Posted on 03/22/2016 4:28:55 PM PDT by drewh
President Richard Nixon launched the War on Drugs for one specific reason: to decimate his perceived political enemies—the anti-war left.
That's according to an anecdote in a lengthy cover story for Harper's, in which journalist Dan Baum recounts an interview he conducted with John Erlichman, a former Nixon staffer who was jailed for one year due to his involvement in the Watergate scandal. Unprompted, Erlichman confessed the true purpose of federal drug prohibition:
“You want to know what this was really all about?” he asked with the bluntness of a man who, after public disgrace and a stretch in federal prison, had little left to protect. “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news.”
The dastardly plan failed only in the sense that Nixon ultimately lost—a victim of his criminal behavior and lack of scruples. But the War on Drugs certainlycost the nation outrageous sums of money, and expanded the scope of the federal government's oppressive power. This was not done for any noble public purpose—it was a political gambit, nothing more.
(Excerpt) Read more at reason.com ...
Senility is painful to watch.
Sounds like a plan to me!
This does not surprise me. The War on Drugs is Big Government statism.
Yeah , well, IT DIDN’T WORK!!! :(
If that was true, he failed miserably
I think Reagan did a better job of decimating the hippies at Berkeley in 69’.
Decimate: To reduce by 10%...
the war on drugs isn’t being fought right but it MUST be fought.
if one doesn’t think so, they’ve never seen a heroin, crack, roxy, oxy, Xanax addict before.
I saw plenty and especially driving the cab.
the human and financial toll is devastating. not just to blacks, by a long shot.
Removing only 10% was not a very ambitious goal.
Nah! I think the “War on Drugs” started because 16 year old kids were over dosing and even Nixon - who was thought of as heartless by the Left - hated to see kids die.
Drugs were pushed by Leftists, however. That can’t be denied.
True that
Reagan and Nancy did great job on the war on drugs.
I remember growing up in the 80s when these folks were referred to as ‘pot heads’.
Now there are more drug over doses than traffic fatalities.
No, keeping everybody stoned, stupid and dependent is.
You really have to admire Nixon’s fundamental loathing of the Left.
Ridiculous.
Oh, sure, he’s CONFESSING, uh-huh.
The thing about Scooby-style, “I wudda gottaway with it IF IT HADN”T BEEN FOR THESE MEDDLING KIDS..!”
It’s fiction.
Confessions like this —Cherry-topped chocolate sundaes— don’t actually happen, if they’re TRUE.
[ Nah! I think the “War on Drugs” started because 16 year old kids were over dosing and even Nixon - who was thought of as heartless by the Left - hated to see kids die.
Drugs were pushed by Leftists, however. That can’t be denied. ]
The only way to “win” a war on drugs is to secretly intercept and deliberately poison the drugs with random poisons.
The fools that use, no longer will use, the demand will drop and people selling will no longer have demand...
Of course some people may think this is more heartless, but, so don’t do drugs because you may die.
Drugs were pushed by Leftists, however. That can’t be denied.
They have always used anything to weaken and decimate America.
that was derived from the Romans killing one out of ten as punishment? of its own soldiers?
or am I way off?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.