I Was Wrong About The War On Drugs -- It's A Failure
I'll admit it, just five years ago I was "Public Enemy Number 1" in the eyes of the Libertarian Party. In my 2002 congressional race for Georgia's Seventh District, the Libertarian Party ran scathing attack ads against my stand on Medical Marijuana.
Today, I am their presidential nominee and will represent libertarians at the top of the ticket on November 4th.
Huh?
That's right, Bob Barr, formerly the War on Drugs loving, Wiccan mocking, Clinton impeaching Republican is the presidential nominee for the Libertarian Party.
Now, you may be asking how this happened and my answer is simple: "The libertarians won."
For more than three decades, the Libertarian Party and small "l" libertarians have done their part to prove to America that liberty is the answer to most of the problems that we face today. Over the past several years, I was one of the many people influenced by this small party.
Whether through the free market or by simply allowing families to make their own decisions regarding the education of their children, libertarians have taught us that liberty does truly work.
In stark contrast, when government attempts to solve our societal problems, it tends to create even more of them, often increasing the size and depth of the original problem. A perfect example of this is the federal War on Drugs.
For years, I served as a federal prosecutor and member of the House of Representatives defending the federal pursuit of the drug prohibition.
Today, I can reflect on my efforts and see no progress in stopping the widespread use of drugs. I'll even argue that America's drug problem is larger today than it was when Richard Nixon first coined the phrase, "War on Drugs," in 1972.
America's drug problem is only compounded by the vast amounts of money directed at this ongoing battle. In 2005, more than $12 billion dollars was spent on federal drug enforcement efforts while another $30 billion was spent to incarcerate non-violent drug offenders.
The result of spending all of those taxpayer's dollars? We now have a huge incarceration tab for non-violent drug offenders and, at most, a 30% interception rate of hard drugs. We are also now plagued with the meth labs that are popping up like poisonous mushrooms across the country.
While it is clear the War on Drugs has been a failure, it is not enough to simply acknowledge that reality. We need to look for solutions that deal with the drug problem without costly and intrusive government agencies, and instead allow for private industry and organizations to put forward solutions that address the real problems.
One such solution was presented to me recently by a libertarian friend and supporter, Glenn Jacobs.
Glenn is a very unique guy with a very unique job. To say Glenn is a "big guy" or "intimidating" is an understatement. He gives people nightmares... literally.
Each week Glenn, who stands nearly seven feet tall, walks into a wrestling ring under the stage name "Kane" to beat other large men for sheer entertainment purposes.
Had I not pursued a career in politics -- and were about two feet taller -- I might have chosen a similar career path. Maybe...
In June of 2007, Glenn and many of his friends and co-workers in the WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) were rocked by the news of the Chris Benoit tragedy that took place in my home state of Georgia.
It was speculated that Chris had murdered his family and committed suicide in a steroid or "roid" rage. While it is unclear how much of a role drugs played in Benoit's actions, and whether mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI) may also have been a contributing factor, it was clear the WWE had some serious problems within its organization.
In the wake of the tragedy, the head of the WWE, Vince McMahon, and its other leaders looked internally to recognize these problems and address them. Although in the two years before Benoit's death, dozens of wrestlers had been suspended, gone to rehab, or been dismissed under the WWE's recently adopted "Wellness Program," the WWE strengthened its drug policy further, re-emphasizing that its policy wasn't merely a document, but the internal laws of the company that would be enforced.
Additionally, in response to speculation by brain trauma experts that Benoit may have been suffering from brain damage caused by years of blows to the head, WWE added a MTBI component to its Wellness Program.
McMahon didn't wait for Congress to pass a law or parade his wrestlers in front of congressional committee hearings; he took the lead and assumed responsibility over the health and welfare of the individuals who work for the WWE.
As part of the WWE Wellness Program, wrestlers go through regular drug testing and even cardiovascular testing. The latter identified a previously unknown heart condition for the wrestler "MVP" and he was treated for Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. The government's War on Drugs wouldn't have done that.
Sadly, the long standing War on Drugs also did not save the life of Chris Benoit and his family. The truth is, only Chris could have saved himself through personal responsibility. However, the efforts of Vince McMahon are making progress in preventing other tragedies and harm.
The WWE is taking responsibility for its talent and giving its participants the resources that they need, through rehabilitation, testing and even anonymous help lines, to deal with any possible problems.
While there may be some employees of the organization who may not like random drug tests or being thrown on a treadmill for an EKG, they have the choice of finding a new employer.
That's the beauty of this libertarian solution. It does not take government intervention or our tax dollars. It also does not force anyone to do anything, as it only requires voluntary action and decisions.
While I applaud the WWE for taking on this responsibility with a libertarian solution, don't bother looking for me at an upcoming cage match on Friday Night Smackdown. I don't want to be responsible for hurting any of those little guys.
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As a resident of Georgia and an almost daily reader of the Atlanta Journal Constitution, I have witnessed the slow (sometimes fast) transformation of Bob Barr. When I read he was working for the ACLU, I though...HUH??? Bob Barr, ACLU? It seemed unreal. I remember when he debated Neal Boortz about the war on drugs and got his clock cleaned. When he was a regular columnist for the AJC it was clear he had changed his tune. From drugs to the Patriot Act, he realized freedom was more important. Perhaps not having the political pressure any longer it gave him the time to express himself the way he really wanted to. I cant know that, but I believe its for real. I'm still not gonna vote for him...but I think he is for real. It takes a lot in politics to say you were wrong, and I credit him for that
Barr was wrong on so many things it would take between now and the election to apologize for them all.
See http://stopthedrugwar.org/home for comprehensive information and action about this wrong approach to the problem.
Note: part of the problem now is that the union of prison guards and the operators of privately-run prisons have acted to oppose the de-criminalizing of non-violent drug charges since the imprisonment of those "offenders" makes up a large part of their bread-and-butter.
Good point,Imprisonment of drug offenders is a big buissnes.I think that all drugs should be leagalized.The war on drugs will never work.People will get high no matter what.The only thing that comes from this is a war being waged on the streets of our inner cities.About 85% of homicides in "Killadelphia",My hometown,where drug related.If we eliminated the criminality of the drugs,We could put an end to a lot of these senseless murders,Create a whole new taxable market,Regulate the trade so people wont die from bad dope and Aids,And pay for it all with the money we made from the new revenue so people couldnt complain about their tax money being spent"Giving junkies free needels".Thats what happened in the 30's when booze was made leagle again.I guess there is just to much money to be made in the law enforcment and the criminal justice system.Too many peoples jobs depend on it for the government to care what it is doing to our country.
Exactly! The Prison-Industrial Complex. There's also the DEA, FBI, ATF, Border Patrol, and every Narc division in state and local law enforcement. There are tens of thousands of careers being sustained by the "war". It's a powerful constituency.
this is not a partisan issue...it goes to double standards. the one thing the Feds did do was remove THC (the psychoactive compound in Cannabis) from the Federal Schedule I classification, to a federal Schedule II drug to Allow BigPharma to synthesize and Manufacture Marinol and Cesamet prescription drugs. the average cost to a patient is about $1800.00 paid, of course, to BigPharma.
This Gov't does recognize the Medical benefit of Cannabis and is proved by that fact.
So if the rest of the plant has nothing in it to get you high, How does Cannabis still qualify for Schedule I criteria?
Marinol and Cesamet type medications do work for some but the majority of patients report nasty side effects, overdosing, stomach cramping and o on. The whole Plant in its natural form holds around 400 vital compounds that work towards healing and symptom relief for a wide variety of ailments. In addition, science shows us that it may prevent colon cancer, breast cancer, assist Alzheimer's patients in retention of memory and in 1974, the Gov't hid research that proved the cancer fighting Benefits of Cannabis.
Cannabis Prohibition is wrong and it has failed.
When will Cannabis become a matter of health care and not a political issue?
Barr now opposes the war on drugs because its a failure. Would Libertarians accept it if it were a "success"? And do Libertarians accept compulsory drug testing for employees because anyone who doesn't like it can look for another job? This is their presidential candidate? I thought they were a party of principle.
You couldn't get the republican election, and now you're a libertarian. If the Greens offer you a nomination, you'd take that, too. Morals be damned. Whatever makes the most cash, and hurts anyone not like yourself.
Your life in politics has had an incredibly negative effect on America, and you should be in a federal prison for stealing taxpayer's money. Your role in the Clinton impeachment alone should force you from public life forever. And even thought you've been wrong about everything you've ever had an opinion about, you just don't know when to go away and stop damaging America.
You will always be a hateful, hurtful man, and your simplistic gestures underpin your lack of morals, integrity, and depth.
War. Always wars with these chicken hawk Republicans. I know. Let's declare war on ugly political operatives and stupid sons of presidents and tired old ex CEO's who stunk at everything they ever did. That should really make this country safe.
Sorry, perhaps I missed your point.
What does this have to do with the legions of people IN PRISON for convictions on possession of marijuana?
What does this have to do with the extraordinary sentences handed down to crack offenders vs. coke offenders?
What does this have to do with the vast amounts of money we spend on interdiction, only to have a totally porous border for drugs?
You think the real damage of the "war" on drugs revolves around STEROIDS??????
Typical libertarian analysis. Ayn would be proud. Pick some totally marginal and meaningless case, pretend it exists, and use it as your basis for your entire life.
Good luck in them elections. Doubt you'll be stealing many votes from either party.
Was almost with you, up to the jab at Rand..
In what day-glo colored world did THAT crap come from..
or was that a straw man attack?
It was so off-target I couldn't tell.
If we're going to continually trick ourselves & one another into believing that drugs will solve any medical issue while simultaneously maintaining a certain class of drugs as illegal based on chemical characteristics, albeit often intellectually dishonest premises abounding, the least a truly democratic legal system can do is amend the laws to regulate, not criminalize, their use. Rehabilitation must be the first priority for proper administration of justice toward anyone who becomes addicted. Drug abuse is a medical issue, not a criminal one, which is why the U.S. is probably the only industrialized nation that criminalizes all drugs not approved by the FDA for generic use or prescriptions. The FDA has always been embedded with the medico-pharmaceutical industrial complex, whose inherent criminality is amply documented in Hans Reusch's mind-blowing expose, "Naked Empress." Prior to this historical tome of the industry, he wrote/published his classic expose on the vivisection industry, "Slaughter of the Innocent," focusing on the moral and scientific abomination of animal experiments & their invariably detrimental impact on human health along with its nonhuman victims en masse. The drug war's supporters & all their corporate accomplices collude in a genocide pact that no civilized society would ever tolerate. As Mohandas Gandhi said, "Vivisection is the blackest of all black crimes. A nation's greatness can be judged by the way its animals are treated." By this measure, the U.S. falls well below the mark of respectability, regardless of which major party controls the White House.
EVERYTHING, JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE IS A TOTAL FAILURE. I WISH SOMEONE WOULD POST JUST ONE GOOD THING THAT HAS BENEFITED AMERICAN CITIZENS UNDER THIS PRESENT REPUKE ADMINISTRATION??????? HOPEFULLY WHOMEVER IS ELECTED PRESIDENT WILL BE ABLE TO UNDO ALL THE HARM B&^%D BUSH AND HIS MINIONS HAVE DONE.
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At least he admitted he was wrong.
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The problem with Libertarian solution is that it drops all controls. You cannot allow the commercialization of heroin, cocaine or speed.
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The answer requires governmental involvement. Drugs cheap and easy to get through a doctor who ensures that you know the risks and that free treatment is available - and who tries to steer you to less toxic alternatives.
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Or grow your own ...
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"you may be asking how this happened and my answer is simple"- I flip flopped for political expediency
Thank You Mr Barr!
for those who use this valuable medicine, your rational approach is most welcome.
for those of us tired of the $76.5 Billion Tax Dollars wasted annually on just Cannabis eradication, perhaps we can divert those monies towards education, treatment and prevention to increase a practice we should all be using and that is making an informed decision before we consume Any substance...legal/illegal, prescribed, and food products as well.
$7.5 Billion, in part could be used for creating a lot of jobs, go towards health care, and so on.
Further more, if Cannabis were taxed and regulated the US could be getting more than $41,000,000,000.00 in New Tax revenue, annually.
http://www.prohibitioncosts.org/
http://www.drugscience.org/Archive/bcr4/Lost%20Taxes%20and%20Other%20Costs%20of%20Marijuana%20Laws.pdf
".... if Cannabis were taxed and regulated the US could be getting more than $41,000,000,000.00 in New Tax revenue, annually...."
Yeah, but think of the loss in bribe revenue for judges, politicians, cops, prison officials, DEA agents, customs agents.....
Libertarians are simply economic anarchists. Of course you cite government involvement in anything as a failure waiting to happen. The reason for this is when you elect conservatives or libertarians who are anti government and frankly can't govern, to positions of authority and give them the mandate to dismantle the agencies they have been given responsibility to run, don't wonder why these programs are a failure. If you want success elect people who know how to govern.
Is social security a failure?medicare?Clinton actually had people who were experts in their field heading regulatary offices as compared to good job brownie bush.If you vote for people who dont believe in good govt. you get what you ask for!
Though I don't see Libertarians as "economic anarchists," you do make a good point, Senz. Government IS a necessary element of modern society - and honest, competent, hardworking, "pro-government" officials (a rare breed, indeed) are essential for effective govenrment.
Personally, I 'm in sync with Libertarians on more issues more than I am with either the Republicans or the Democrats. The problem is, it takes a smart, responsible person to be a "good" Libertarian. Unfortunately, there are many, many people who simply can't handle the responsibilities that come with unlimited personal freedom. And, as always, they tend to spoil it for everyone else.
Thank you Bob Barr. I now consider you to be a true Libertarian in the positive sense of the word.
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