LETS LOOK AT THE DRUG WAR

Lets look at the Drug War in a few places in North America and one
place that is not. Normally when we think of North America its
synonymous with the United States. But there are two other major
countries in this area and several minor ones. I'm going to cover
three of those. Canada, Mexico, and Jamaica.

In the drug war Mexico is one of our most loyal allies. They have been
arresting crooked generals and drug agents in the hopes of winning
praise fro America for their efforts. And they have been getting that
praise. In fact it is very important for Mexico to get that praise if
it wants to remain on the American drug war gravy train. And some
train it is. U.S. funding has nearly tripled since 2000 for law
enforcement assistance to Mexico. Despite that there have been
whispers in Mexico. In fact there have been shouts. From the President
of Mexico he has said that legalizing narcotics is the only way to win
the war against drugs.

In Canada the drug war is going to pot. Despite the best efforts of
the government and the police the Canadian Supreme Court has ruled
that cannabis is a medical right. The new rules took effect about a
month ago. And wisely the government had a plan. To grow the medical
pot where it couldn't be poached. So at great expense the Canadian
government is procuring inadequate supplies to support this new
medical right. Of course the free market could provide the pot at a
much better price and in the quantities demanded just given a chance.
But due to that thousand pound gorilla south of the border hardly
anyone has a chance.

Lets look at a small country peripherally in America. Jamaica. A
government panel enlisted to study the drug war in Jamaica has come to
the conclusion that because of custom, prevalence, and relative lack
of harm that ganja (Jamaican for pot) should be legalized. The
government despite severe opposition from the United States seems
likely to enact the recommended changes.

Now lets look at a place where American influence on the drug war has
been overwhelming and decisive. Nepal. Let me tell you what happened.
Up until 1973 marijuana and hashish had always been legal in Nepal. In
1973 Richard Nixon (what can I say?) paid the King of Nepal between
$50 and $70 million dollars (a half a billion in today's debased
currency) to make the drugs illegal. What did the king gain from the
money and new laws? Organized crime. This and much more is described
in a new book "The Effects of American Drug Policy on Nepal" By
Joseph R. Pietri.

What is the common thread here? Globalism. I'm not talking about the
kind of globalism that lets us make the most advantageous trades
possible for goods and services. This is all to the good because no
country has all the resources necessary to run a modern economy. I'm
talking about the sneaking kind of globalism where faceless people in
far off places make decisions implemented in treaties on how we are to
run our local affairs. And who is the grand daddy of the parasite
globalists? The United States of America who for over 80 years through
various treaty mechanisms and bribery has been foisting our disastrous
policy of drug prohibition off on the rest of the world. Fortunately
the logic of prohibition is looking less attractive to our allies by
the day.

And now the news some of you have been waiting for:

E.J. is in Rockford. He is expected to be in a regular work release
program in a very few days. News as available will be posted at:

http://sites.netscape.net/ejpagel/freeej