Latin Americans Ditch US "War on Drugs"

[Rakhmetov]

The "war on terrorism" will be just as successful as the "war on drugs."

http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2009/08/31-8

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

I think that it is a very positive step that several Latin American countries are begining to treat minor possession charges with civil actions. Bravo.

However, it is my personal theory that the US War on Drugs was never about ending the Drug Trade, or punishing relatively small users of such products. Instead, the War on Drugs gives a reason to give hardline dictators thousands of M16s, CIA/DoD training and cooperation, and give a green light to right-wing paramilitaries. It's not as though the US is against doing business with drug dealers, but when a new regime emerges that doesn't tow DC's line, or, in the case of Panama, DC feels the need for a change, then the inevitable accusation of fueling the drug trade emerges and money and arms, or US military, will be allocated to remove said government.

[What Would Durruti Do?]

I wish the whole world was Latin America.

[Saorsa]

Good post Abelincoln. I'd mention that it was also about giving the US an excuse to intervene either directly or indirectly against revolutionary movements in the Americas, such as the People's War in Peru and the FARC in Colombia.