the state governments. They will be much more critical of any good money thrown after bad, in imprisoning addicts. We'll probably see more resolution to the "Drug War" during the next four years, than we've seen in the last 4-5 decades. Hopefully this process will build up enough momentum nationwide to give U.S. congresspeople the political cover to address it on a larger scale.
To see what the Obama administration can realistically do, it might be useful to compare it to the Clinton first four years, in respect to legislative agenda. Remember that Clinton had grand aspirations to change the world, but instead, ended up scaring lots of folks, and losing a majority: having to squander years on irrelevant faux "issues", like Whitewater, Rose Law firm, Hillary-hating, etc. Change, voted for by the peoples' representatives, usually happens at a frustratingly slow pace. I'd hope the Obama administration spends its current goodwill "mandate" to address the larger problems I mentioned above. If successful at those, Obama will have the campaign for re-election, and the second four years to address the myriad of other serious problems facing us.
The world is in an intense time right now! We have wars raging in Iraq and Afghanistan; millions of people are out of work; and a growing economic crisis is on everyone's minds.Thanks Phooph, for the reminder that our world society has this problem, the huge majority of which is caused by the mis-guided drugs prohibition in first-world countries.
There are so many serious problems, which are overdue to be addressed by the Obama administration. Though many of us would like to see the drug prohibition problem go away immediately, the administration might have to put off directly addressing this one until a second 4 years. As big as this problem is, jump-starting the world economy is profoundly more important, as is a new U.S. health system paradigm.
For the near future, I'm thinking that the Obama administration might best serve the solution to the "Drug War", by handing the solution of it off to the individual states. Most of the states seem to be following the national trend of putting more centrist and liberal politicians in the state governments. They will be much more critical of any good money thrown after bad, in imprisoning addicts. We'll probably see more resolution to the "Drug War" during the next four years, than we've seen in the last 4-5 decades. Hopefully this process will build up enough momentum nationwide to give U.S. congresspeople the political cover to address it on a larger scale.
To see what the Obama administration can realistically do, it might be useful to compare it to the Clinton first four years, in respect to legislative agenda. Remember that Clinton had grand aspirations to change the world, but instead, ended up scaring lots of folks, and losing a majority: having to squander years on irrelevant faux "issues", like Whitewater, Rose Law firm, Hillary-hating, etc. Change, voted for by the peoples' representatives, usually happens at a frustratingly slow pace. I'd hope the Obama administration spends its current goodwill "mandate" to address the larger problems I mentioned above. If successful at those, Obama will have the campaign for re-election, and the second four years to address the myriad of other serious problems facing us.
d-cat
01-15-2009, 12:50 PM
anyone who seriously wanted drugs decriminalized and the war on drugs to end should have voted for this man
Rep. Ron Paul meets a medical marijuana patient--Nov. 9 2007
YouTube - Rep. Ron Paul meets a medical marijuana patient--Nov. 9 2007 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHS_y94H1Dk)
Ron Paul on marijuana, prohibition, and personal freedom
YouTube - Ron Paul on marijuana, prohibition, and personal freedom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0GZznxMC14)
Ron Paul -- Marijuana Decriminalization -- 7/31/08
YouTube - Ron Paul -- Marijuana Decriminalization -- 7/31/08 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQuYSylqpk0)
Ron Paul interviewed on NORML
YouTube - Ron Paul interviewed on NORML (part 1 of 2) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8t7jqis2Mc)
YouTube - Ron Paul interviewed on NORML (part 2 of 2) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZJSHYPkWbo)
VS.
Barack Obama on Marijuana Decriminalization (2004)
YouTube - Barack Obama on Marijuana Decriminalization (2004) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQr9ezr8UeA)
Barack Obama and Medical Marijuana (interview Q&A)
YouTube - Barack Obama and Medical Marijuana (interview Q&A) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvUziSfMwAw)
Obama Marijuana Policy (MPP-TV)
YouTube - Obama Marijuana Policy (MPP-TV) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9flhDmz7Kwo)
I seriously doubt B.O. will decriminalize drugs. He serves the people who bring it in - the elite using the CIA.
Michael Ruppert confronts CIA director about Drug Laundering
YouTube - Michael Ruppert confronts CIA director about Drug Laundering (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t3pl5Wxgyg)
google: Clinton Mena Arkansas drugs
Rep. Ron Paul meets a medical marijuana patient--Nov. 9 2007
YouTube - Rep. Ron Paul meets a medical marijuana patient--Nov. 9 2007 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHS_y94H1Dk)
Ron Paul on marijuana, prohibition, and personal freedom
YouTube - Ron Paul on marijuana, prohibition, and personal freedom (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0GZznxMC14)
Ron Paul -- Marijuana Decriminalization -- 7/31/08
YouTube - Ron Paul -- Marijuana Decriminalization -- 7/31/08 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQuYSylqpk0)
Ron Paul interviewed on NORML
YouTube - Ron Paul interviewed on NORML (part 1 of 2) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8t7jqis2Mc)
YouTube - Ron Paul interviewed on NORML (part 2 of 2) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZJSHYPkWbo)
VS.
Barack Obama on Marijuana Decriminalization (2004)
YouTube - Barack Obama on Marijuana Decriminalization (2004) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQr9ezr8UeA)
Barack Obama and Medical Marijuana (interview Q&A)
YouTube - Barack Obama and Medical Marijuana (interview Q&A) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvUziSfMwAw)
Obama Marijuana Policy (MPP-TV)
YouTube - Obama Marijuana Policy (MPP-TV) (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9flhDmz7Kwo)
I seriously doubt B.O. will decriminalize drugs. He serves the people who bring it in - the elite using the CIA.
Michael Ruppert confronts CIA director about Drug Laundering
YouTube - Michael Ruppert confronts CIA director about Drug Laundering (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4t3pl5Wxgyg)
google: Clinton Mena Arkansas drugs
Tars
01-19-2009, 08:29 AM
Few in this particular forum need any convincing that the "War On Drugs" needs to go the way of alcohol prohibition. But still, this blog article had some poignant moments which strengthen the point. Hopefully, California state representatives will feel the same way, and start closing down prisons.
I particularly was affected by this statement from an LAPD narcotics officer:
One of the first things that struck me as a narcotics officer was the tremendous amount of damage we were doing to the social structure homes, families, children, parents, says Doddridge. I look back and still see the faces of the people I arrested and threw in jail.
Complete article:
"War On Drugs: The Price Tag" by Anita Bartholomew (https://www.culture11.com/article/36438?from=feature)
I particularly was affected by this statement from an LAPD narcotics officer:
One of the first things that struck me as a narcotics officer was the tremendous amount of damage we were doing to the social structure homes, families, children, parents, says Doddridge. I look back and still see the faces of the people I arrested and threw in jail.
Complete article:
"War On Drugs: The Price Tag" by Anita Bartholomew (https://www.culture11.com/article/36438?from=feature)
Braggi
01-19-2009, 11:58 AM
... Though many of us would like to see the drug prohibition problem go away immediately, the administration might have to put off directly addressing this one until a second 4 years. As big as this problem is, jump-starting the world economy is profoundly more important, as is a new U.S. health system paradigm. ...
The best way to jump start the economy is to move war related expenses to programs that pay for themselves such as publicly owned power systems.
Obama could set the example for the states and save billions of dollars by announcing on the first day in office that all Federal law enforcement agencies will make drug law enforcement the lowest priority.
No laws need be changed.
-Jeff
The best way to jump start the economy is to move war related expenses to programs that pay for themselves such as publicly owned power systems.
Obama could set the example for the states and save billions of dollars by announcing on the first day in office that all Federal law enforcement agencies will make drug law enforcement the lowest priority.
No laws need be changed.
-Jeff