Posted by Wally on December 02, 2002 at 13:47:01:
Just to let you know, that was a RHETORICAL question... haha.
Although the Gulf War of 1991 is becoming a decreasingly distant memory and U.S. troops are fighting terrorists in Afghanistan, America is fighting in another war. America is fighting a war that does not make the front page of the daily paper every day, waging a war for over thirty years. Since the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Act of 1970, America had been fighting a losing war against drugs (Gaines 29). For over thirty years, American troops and law enforcement agencies have been fighting a war that affects nearly every American. The problem is widespread, and “nearly half of all Americans say they know someone with a drug problem” (Torr 18). The War on Drugs affects millions of people all around the world, but the problem is simple and obvious. “Substance abuse is a national problem” (Torr 20) and the War on Drugs has failed to make any substantial headway in its endeavors. Drug abuse and the War on Drugs is a significant problem that America has faced and will continue to face for many years to come, has many far-reaching political ramifications at all levels of government, raises many issues, and has brought forth several interesting and varied policy options, but has no visible end in sight. The problem of drug abuse and the ongoing War on Drugs is a considerable problem that Americans will continue to deal with in the next twenty years.
Substance use and abuse and the correlating War on Drugs are a serious problem. The toll of substance abuse and the costs of the drug war can be measured in lost lives dollars spent dealing with its effects. “The cost of dealing with illicit drugs alone approaches $67 billion annually” (Torr 18). The amount of money spent on fighting the drug war consumes a major part of the national budget and money that would otherwise be spent providing better education for students, improving healthcare, dealing with the national deficit, bolstering social security, and improving nationwide security. The cost of fighting the drug war is so high that if broken down mathematically, “every man, woman, and child in America pays nearly $1,000 a year to cover the cost of the drug war” (Torr 18). The enormous costs of fighting the drug war are a significant problem. So far, the War on Drugs has accomplished nothing more than incarcerating millions of nonviolent offenders and overcrowding the prison system. “Of the $38 billion spent on prisons in 1996, more than $30 billion paid for the incarceration of drug users” (Torr 20). Every American shares the costs of incarcerating criminals. Drugs and the effects of drug use have wreaked havoc on urban neighborhoods ( ) and affect people of all classes, races, and religions. The money from already poor neighborhoods winds up in the hands of drug dealers, drug cartels, and in some cases, terrorists. ( ). Drug abuse and fighting the War on Drugs is a problem in America that cannot be overlooked or ignored and is extremely important, both socially and politically.
Why are drugs politically important?
What are the issues?
What is the temporal component of the problem.
Levels of Gvt. à N-S&L
The job of fighting the War on Drugs is a monumental task that does not rely on proponents at only a local level, state level, or national level, but rather all levels of government working in cohesion with one another. Drug abuse is considered as more of a national problem than a regional one. The significance of the ever-escalating War on Drugs can be best quantified in the number of dollars spent and personnel committed. By 1989, more Americans than ever before identified drugs as the number one threat to the country than any other problem (Long 17). Although the war on terror has recently overshadowed the war on drugs, the drug war will continue to be fought and continues to be a problem. The War on Drugs is a real war, with real policies, real soldiers, and real casualties. By 1985, the Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended that the military take on the task of fighting the drug war and stopping the flow of drugs from Latin America (Kraska 303). Increasing military participation in the escalating drug war is a direct reflection of the political agendas of Presidents, Attorney Generals, and Legislators. The increased military participation in the drug war that puts the Department of Defense at the forefront of stopping the drug flow is the direct result of changing attitudes and legislation. The initial military interdiction in the drug war began with the Bennett Amendment to the Posse Comitatus law (Kraska 302). Originally, the Posse Comitatus law of 1878 prevented military interdiction in civilian affairs, but the Bennett Amendment gave the U.S. military full law enforcement powers outside the United States and put them at the forefront of interdiction efforts. The inevitable partner of increased military operations is the expense that accompanies fighting a war. “By 1986, the cost of the U.S. military’s interdiction activities had risen to almost $400 million, as compared to only $4.9 million in 1982” (Kraska 303). The costs of fighting the drug war are enormous. The more the military is involved in fighting the drug war, the more it will cost each and every American. Every President since Ronald Reagan has vowed to either escalate or continue the War on Drugs. Each year, congress must approve a budget, and a significant portion of this budget is allocated to the war on drugs. It seems as if continuing or escalating the War on Drugs is a golden bull issue, and for a politician on the national level of government to not pursue it would imply a tacit approval of drug use and abuse in America. It is also important to note that the United States is not the only country that has a drug problem, and it is the obligation of the Federal government to work with other countries to address the issue in whatever fashion is deemed appropriate. The U.S. military interdiction in the Latin Americas has been met with a great deal of conflict and ambivalence. “During the presidential campaign, George Bush went to a summit with the presidents of Peru, Argentina, Brazil, and Colombia. They told him bluntly that they were not going to destroy their countries in a civil war because of the American drug problem” (Torr 96). Clearly America has a drug problem, and it is in the hands of the Federal government to find a way to deal with it.