An Unwinnable War on Drugs

Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Fri, 2003-01-31 03:26.
to: letters@nytimes.com
cc: bill@billstclair.com
bcc: MGreer@mapinc.org
Subject: An Unwinnable War on Drugs
Date: 27 April, 2001

Seeing Ethan Nadelmann's article, "An Unwinnable War on Drugs", in the Times was a sight for sore eyes. Is the Times finally getting a clue about the war on freedom, er... some drugs? That's right. The war on some drugs has nothing to do with drugs. It is a war on freedom, a war on the bill of rights, a war on America's soul. And now this war is responsible for the murder of an American missionary and her baby. That's right. Murder. And who is responsible for this murder? Well, a Peruvian pilot pulled the trigger, but some American congress members are equally as responsible. Everyone who had a part in encouraging Peru to shoot down airplanes is guilty of conspiracy to commit murder. When will the trials begin?

As a libertarian, I believe that no one has the right, under any circumstances, to initiate force against another human being, or to advocate or delegate its initiation. Those who do so are criminals. Every time a drug war law is passed, the congress members who vote for it advocate the initiation of force. Every time police arrest someone for the non-crime of selling or possessing drugs, they initiate force. Drug buyers and sellers engage in voluntary commerce. Neither initiates force. The criminals here are the drug warriors. They are guilty of assault and kidnapping or conspiracy to commit assault and kidnapping. That's right. Assault and kidnapping. When will the trials begin?

Bill St. Clair
bill@billstclair.com

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