The War on Drugs

[AK]

I.e., states introducing anti-drug laws (when drug use is essentially a victimless crime) and the Mexican drug war, etc.

What's in it for the ruling class? Why is this war being waged?

[JazzRemington]

Off hand, the war on drugs (either in an official capacity or just cracking down on drugs in general) is used to justify oppressive measures taken against poor/working class people. If I recall correctly, in Amsterdam the authorities began cracking down on freelance marijuana growers by focusing on working class neighborhoods because they grew marijuana to sell to coffee shops to make a little extra money.

[ContrarianLemming]

The war on poor.

the CIA introduced crack into the ghettos

[incogweedo]

The war on poor.

the CIA introduced crack into the ghettos


well... i agree with the war on poor,

but you think the CIA put crack in the ghettos? Just wondering, but any evidence of this?

[AK]

Define "war on poor". As far as I can tell, there is no benefit to the ruling class if they simply "wage war" on the poor.

[Chambered Word]

The war on poor.

the CIA introduced crack into the ghettos

Interestingly I remember a comrade of mine telling me that there are much harsher laws regarding possession of crack cocaine than conventional cocaine, does anyone have any more information on this?

[JazzRemington]

Define "war on poor". As far as I can tell, there is no benefit to the ruling class if they simply "wage war" on the poor.

It's more of a kind of population control, then an actual war. This isn't anyhting I've studied extensively, but my impression is that it's a way of controlling an unruly working class population that rejects bourgeois morality.

[ContrarianLemming]

I know that the CIA were most definitly trafficing in cocaine, a downed CIA plane heading for the US was once found packed with the stuff.


I remember a comrade of mine telling me that there are much harsher laws regarding possession of crack cocaine than conventional cocaine

correct, poor people use crack cocaine, rish people use the conventional kind.
they are both equally harmful, but the one the poor use gives far harsher sentences.


but you think the CIA put crack in the ghettos? Just wondering, but any evidence of this?

If I remember correctly, I read about the CIA's drug trafficing into the US in a Noam Chomsky book, in which case I can't reference it, so don't dare bring this up as a debate point or you'll get slamed :p

I don't like sounding like a conspiracy theorist, but it isn't unlikely, the day I read about "operation mongoose" was the day I knew the CIA was capable of anything.


Define "war on poor". As far as I can tell, there is no benefit to the ruling class if they simply "wage war" on the poor.

Actually it's more accurate to describe it as the rich getting off easy for comparable crimes. Prisons are stacked with blacks, but whites commit more crime, blacks get harsher sentences, poor people get harsher sentences.
I doubt it's actually a directed assualt on poor people as we see class war, it's just a side effect of capitalism - they margnalize the poor, the people, because democracy, even in it's current form - is reprehensible to the ruling class, what's there solution? Put the poor in prison (or a "ghetto")

I don't claim to be ommnipotent of the ruling class, a very diverse group, I just know whats happening: the poor are explicitly discriminated against, the war on drugs has basically been a war on poor people.

[incogweedo]

all of this is implying that you live in the USA, or similar countries with negative views on drugs.

well the "War on Drugs" (made by President Reagan in his time in office during the 80's) was made because there is money and investment in it. Now, I believe that a human should have the right to put whatever they want into their bodies, good or bad.
but I'm gonna focus on marijuana right now, just to give you a feel on why big corporations thrive off of marijuana (or any drug) prohibition.

first off, the Alcohol industry would take a loss, because weed is much healthier, has no hangover, no ODing, and no physical addiction. This means people would find smoking pot more logical (and more fun imo) to do than drinking alcohol.

secondly, Law enforcement will fall. There are people who make a living off of the war on drugs. Say if marijuana (or all drugs) were suddenly legalized, these people would be forced to go out and find a real job in law enforcement. They could actually spend their time looking for violent law breakers (murderers, rapists, etc.), instead of being paid outrageously high wages (that we pay for in taxes) for finding a 5 or 6 plant garden in the woods.

next to fall would be your local prisons/jails. in 1992 about 340,000 citizens were jailed because of marijuana, and has increased steadily to aprox. 723,000 by 2001. If marijuana were legal, these millions of people jailed by now would be released. Less inmates = less people to watch. Less people to watch = less guards need. then that leads to major layoffs, less funds from the government to the local jail, so less pay to the wardens.

the paper industry; hemp paper is much better than wood paper. thus, it would kill the wood paper industry, so there would be major layoffs of loggers, paper factory workers, etc.. Im sure the paper corporation CEO's would be pleased to hear that.

that was only to name a few, there are sooo many more reasons why it's illegal for the money. And just think once, that was only one drug! if just legalizing marijuana could do all this, imagine legalizing all drugs.

and you might be thinking that this all seems bad for the working class, but it's really not. Sure, there will be job loss in things like logging, paper factories, prison guards, etc., but there will be tons of jobs created in the hemp industry, so no worries.

great sites to check out:
perkel (dot) com/politics/issues/pot.htm
joint-rolling-guide (dot) com/marijuana-myths-and-facts.html

[AK]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CIA_and_Contras_cocaine_trafficking_in_the_US