Excellent War on Drugs Interview

[Immortal Juicer]

For those interested, this article is great. Check it out.



http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m1568/8_33/81147915/p1/article.jhtml?term=drug+warriors

 

[Frackal]

Bump for a very fascinating, eye opening and depressing article...

 

[FarBeyondDriven]

a little drawn out.

 

[Immortal Juicer]

Bump for a very fascinating, eye opening and depressing article...

yeah I thought I had a pretty solid opinion toward drug control policy but that opened my eyes to a whole different aspect.

 

[junglist]

I have to question the validity of this article:

Being an advocate for drug law reform, I question how in 1957 this "officer" was making numerous heroin arrests when heroin didnt erupt into epidemic propertions until after the Vietnam War, when returnin soldiers who picked up the habit overseas ($6 a day) came back to a $200/day habit.

Also, there wasnt a formal policy labeled "The Drug War" until the Reagan Administration. Sure, the US government has been feeding us bullshit like "reefer madness" and the push for criminalization for over 30 years, but I think some of this artice just doesnt add up...

either way, more talk on this bullshit US policy is always good...
junglist

 

[Lao Tzu]

i love this part

Levine: Before you become an agent, you're bombarded with stories of drug war victories. It's painted as heroic--guys in guerrilla outfits and jungle gear fighting the drugs everywhere. You want to do something for your country. Then when you get in, the first thing you discover is that you can't touch some of the biggest drug dealers in the world because they're protected by the CIA or they're protected by the State Department. Everyone from Carlos Salinas de Gortari of Mexico to Manuel Noriega to the contras in Nicaragua to the Mujahedin in Afghanistan. Those of us who work overseas realize that this whole thing is a three-card monte game, that it's a lie.

 

[aurelius]

Being an advocate for drug law reform, I question how in 1957 this "officer" was making numerous heroin arrests when heroin didnt erupt into epidemic propertions until after the Vietnam War, when returnin soldiers who picked up the habit overseas ($6 a day) came back to a $200/day habit.

This heroin epidemic, according to my research, hit black communities in the inner city, especially New York, very hard during the 1950´s.

Also, the stuff about waves of soldiers coming back hooked on smack is way overblown. The book is call Smoke and Mirrors, if you are interested.

 

[Taps]

GREAT article.

I hope things change one day....