4 ms·

I'm completely against the war on drugs for most of the reasons stated in this article, but I find it's blaming of Nixon and racial/ideological politics as the

I'm completely against the war on drugs for most of the reasons stated in this article, but I find it's blaming of Nixon and racial/ideological politics as the worst most unproductive form of cynicism. As if there are no well meaning, well founded reasons to outlaw drugs. People often forget that poor, minority neighborhoods were often instrumental in getting tough drug laws passed. Because they often faced the brunt of the criminal effect of large numbers of drug users. When a working class mom gets her kid's bike stolen by a junkie, she's not too interested in contemplating rehabilitation, she's just mad and wants her bike back and the asshole punished.

smadge 11y ago
Do you have sources for this? My gut reaction is that your claim that tough drug laws that targeted poor and minority communities wouldn't have passed without the support of those communities seems false. These communities have little political power, and the laws would not have passed without the support of the economic and political elite.
laughinghan 11y ago
People often forget that poor, minority neighborhoods were often instrumental in getting tough drug laws passed. Because they often faced the brunt of the criminal effect of large numbers of drug users. When a working class mom gets her kid's bike stolen by a junkie, she's not too interested in contemplating rehabilitation, she's just mad and wants her bike back and the asshole punished. This completely contradicts my understanding of how civics works in the real world. Poor, minority, working-class moms do not trust the government, police, or laws to work in their best interests, and do not push to get "tough drug laws passed". They believe such laws would be used as weapons against their families and communities. Even if you debate the accuracy of this belief, the impact that #BlackLivesMatter is having on the current election means there is no debating the widespread nature of this belief. However, politically influential interest groups using "working class mom gets her kid's bike stolen by a junkie" as justification for tough drug laws—that sure is consistent with my understanding. So is duping us into thinking the poor minority neighborhoods are in favor of such laws.
metaphorm 11y ago
I'm not sure I understand your critique. In the article a primary source (Nixon's domestic policy advisor Ehrlichman) just outright admitted what their motivations were. How is it cynical to cite a primary source? What is the argument you're trying to make? That the war on drugs would have been justified through public health concerns even if it wasn't actually implemented for political and racial reasons? I'm not sure you're going to find much agreement on that stance, and certainly not enough political agreement to justify a policy of mass incarceration and proxy war violence in the third world to go along with it.
alistproducer2 11y ago
We await sources for your assertions.....

smadge 11y ago

Do you have sources for this? My gut reaction is that your claim that tough drug laws that targeted poor and minority communities wouldn't have passed without the support of those communities seems false. These communities have little political power, and the laws would not have passed without the support of the economic and political elite.

laughinghan 11y ago

People often forget that poor, minority neighborhoods were often instrumental in getting tough drug laws passed. Because they often faced the brunt of the criminal effect of large numbers of drug users. When a working class mom gets her kid's bike stolen by a junkie, she's not too interested in contemplating rehabilitation, she's just mad and wants her bike back and the asshole punished. This completely contradicts my understanding of how civics works in the real world. Poor, minority, working-class moms do not trust the government, police, or laws to work in their best interests, and do not push to get "tough drug laws passed". They believe such laws would be used as weapons against their families and communities. Even if you debate the accuracy of this belief, the impact that #BlackLivesMatter is having on the current election means there is no debating the widespread nature of this belief. However, politically influential interest groups using "working class mom gets her kid's bike stolen by a junkie" as justification for tough drug laws—that sure is consistent with my understanding. So is duping us into thinking the poor minority neighborhoods are in favor of such laws.

metaphorm 11y ago

I'm not sure I understand your critique. In the article a primary source (Nixon's domestic policy advisor Ehrlichman) just outright admitted what their motivations were. How is it cynical to cite a primary source? What is the argument you're trying to make? That the war on drugs would have been justified through public health concerns even if it wasn't actually implemented for political and racial reasons? I'm not sure you're going to find much agreement on that stance, and certainly not enough political agreement to justify a policy of mass incarceration and proxy war violence in the third world to go along with it.

alistproducer2 11y ago

We await sources for your assertions.....