759 The War On Drugs
Here is a subject
matter that is dear to me: The spectacular failure of The War On Drugs. It's
been nearly half a century since US President Richard Nixon popularised the
term and just what has been achieved in that time? (Adam
Gartrell in the SMH):
"This war has filled
our prisons with people who more often than not just need help but are instead
locked up with hardened criminals. It has ruined lives, families and careers
while turning scumbag dealers into millionaires.
"It has wasted countless police
hours, time that could have been much better spent going after those
scumbags, not to mention murderers and rapists and child molesters.
"It has cost
taxpayers many billions of dollars, money that could have been better
spent on hospitals and schools."
Today in the paper Adam Gartrell reports the Greens finally have woken up:
"The Greens have made a
radical change to their drugs policy which leader Richard Di Natale hopes will
reignite the decriminalisation debate and pave the way for the legalisation of
recreational drugs like cannabis.
"The party has
officially ditched its blanket opposition to the legalisation of illicit drugs
from its policy platform after members voted to support changes driven by
Senator Di Natale at their national conference in Perth on Saturday.
"Senator Di Natale – a
former drug and alcohol doctor – says the global "war on drugs" has
failed and the time has come for a dramatically different approach. He says
he's prepared for the conservative media backlash that the new policy will inevitably
invite."
I have dealt with this issue
in an essay IRRATIONALITY
in my book with no title but instead three definitions for the term
en.light.en.ment I have blogged on The War On Drugs before ... and once again with a sample of some devastating music.
"And it has killed
people. Millions of them worldwide, victims of an unsafe, unregulated
industry run by the worst of the worst.
"Not to mention the
immeasurable misery and instability this trade has inflicted on producer
countries such as Mexico and Afghanistan.
"But it hasn't stopped
the drugs. Not even close.
"There has perhaps
never been a more obvious, more protracted and more destructive public policy
failure in the history of democracy.
"So good on Richard Di
Natale and the Greens. They've taken their sweet time getting here, bruised by
the conservative campaigns of yesteryear and cognisant there are still
political risks in taking this stand."