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Articles : War on DrugsWar on Drugs Roundup
Congress votes down Medicinal Marijuana
In a 163/259 vote, the U.S. House of Representatives voted down the Hinchey-Rohrabacher amendment, which would have prohibited the Department of Justice from using appropriated funds to interfere with medicinal cannabis laws. The Drug Policy Alliance notes that, although the legislation was defeated, support is slowly growing for such legislation, and a bipartisan coalition sponsored the bill. To see how a specific Congressman voted on the legislation, click here.
Congressman David Obey (D-WI) had this to say in support of the amendment:
If I am terminally ill, it is not anybody’s business on this floor how I handle the pain or the illness or the sickness associated with that illness. With all due respect to all of you, butt out. I did not enter this world with the permission of the Justice Department, and I am certainly not going to depart it by seeking their permission or that of any other authority. The Congress has no business telling people that they cannot manage their illness or their pain any way they need to. I would trust any doctor in the country before I trust some of the daffy ducks in this institution to decide what I am supposed to do if I am terminally ill… When is this Congress going to recognize that individuals in their private lives have a right to manage their problems as they see fit without the permission of the big guy in the White House or the big guy in the Justice Department or any of the Lilliputians on this Congressional floor? Wake up!
U.N. Drug Czar attacks Britain’s Cannabis Policy
The 2004 decision to change marijuana’s legal status to a less serious level was criticized by Antonio Maria Costa, the executive director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, who warned that such a move would lead to increased drug use. Costa used the annual UN Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking to say that Cannabis’s effects are “no longer that different” than those of cocaine or heroin. The British government stated that their marijuana policy “is supported by the police and by most drug and mental health charities.”
The European Commission has admitted that current drug use levels in Europe are unprecedented and every month at least 1.5 million Europeans use cocaine, and 12 million use marijuana.
The UN’s 2006 World Drug Report can be found here.
Scotland’s Drug Czar says the War is lost
Tom Wood, Director of Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action Teams, Scotland’s equivalent of a Drug Czar, sparked enormous controversy in Scotland and England when he admitted that the War on Drugs is “long lost.”
“We can never as a nation be drug-free. No nation can, so we must accept that. So the message has to be more sophisticated than ‘just say no’ because that simple message doesn’t work,” he explained. Conservative justice spokeswoman Margaret Mitchell responded that “things are dire, but we should never throw up the white flag.” Wood’s statement comes as Scotland is receiving criticism from the UN for it’s failure to deal with some of the highest drug use rates in Europe. Half a million Scots are believed to have used marijuana and 200,000 are believed to have used cocaine in their lifetimes, and drug rates have continued to increase this year.
Proposition 36 supporters fight legislation
California’s Proposition 36, which was passed with a 61% majority and gives drug offenders a treatment instead of incarceration option, is facing attacks in California’s legislature. Wording was placed into a budget bill that would allow judges to incarcerate offenders for several days if they relapse in treatment. Critics also say that the new legislation could change the law so that offenders who commit violence and theft would be allowed to stay in treatment, which is currently not the case under Proposition 36. The legislation is inserted into a spending bill, which would not require a public hearing.
Iran threatens to enact new policy to deal with heroin
Iran’s new chief drug policy official has demanded that the UN Drugs and Crime office give Iran $500 million to combat heroin trafficking from Pakistan and Afghanistan, or he would “reconsider” allowing drug transit. The drug trade is a lucrative option for many poor and unemployed men, who can earn $15-30 per day in Iran.
Over the past two decades, thousands of smugglers and law enforcement officials have been killed in skirmishes on the Iranian border, with Iranian law enforcement being killed at a rate of 3 per day, by some estimates. 42,000 Iranian troops and policemen patrol the border, which has more than 200 observation posts and hundreds of kilometres of barbed wire. An estimated two million Iranians are drug users, and HIV infections from contaminated needles is spreading rapidly.
Some public health personel, such as these two doctors, have been attempting to deal with the crisis, which is considered taboo by most Iranians. Iran still has the highest rate of hard drug use in the world.
An in-depth look at Iran’s treatment programs can be found here.
China’s War on Drugs cuts heroin supplies from the Golden Triangle
China has radically stepped up it’s war on heroin, and officials say that heroin’s price has now risen by at least a third. Since declaring a “People’s War on Drugs” in April 2005, law enforcement officials have received thousands of tips from citizens and have arrested nearly 50,000 drug suspects.
The high price of heroin is also likely tied to the decrease in poppy production, which has been reduced to roughly 13,000 hetacres in the Golden Triangle, according to law enforcement officials. Afghanistan, however, is on target for a record poppy crop.
China celebrated International Anti-Drug Day by executing four drug traffickers and holding education sessions for students with the theme that “drugs are not child’s play.”
Colombia says soldiers killed antidrug police
On 22 May, 10 members of a U.S.-trained counter narcotics team were killed by Colombian soldiers. The event was initially reported as friendly fire, but Colombian officials have now admitted that the team was assassinated by the soldiers, who were working for a drug lord.
This event has damaged the Colombian military’s already poor reputation, as dozens of soldiers go on trial for attempting to pocket $16 million in drug money that they “found” while searching for FARC rebels.
Posted by senssensibilityr
Student of German and Russian culture, history and language, emphasis on post-Dark Age European History.
German and Russian 20th century literature.
Studying Arabic.
Cannot wait to go to Freiburg to study @ Goethe Institut im Februar.
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Teh drugs won.
Man its never been about the drugs, its been about power.
Anylaw that is not enforced equally is mearly a batton used to beat down civil rights of the people.
Prohibition cannot be enforced for the simple reason that the majority of American people do not want it enforced and are resisting its enforcement. That being so, the orderly thing to do under our form of government is to abolish a law which cannot be enforced ... – New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, 1944
Doesn’t surprise me, when he said that, the U.S. government was letting gangsters import huge amounts of heroin through the New York port and were getting away with it b/c they were also protecting from Nazis.
I could be crazy, but I belive that a deciding factor in invading that afghan land was because the taliban was not allowing enough Opium across the border. Since the Taliban lost power, Afghan opium is like 80% (or more) of the world supply/market in less than a year. Coincidence I think not.
sens is a pussy, “ idont like driving and smoking, its unsafe, my 3rd grade teacher told me so.” lol pussy cumhead
yeah, cannon, but opium creation, as the article pointed out, is decreasing in the “golden triangle,” and opium production in Afghanistan has varied widely over the past few years.
eradicating the current opium market wouldn’t be that difficult if the US used effective policies.
Like that’ll ever happen.
OOOOOh nooooooooooooooo.
They made another law against Ganga.
I was only smoking, eating and drinking pot for the past 16 years because the laws which made it illegal were not scarey enough.
Now i will stop.
heh.
Never dun smack thou, did coke once and thought it was shit.
Ganga? Is that like Icy Hot Stuntaz?
Good looking Senss!
thax, pork.
I can’t believe that no one in the administration, for the past what, 20 years, understands that drug control comes from fighting demand, not supply.
The billions spent in Colombia haven’t done ANYTHING to curb the supply.
That money would have been better spent treating those with drug problems, but I suppose that means drug use could no longer be viewed as a crime, but as a social issue…something American governments have not wanted to accept.
Heroin users will use heroin if it’s illegal or not. Pot users will smoke pot if it’s illegal or not. If you give them treatment their desire to use the drugs in the first place may dwindle and the this “War on Drugs” will start being successful.
Best way to stabilize Afghanistan: Pull the soldiers out and have GlaxonKlineSmith and Pfizer buy the poppy fields. Why not let the pharmaceutical companies get a slice of the pie while bringing economic stability to the nation?
that’s a brilliant idea.
and they can make alliances with teh warlords and then have their own private armies.
What medical corporation hasn’t wanted to be able to say, STFU natives in Africa about our AIDS drug prices, we can kick your ass with our private drug-funded army!
Bitches.
I think most of you are totally missing the point of “War on Drugs”, its not about curbing the use of illegal drugs, especially as large amounts of them are delivered to your door by the very agencies that are charged with eradicating them.
If the “War on Drugs” has miserably failed to stem the flow and use of illegal drugs but is continued to be pushed by the ruling class with no consideration of the expense it incurs then you should be focusing on just what it has archived with absolute stunning success.
The militarisation and expansion of police forces and powers.
Of course the next question should be “Why do they want a militarisation and expansion of police forces and powers”. If its not about controlling illegal drugs the what is it about controlling.
In fact the “War on Terror” is simply an extension and upgrading of the “War on Drugs” with the same end result.
especially as large amounts of them are delivered to your door by the very agencies that are charged with eradicating them
got any proof of that beyond teh Iran Contra, and the previous government history of foreign drug lord support?
(The big coke bust of the private jet in Mexico a little while back’s details are still be smoothed out, so beyond that one)
Why dont you check out the CIA support for the nationalist Chinese forces that fled into Thailand and Burma, which became the Golden Triangle, before after and during the Vietnam war. The CIA support for the Afghan drug lords. Or just get a hold of Gary Webbs “Dark Alliance”. Or if all else fails just pull your head out of your arse.
Ummm… are you asking for proof, besides the proof that has already been proven?
Or are you shooting for irony? You do irony, so i’ve gotta discount that first before we can move on…
Why dont you check out the CIA support for the nationalist Chinese forces that fled into Thailand and Burma, which became the Golden Triangle, before after and during the Vietnam war. The CIA support for the Afghan drug lords. Or just get a hold of Gary Webbs “Dark Alliance”. Or if all else fails just pull your head out of your arse.
previous government history of foreign drug lord support
Apparently you don’t know that that is previous policy.dumbshit.
None of that proves anything about current policy.
Do you know what the difference between the words previous and current is? Because from your posts it doesn’t look like it.
I’ve read Dark Alliance, Peter Dale Scott, and Whiteout, which is Cockburn’s authoritative history of cold war government support of drug networks.
So try me.
Asks self: What the hell did I even bother to ask Wombat for evidence? Of course he doesn’t have any. Previous blabber from him should have shown you, sens.
“Asks self: What the hell did I even bother to ask Wombat for evidence? Of course he doesn’t have any. Previous blabber from him should have shown you, sens.”
Well just what are you looking for Sens. Youve read Dark Alliance and Whiteout. You know about the Golden Triangle, Afghanistan and the Contras. So what, you dont believe any of it and you want something more, looking for something more recent. Or are you just talking shit cause thats all you know how to do.
BTW: Stop talking to yourself it makes you look even more stupid than your usual posts.
“None of that proves anything about current policy.”
Oooohhh right I see. PREVIOUS behaviour doesnt mean anything right. I mean the CIA and the Gov may have been involved in drug trafficking in the past but they have changed their evil ways and shunned the easy money and infulence of illegal drugs. CURRENTLY they are squeaky clean and drug free cause they “Just said NO”.
Golly geee willakers Sens how far back does the squeaky clean image go, where do you want the drug dealing to start from. Give me a time frame and Ill see what I can do for you.
CIA= Crack explosion of the 1980’s. How do you think they pay for all those low level, high intesity conflicts???
“CIA= Crack explosion of the 1980’s”
No no no CF. Apparently thats PREVIOUS and not CURRENT policy so in Sens’s little mind it never really happend. Im afraid youll have to come up with something more recent than that. Have you seen any CIA guys dealing drugs down your street today.
Actually that white van has been down on the corner a block from my house, again
Wombat, if you don’t see CIA agents on every street… well… you just aren’t quite gorilla enuf….
“Actually that white van has been down on the corner a block from my house, again”
Did the guy drivin it have on a black siut, white shirt, black tie and wrap around Ray Banns. If you can flash him a Homeland Security pass youll get 10% an ounce, a free Uzi and an opportunity to make a “I love Al-queada” video.
Also if you dont see them, that means they ARE there dealing rocks on the street. They are the CIA after all, very very very veyryryryry sneaky little buggers….
“Wombat, if you don’t see CIA agents on every street”
Oohh I see em on every street but not all of em are dealing drugs. Some of em are taking pics of tall buildings, some are plantin car bombs, others are beaten up on old ladies and the rest are just followin me around.
“Did the guy drivin it have on a black siut, white shirt, black tie and wrap around Ray Banns. If you can flash him a Homeland Security pass youll get 10% an ounce, a free Uzi and an opportunity to make a “I love Al-queada” video.”
Not exactly he did have a RFID scanner and a barcode tattooed to his left hand…
“Not exactly he did have a RFID scanner and a barcode tattooed to his left hand…”
If the bar code is on his left hand hes DIA not CIA, if its on his right hand hes NSA, if its on his forehead hes CIA. Either that or he is from Express Post.
Pray to god it’s not Express post… that’s who the aliens use…
I’m sorry, left temple; the one on the hand was for show did I mention that he had no hair and his eyes were black and bulging???
haha, wombat couldn’t produce evidence. dumbshit.
“haha, wombat couldn’t produce evidence. dumbshit.”
Produce evidence of what you fucking retard.
I gave you evidence and you cried “NOT CURRENT” so how current do you want it.
Christ but you are a moron and I dont know why I even bother throwing a rational thought in your direction.
you’re hysterically funny.
so how current do you want it
nah nah Wombat can’t read my first post on that subject and doesn’t know what current means to boot.
definition of leftist troll shit-for-brains.
c’mon, someone disprove me
Or if all else fails just pull your head out of your arse.
I’m totally stealing that line.
Zen: Take it, use it ,enjoy it.
While Sens still has his head firmly implanted into his rectum other enquiring readers may find this article enjoyable and informative
A little background may help though.
We all know that when the Nationalist Chinese Army of Chiang Kai-shek was chased out of China by the Peoples Army of Mao Zedong they fled to the (then Chinese) island of Taiwan and formed their own country.
What is less known is that the remnants of the Nationalist Chinese Northern Army cut off from their southern brethren fled across the border into Thailand and Burma (later to become the notorious Golden Triangle) where the US government and the CIA decided that they would be an invaluable tool in the clandestine war against Chinese (and later Vietnamese) Communism. But how would they fund and arm them??
Wombat, when asked for current evidence of the U.S. government’s involvement in the drug trade, posts an article from 1989.
Wombat, here’s a dictionary for you to look up what current means.
I don’t even need to call you a dipshit, your responses speak for themselves.
BTW – White Out by Alex Cockburn has a more concise version of the creation of the Golden Triangle than Womb’s article.
some good info here
Bush says 9/11 drives US policy
“some good info here“
Bush says 9/11 drives US policy
so, this is amazing.
No one here has any evidence that the government is currently involved in the drug trade?
(The big coke bust of the private jet in Mexico a little while back’s details are still be smoothed out, so beyond that one)
so, this is amazing.
No one here has any evidence that the government is currently involved in the drug trade?
(The big coke bust of the private jet in Mexico a little while back’s details are still be smoothed out, so beyond that one)
“Wombat, when asked for current evidence of the U.S. government’s involvement in the drug trade, posts an article from 1989.”
If I could list the top ten thousand things I give a shit about “What You Want” wouldnt even begin to appear.
“so, this is amazing.
No one here has any evidence that the government is currently involved in the drug trade”
Yep amazing that the CIA hasnt released a “What we earned from the Drug Trade” white paper in the past few years. Apparently the “Current” regime is squeaky clean on drugs. I heard that GW did a deal with Santa Clause and the Easter Bunny. If he keeps the US out of the drug trade the Tooth Fairy will come through his window every night and give him a non sexual blow job.
“BTW – White Out by Alex Cockburn has a more concise version of the creation of the Golden Triangle than Womb’s article.”
But that one you can read online, or maybe you can give us a free online link to Whiteout (its one word fucknuckle), well actually its “Whiteout: The CIA, Drugs and the Press”.
so you still can’t find any evidence.
If I could list the top ten thousand things I give a shit about “What You Want” wouldnt even begin to appear
Of course it would. You care so much you keep posting on this thread. Unfortunately, you can’t give the evidence you claim to have, so I think you are a funny little toolbag.