fbpx

Opinion: Declaring War on Drugs, A Pathetic Refrain

war on drugs
Bundles of drugs | Image by Couperfield

If another country were to blame for killing over a hundred thousand Americans every year, wouldn’t that be considered more than enough provocation to declare war on those responsible? The United States has gone to war with a lot less provocation. About 3,000 American lives were lost in the attack on Pearl Harbor; about 58,000 US soldiers died in the Vietnam War; and 3,000 civilian lives were taken away in the assault on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a thwarted attempt to strike the White House. Meanwhile, we’re bordered by a country that has been the gateway for virulent drugs, which kill thousands of Americans every month.

The phrase, “war on drugs” has been bandied about since 1971 when President Nixon declared drug abuse to be “public enemy number one!” A couple of decades later, Nancy Reagan encouraged children to “just say no” to drug use. In 2011, the Global Commission on Drug Policy criticized the war on drugs as a failure, with devastating consequences for our country. Other commissions have been set up since, none of which has had a serious impact on the deadly scourge, which evidently has insinuated itself into our society like an invisible plague that the public has become inured to.

When several innocent people are slaughtered in a single attack, the story is in the headlines for days, if not weeks. Obviously, emotions run high when children are shot dead in their schools by a maniac. The concern and compassion we feel for the families of the victims is what makes us decent human beings. Yet, if the carnage is spread out over the course of a year, and statistics indicate a massive loss of life, it becomes merely wallpaper that has been observed long enough to seem normal, except for the families of the victims. Let’s suppose that 100,000 Americans, mostly those in their teens, 20s, and 30s, were murdered in a single attack. Would our collective consciousness and outrage suddenly be awakened long enough to demand that our government go to war against those responsible?

Our country is being destroyed by malevolent drug cartels that appear to be operating with a license to kill. Our brave soldiers fought and died fighting enemies in countries thousands of miles away. We were told how important it was to fight the Taliban, Al Qaeda, ISIS, and an assortment of other monstrous terrorist groups. But, as odious as those extreme radicals are; how many Americans die tragically every year because of their violent activities? Contrarily, right across our southern border we have terrorist gangs that are a clear and present danger to every citizen of our country! Doesn’t it seem odd that we aren’t hearing a constant barrage of fiery invective from our government toward those who make hundreds of billions from pushing drugs on our children?

We already know how corrupt our country has become since World War II, when we had patriots in every influential sector of news reportage, corporate life, public education, and Hollywood. Sadly, in 2023 we cannot count on the love of country of any of the above. Instead, we see an insatiable lust for power, money, and control emanating out of all the institutions that we once had faith in. Is it possible that there’s so much cash in illicit drugs that any politician, corporate executive, intelligence agency official, or Tinseltown bigwig can be bought, or otherwise persuaded to stay silent while our country is inevitably obliterated from within? President Biden recently spoke about launching a “major surge to stop fentanyl production and sale” that’s killing 70,000 Americans annually. How many times have we heard that type of useless bombast?

The government’s most crucial job is to keep its people safe. What happens when those we elect are unwilling, incapable, or afraid to speak out against the vicious drug kingpins? When was the last time we heard the words, “Sinaloa Cartel” from a high-ranking public official? Possibly never? We hear the words “Invasion of Ukraine” every day. How many of our citizens are being killed by Russians and/or Ukrainians? Why are we giving tens of billions of dollars to stop an invasion of a country 6,000 miles away, while neglecting, even encouraging, an invasion of our own border? Why isn’t our mighty military machine, which costs us hundreds of billions annually, used to protect the homeland from the forces of evil wrapping its tentacles around the throat of our democracy? If the past is prologue, we’re going to hear a lot more pathetic murmuring from faux leaders who support wars in foreign lands, while giving lip service to the war on our doorstep.

Support our non-profit journalism

10 Comments

  1. David

    Come now, are you saying lives are more important than votes and power?

    Reply
    • Sam

      what would Trump say or do?

      Reply
    • R Reason

      No, he’s saying that Americans poison themselves with drugs (and alcohol) because they are in denial, and prefer failed ideas and placing blame on the government, instead of dealing with their own bad habits and addictions.

      Reply
  2. P dr

    Boy how many times have I heard “war on drugs”? It’s as common as saying I’m hungry.

    There are ways to Significantly decreasing amount of drugs in this country. We have the Resources if we are fully committed to it. However it may require we may hurt the feelings of or trample the supposed rights of these death dealing drug dealers in doing so.

    Let’s not just say “war on drugs” let’s do “war on drugs”, DO whatever it takes!

    The next life saved could be one of your family members.

    Reply
  3. ThisGuyisTom

    QUOTE:
    “how corrupt our country has become since World War II”

    Part of the ‘corrupt’ problem is the Mainstream Technological Media who pervert or limit the narrative.

    Eisenhower’s Farewell Address of January 17, 1961 – WARNINGS
    (16 minutes total – QUEUED at 7:40)
    https://youtu.be/OyBNmecVtdU?t=460 
    “…We annually spend on military security more than the net income of all United State corporations…
    … Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society.
    In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist…
    … We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes.
    We should take nothing for granted only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals, so that security and liberty may prosper together…
    …the technological revolution during recent decades.
    In this revolution, research has become central; it also becomes more formalized, complex, and costly. A steadily increasing share is conducted for, by, or at the direction of, the Federal government…
    … The prospect of domination of the nation’s scholars by Federal employment, project allocations, and the power of money is ever present and is gravely to be regarded.
    Yet, in holding scientific research and discovery in respect, as we should, we must also be alert to the equal and opposite danger that public policy could itself become the captive of a scientific-technological elite….”

    Reply
    • R Reason

      This seems more like a “war on reality”

      Reply
  4. Don M

    Finish the wall and set up military checkpoints on the border maybe every mile or less along with 24/7/365 surveillance camera monitoring.
    Anyone coming across is detained, imprisoned or thrown back across the border.
    As for the proponents of this being a humanitarian crisis, so be it. It is one, but it is in the US.

    Reply
  5. James

    Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! You absolutely nailed it! It is absolutely criminal what our Federal Government is not doing to secure our border and stop these terrorist cartels.

    The Administration says that we need permission from the Mexican government to use our military inside Mexico. We didn’t get permission to invade Afghanistan.

    Reply
  6. Janet

    Very eye opening article, and well written. I like the non bias/political perspective of the many lives lost compared to the number of lives lost in previous wars. It is clear the house is on fire, and we need to work together as Americans to find ways to put out the fire instead of fighting over who caused it. Otherwise we will all burn.

    Reply
  7. Mac Smith

    We lost the war in Vietnam, the war in Afghanistan and the war in Iraq. We have also lost the War on Poverty and the War on Drugs. The problem is moral failure. We cannot stop the import of drugs. For every pound we intercept, 10 pounds get through. Nancy Reagan had the answer. We need to teach our kids to just say no. You don’t get addicted if you don’t start. We need a strong anti-drug program in our schools and the police need to focus on putting drug dealers out of business. Instead, we teach our kids how to have sex with each other and change their gender. The cops wink at the drug houses as they drive by. Time for a change. More money is not the answer.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Continue reading on the app
Expand article