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Is it even a direct quote? It first appeared in public in 2016, over 15 years after Ehrlichman's death, and has been challenged by numerous people.[1] But I'm

Is it even a direct quote? It first appeared in public in 2016, over 15 years after Ehrlichman's death, and has been challenged by numerous people.[1] But I'm not here to argue about the alleged quote, I'm here to dispute the broader claim that the war on drugs was somehow manufactured by Nixon to target his enemies. The war on drugs was bipartisan from the beginning. So if you believe that the racial disparities might be "a deliberate result of the system", as you said, then blame for that would extend far beyond Nixon, right up to our current President. 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ehrlichman#Drug_war_quote https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ehrlichman#Drug_war_quote

ModernMech 5y ago
> I'm here to dispute the broader claim that the war on drugs was somehow manufactured by Nixon to target his enemies. The war on drugs was bipartisan from the beginning. This presumes that leftists and civil rights activists weren't also a thorn in the side of Democrats as well as Republicans. Democrats are famous for paying lip service to the causes of racial justice and workers rights, and then failing to deliver for these groups when in office because not enough of them are dedicated to these causes. They are also famous for being just as beholden to corporate interests as Republicans. I can absolutely imagine plenty of Democrats happy to witness law enforcement crack down against these groups. Civil unrest is bad for business after all. > So if you believe that the racial disparities might be "a deliberate result of the system", as you said, then blame for that would extend far beyond Nixon, right up to our current President. 100% agreed