Global War on Drugs - Essay Example

Global war on drugs The global war on drugs is an issue that has taken the entire continent by storm. The developed countries are having a rough time as their economies are slowly brought to their knees because of this trade. The developing nations are not left behind also because the majority of their populations are hooked, peddling or barons of the illicit trade. The developing countries have joined the fray of the developed to try and solve the drug issue. The issue has been addressed by historians, researchers and governments in respective areas and governments. One such person who has been very vocal and active in this issue is Richard Davenport-Hines. He is a historian and biographer who has accomplished so much in his time. He has spoken vocally against the issue of drugs and their use. He has constantly criticized the United States government of not doing all that it should in relation to the drug issue (Davenport 24). The United States government in response to the issue of drug use and trafficking has created several sustainable policies. These policies will enable the government to effectively and efficiently deal with the issue. The United States categorically emphasize that drug use is the administering of any drug on an individual contrary to their intended use. The campaign that was started to discourage drug use in the states was criticized by Richard in his book. He propagated that the states and the policies that they were employing were not necessarily the way forward. The government devised some ways for example arrest and sentencing to deal with the drug barons and users. They also created drug prohibition laws that were to deal with the drug trade. In the book: The Pursuit of Oblivion, A Global History of Narcotics there are some issues addressed against the United States policies. The arguments state that the government does not deal effectively with the issue of arrests. He goes ahead to explain that there is always a high percentage of illegal drugs on the streets. The percentage could be as high as 100%. During the arrests and interception stage only a small percentage of the drugs are intercepted. The book’s author notes that by going with such statistics the drug war will never be won. If only 20% of the drugs are intercepted, the remainder that is still out can still keep the drug business afloat. This will obviously ensure that their profits continue soaring despite the drug intercepts (Gerber 31). He sees the drug policy as a show of might and the power between the interested stakeholders. The United States government is using the drug issue as a step stone to flex its muscles on other nations and its own citizens. He ponders why despite all the arrests and sentencing both local and international, drugs are still getting a way to the streets. He wonders when the government will internalize the urgent need to arrest the never known barons instead of the hired hirelings who sell the drug in small doses on the street The state has long been accused of using its military might in all the wrong ways. He deems the policy as an excuse to employ over exaggerated operations by the military. They use so much of the tax payers’ money yet they have little to show on the undertaken drug operations that they conduct (Gerber 37). The government is also accused by both citizens and the author of the text of being very hypocritical in the drug war. The government is noticed to be employing double standards in the sense that it allows the pharmaceutical companies to continue advertizing their drugs. He considers this kind of advertizing as an attraction to drugs. This tempts users to use them. He suggests that companies should have some regulations in relation to advertising. In the television drama The Wire, the actors have carefully acted their thoughts on the policy of drug use in the states. The series in one of their episodes showed that the investigators tasked with the responsibility of investigating drugs and their use as being very incapable. It portrays the investigators as not doing all that is mandated to them by the citizens to protect them in relation to the drug war. They are portrayed as sleeping on the job. The series also wonders why they constantly arrest thousands and thousands of people yet the streets are still ridden with drugs. This shows a great disjoint in the arrests and the lowered drug use in the streets. This is basically to mean that if the arrests and ultimate sentencing is done in the proper way and with all due respect to the necessary protocol, then the amount of drugs on the street should also reduce (Davenport 27). The episode also accuses the politicians on both spectrums of the political side of being underhand in their war on drugs. The politicians should represent the needs and wants of the people. They continue to support the failed drug policy that is not yielding any fruits. The politicians should draft legislation that deals in depth with the issue of drugs. They should ensure that at the end of the day, whatever they draft encompasses the thoughts of the people. This is because they are the most affected in the war on drugs. Peddlers are mostly the youth who have nothing productive to do with their free time. They languish in hopelessness and destitution in the projects. This encourages them to make quick and risky money on the streets. Many drug related murders remain unresolved. This is because many are unreported and hardly are they investigated. The arguments used by the two references show that they know that the United States government is exhaustively dealing with the pain of drug production and its ultimate consumption. They are not strongly convinced that the taxes and revenue that the government collects is used in all the right ways in the fight against drugs. They provide strong sentiments that can be understood. Their reasoning cannot be questioned because they provide strong evidence in relation to the issue. They appeal to the critical and creative thinking of any person who reads the book or watches the episode. They provide space for people to ask questions and demand answers. They want people to need a drug-free environment (Davenport 28). The government is also doing everything possible to deal with the issue of drug production and consumption. They have arrested so many people both locally and internationally. This is with the sole aim of ensuring that the drug trade ceases. They have smoked out drug barons in various continents and countries who have links with any intercepted drugs in their country. The pharmaceutical companies are guided by strict legislation that they ought to adhere to always. They should never prescribe medicines to anyone without prescriptions. This limits the citizens from being hooked to the drugs. The government has also entrenched very strict penalties in their legislation against all those caught in the drug trade. They range from the minimal sentences to life imprisonment. This is to curb drug use by discouraging both peddlers and barons. Many have quit the drug trade after witnessing the harsh penalties in effect (Gerber 36). The drug prohibition laws also prohibit, except under special circumstances and licenses the production, possession and distribution of substances that are recognized as drugs. This limits the circulation of anything that is considered a drug. By doing so they ensure that the country remains the drug-free zone that it was intended to be. Work cited Davenport-Hives, Richard. The Pursuit of Oblivion: A Global History of Narcotics. New York: W.W. Norton and Company, 2004. Gerber, Rudolph Joseph. Legalizing Marijuana. Chicago: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2004. Read More