STOP THE WAR

The wackos who for 30 years or more have been arguing for the legalization
of marijuana and various other illegal forms of recreational mind
enhancement seem more sensible in light of recent events.

If pain focuses the mind, there's nothing like a war to focus the world's
attention. Since the morning of Sept. 11, the formerly highly touted "War
on Drugs" has apparently lost its front, and will likely enter the realm of
history along with those combative spear-throwers at ancient Troy.

Things changed mighty fast. There is obviously a huge chasm between the
threats posed to the public from joints and jets.

Even though the police in hundreds of cities and towns habitually send out
boastful press releases about busting a basement hydroponic weed scheme on
some cul-de-sac, signs of the demise of the War on Drugs are already here.

White Powder

Last week, British authorities seized a shipment of cocaine reportedly
worth $46 million US. Did I say "reportedly"? Oops. My mistake. It was
probably just an estimate, but who knows. It didn't make the news.

The day after the bust, there was no word of it in either the Post or the
Globe, and The Telegram didn't run anything about it because . there was
nothing to run. The Associated Press sent two lame pictures out over the
wire - of a plane on a tarmac, and of a dozen or so bricks of alleged
cocaine. But they didn't bother to send a story, even though it was the
biggest cocaine seizure ever to occur in Britain.

These days the police and politicians and press are far more concerned with
white powder of a different sort.

The speed - if you'll pardon the use of that word - with which the War on
Drugs has fallen silent leaves you wondering whether it was all fake.

It apparently was. Now that we've got a real war to focus on, things will
tend to be put in proper perspective. Instead of the mindless bleating of
"Just say no" that has characterized drug war propaganda for so many years,
Americans and Canadians alike will probably finally realize that it's none
of their business and that they shouldn't care a gram if their neighbour is
experimenting with a bit of pot or blow - especially since a neighbour
across the street might be experimenting with far more dangerous,
mind-altering ideological concoctions.

If nothing else, practical considerations - such as police manpower and
law-enforcement finances - will eventually bring about a truce in the War
on Drugs. The weapons are already being decommissioned.

In early November, the House of Commons will debate a proposal to
decriminalize marijuana, under which possession of the substance would be
punishable by mere fines, not jail time.

The fact that this proposal is being pushed - pardon the pun - by the
Canadian Alliance might make some citizens wonder what their politicians in
Ottawa have been smoking. It seems like only yesterday that liberal-minded
U.S. presidential hopefuls were too scared to admit they indeed inhaled
when they tried the stuff in college. Today, we've got conservative
law-and-order types espousing decriminalization of the once-evil weed.

Practicalities always take precedence, so I suppose it's wishful thinking
to hope that philosophical considerations will be given any kind of, um,
high priority.

For instance, we would be expecting too much if we hoped that the same
people who launched and perpetuated the stupid and destructive War on Drugs
might suddenly realize how wrong they were.

How might they come to this realization? Well, their enemies in the War on
Terrorism oppose almost every liberty we in the free West hold dear.
Religious freedom, democracy, freedom of speech, women's rights - there is
a long list of things we embrace that Islamic fundamentalists hate.

We have also developed a habit over the past few centuries of allowing
individuals to live their lives as they see fit, as long as they don't harm
anyone else in the process. People are perfectly free to make horribly
wretched movies. They're free to join outlandish cults, or write angry
letters to the editor, or vote for Brian Tobin.

Maybe now, it'll stop being unfashionable to suggest people should also be
free to light up the burnable substance of their choice. After all, if the
Taliban is against it, we should be for it.