Pubdate: Thu, 31 Jan 2002
Source: Daily Advertiser, The (LA)
Copyright: South Louisiana Publishing 2002
Contact:  http://www.theadvertiser.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1670
Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v02/n138/a03.html?2418
Author: Jim White

NO ONE WANTS TO WIN CAMPAIGN ON DRUGS

Cody S. Boudreaux asks a very serious question in "Why hasn't our war on 
drugs been won?"

The answer is simple, no one really wants to win that war. Users like the 
way drugs make them feel, they don't want to win anything, addicts no 
longer have a choice, and the political establishment, police departments, 
narcotics task forces, prison industrial complex, pharmaceutical companies, 
drug testing industry and the various institutions which supply or 
otherwise benefit from the expansion of any of the above, don't want to win 
the war on (some) political selected drugs.

Has everyone forgotten the CIA's, "guns for drugs" campaign in South 
America? Does everyone really believe that our government got out of the 
drug business after that? It's a $400 billion dollar a year industry. Our 
government is as much involved in the illegal drug trade as it is the legal 
drug trade of alcohol and tobacco.

Why hasn't it been won? There's too much at stake, too much money to be 
made, too many votes to be gotten, too many people employed, too many 
minorities and cultures to oppress, and too many human rights to eliminate, 
that's why.

Jim White, Oregon, Ohio
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MAP posted-by: Jackl