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From: ix200@sdcc6.ucsd.EDU (Bruce Jones)
Newsgroups: net.followup
Subject: Re: The war on drugs
Message-ID: <2862@sdcc6.ucsd.EDU>
Date: Wed, 17-Sep-86 12:59:41 EDT
Article-I.D.: sdcc6.2862
Posted: Wed Sep 17 12:59:41 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 27-Sep-86 18:49:53 EDT
References: <5305@decwrl.DEC.COM>
Organization: U.C.S.D. Department of Communication
Lines: 62
Summary: Media culpability?


In article <5305@decwrl.DEC.COM> williams@kirk.dec.com (John Williams DTN 223-2163) writes:

>Has anyone considered the possibility that the war on drugs is being
>staged as a diversion from real government issues like increased
>military spending? The amount of propaganda I've read in the past two
>weeks is enough to flood the conscious stream of the average ignorant
>american. I have yet to see any accurate analysis of the problem.

You can look forever and not see any analysis of the problem.
Television and the American political system are not capable of
analysis, only subterfuge.  Any analysis of the problem would have
to eventually get to the fact that drugs are NOT the problem, only
the symptom.  

>I think it's a diversion, a chance to make the american collective
>conscious focus on a problem other than the ones the government
>should be concentrating on, and a chance to obtain more authority.
>It would be ridiculous to consider this anything less than a political
>manuever. 

The political system has long been involved in this re-direction of
the "collective conscious".  Having to deal with the fact that life
in America isn't what it's cracked up to be is a long and difficult
job.  It's much easier to focus on the results of this than come to
grips with the situation in a creative and constructive manner.  

>Most of the problems associated with drugs are due to fact
>that they are illegal.

As long as you are talking about the crime that grows up around the
drugs, robbery etc. I'll buy this argument.  However I think you are
missing something if you think that Cocaine is only dangerous
because it's illegal.

>Again, I resent that the government sees fit to protect me from
>myself. Their efforts would be better spent documenting the effects
>of drugs *ACCURATELY*. The current propaganda is such a wave of
>distortion it makes me want to puke. 

What about the culpability of the media in all this??  When is the
American public going to get tired of being constantly bombarded
with hype.  Reagan's war on drugs certainly isn't the first instance
of public manipulation by the media in the special interests of a
powerful group.  Look at the attention given to highjackers and
terrorists.  Look at the coverage on the news of the Coca Cola
hysteria.  Who's being taken for a ride here?? WE ARE!

Yes, I think that the publicity of this war on drugs is being used
to cover up other, more important things that the administration is
doing.  Things like supporting thugs and killers in Nicaragua,
despots in Chile, escalating the nuclear arms race, SDI, and on and
on.  That's the connection between the media and the government,
POWER.  The power to do as they please while directing public
attention where they will.  

One last question ... with the military involvement in the war on
drugs, how long will it take Ronie to get the draft going again?

Bruce Jones

bjones@sdcsvax.ARPA