World Leaders from 20 Nations Explain How to Dig Our Way Out of the Devastating War on Drugs

[xchrom]

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/world-leaders-20-nations-explain-how-dig-our-way-out-devastating-war-drugs



The global war on drugs is the reason the US holds a quarter of the world’s prisoners but accounts for just five percent of the population. It is the reason millions of innocent people in Latin America have been killed and displaced by violent, powerful cartels. It is the reason marijuana remains illegal and demonized while science and reason tell us it's safer than alcohol and has powerful medical value.

There are many disturbing characteristics of the war on drugs, but the worst is probably the fact that more than 40 years of dumping extreme amounts of money and law enforcement into criminalizing drugs has been ineffective. The use and distribution of illegal drugs remains steady, or climbing, worldwide. The war on drugs has failed.

For this reason, past and present leaders from 20 nations gathered in New York City on September 9 to release a new report calling for changes in global drug policy. The leaders make up the Global Commission on Drug Policy. Among the long list of members are former US Secretary of State George P. Shultz, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the former presidents or prime ministers of Brazil, Switzerland, Colombia, Chile, Portugal, Poland, Greece and Mexico. Their report , Taking Control: Pathways to Drug Policies that Work, calls for the decriminalization of all drug use and possession, and the legalized regulation of now-illegal drug markets. It calls for putting public health and human rights ahead of crackdowns and law enforcement.

Former Brazilian president Fernando Henrique Cardoso spoke first at the conference, highlighting the “enormous” waste of money and resources that have gone into the failed global drug war. He estimated the monetary costs to be around $100 billion each year, while rates of drug use and dealing remain steady.

[Warren DeMontague]

1. K&R

[madokie]

2. All we have to show for it is a lot of people with criminal records who should not have one

Some drugs are bad but my thoughts are the law is worse in most cases.

[Hubert Flottz]

4. The government don't give a flying f*** what the people want or need.

Half of the worst politicians in Washington DC, got there by putting pot smokers in jail while rapists and murderers have been turned out on the streets, to make room for the peaceniks and the boys and girls next door.

Nixon started this "war on drugs" and he was thrown out of office for being a criminal. Nixon didn't go to jail, because there is a double standard in America when it comes to REAL crime. Wealthy powerful people are almost exempt from arrest and conviction for their crimes. Just another super expensive republican war, that was lost from the get-go.

[RKP5637]

8. Well said! The supposed cure is killing the patient! n/t

[madokie]

11. Wealthy, powerful white people I might add

Being brown or black doesn't afford one the same protections.

[LuvNewcastle]

3. If our government actually cared about the people's welfare,

we would de-criminalize drug use, but too many people are making money off of the War on Drugs. Cops, lawyers, prisons, and many more people profit handsomely from all our misery. It's a disgusting shame, but things will remain the same unless we get some true progressives in control of our government.

It happened about 100 years ago. There was a Progressive movement and a lot of important laws were passed that accomplished a lot of reforms. We sorely need it to happen again.

I think our country is teetering on the brink of big changes. People want change, but they aren't really sure what they want. At this point, they could elect a fascist or a socialist. All they know is that they want to see things changing.

It was supposed to happen when Obama was elected, but we haven't had nearly enough change to suit the people. They're losing patience, and they want to see someone come along who has a plan. I just hope they don't choose the wrong person. America could become a totalitarian shithole with a little effort if the wrong people get in power.

[Enthusiast]

7. Excellent post, LuvNewcastle.

The war on drugs has a parallel in American health care and the health care services industry.

The US health care system is built on a elaborate system of profit.

Reformers in this nation are attacked from all sides because they are a threat to the profitable status quo.

[RKP5637]

9. Agree! People are really getting fed up with it all. My concern is many want change at any cost, and

that might be clouding their vision thereby allowing possibly an entrance for the worst of politicians to rise. Often people move toward authoritarians IMO when fearful and fed up, because they want something, some radical change, some strong direction, and often authoritarians and sociopaths fill that void. We might see this occur in the midterms.

[madokie]

13. Obama had a plan

he is the wrong color though. Simple as that too. I found out that some people I know are racist jackasses who I had no idea that they were before his election.

[Scuba]

5. Bullhockey. The War On Drugs is working exactly as planned ...

.

[RKP5637]

10. Similar to wars and the MIC, there is big money to be made by some with the inane

war on drugs. Hence, perpetual motion.

Excellent chart!!!

[Earth_First]

6. Amy Goodman @ Democracy Now did a great piece on this yesterday...

http://www.democracynow.org/2014/9/10/as_pot_decriminalization_advances_in_us

[NaturalHigh]

12. Over 40 years and how many lives wasted on this?

Just legalize it and release everyone jailed for non-violent drug crimes.