The Irrational War on Drugs

Why has the U.S. government focused in the "War on Drugs" on prosecuting illicit drug users when the majority of deaths related to drug use come from alcohol and tobacco consumption? While illicit drugs like cocaine and heroin do constitute a major problem in American society, it should tell us a lot about the seriousness of the "Drug War" when we consider that tobacco and alcohol, which are legal, state sponsored drugs, kill over five times the amount that all illicit drugs do combined. Can we really take the "Drug War" seriously when the U.S. government sponsors the most lethal drugs on the planet? The figures are incredible. Tobacco kills over 430,000 people every year, and alcohol over 110,000. All other illicit and legal drugs combined kill almost 17,000 a year. Why does the government distinguish between tobacco and alcohol, and illicit drugs?

The total number of deaths for marijuana each year is zero. With this figure, it should seem odd to Americans that marijuana possession arrests in the year 2000 accounted for over 646,000 of the total 1,579,566 drug arrests. Even more frightening is that marijuana possession arrests grew from 260,000 in 1990 to 646,000 in 2000.

Today, over half of those in prison are there for non-violent drug related charges. Many of these prisoners were productive citizens at one time. But the government has still not explained how it justifies locking up hundreds of thousands of productive citizens, while supporting tobacco and alcohol suppliers that will be responsible for the deaths of over 500 million of the six billion people alive today. [Full Article]

A Right to Dissent?

Fascism in Normal

Indy Trashed: View Photos

There has been an increasing trend on ISU campus towards suppression of free speech in the last couple of weeks. Some ISU students seem to think it is fashionable to limit the rights of others to speak their minds. This has particularly become a problem for the Indy, especially since the "Impeach Bush" issue two weeks ago. There have been quite a few vocal opponents against the Bush issue, which by itself is not a bad thing. The real problem relates to students taking it upon themselves to throw out large quantities of the Indy when no one is paying attention. This trend of suppressing free speech is extremely undemocratic.

The Indy is a non-profit student newspaper. Indy writers and staff have made incredible efforts within the last year and a half to represent those on campus that have dissident, progressive voices, and feel they are either not represented or do not have enough of a voice in mainstream or campus media outlets. What some students on ISU campus do not understand is that when they throw out the Indy, they do not speak for everyone on ISU campus. They are not representative of all the ISU students, faculty, and employees that value what our paper does.

What these children should be doing, instead of destroying other people's' work, is replying to our articles in an intelligent, respectful manner. Anyone that disagrees with the Indy has always been urged to write a letter to the editor, or even write his or her own counter article. The Indy believes in freedom of speech for all, even those that may disagree with us. We would like nothing more to present another viewpoint, if those disagreeing with us would act constructively and actually respond to articles intelligently. [Full Article]

Violence in Colombia: Who is Responsible?

As we realistically look at the effects of U.S. foreign policy across the world, it would be foolish to say that humanitarianism and democracy are the motivating principles. The numbers are staggering. Approximately 70,000 Salvadorans were murdered in the 1980s by death squads that we supported. Nicaragua faced the U.S. backed Contra war, which led to the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent people, along with the destruction of the entire country. Across the globe in East Timor, an estimated one-third of the population perished at the hands of Suharto, who was "our kind of guy" in a Clinton Administration official's elegant words. In the Middle East, more than one million Iraqis have died due to U.S. involvement in the Gulf War, sanctions, and periodic bombings. Unfortunately, this is only a sample of U.S. intervention. Everywhere we look the U.S. is slaughtering millions of people to sustain and expand corporate interests. This is accomplished through violence and coercion against civilians, forcing them into submission.

This is the scenario in Colombia as well. Colombia has faced extreme violence over the past decade from paramilitary terrorism and guerrilla warfare. The Colombian government, third highest recipient of U.S. military aid, kills an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 people every year.

There are many questions that arise when looking at these haunting facts: Why is this happening? Why would the U.S. support such a vicious government, and most importantly, what should you and I do about it? [Full Article]

The Dope on W.:

Did the President Use Cocaine?

Writer James H. Hatfield, troubled by personal and financial problems, committed suicide in an Arkansas motel on July 20, 2001. However, the book Hatfield wrote about George W. Bush-and then saw recalled by his original publisher because of Hatfield's criminal history-continues to raise questions about the president even after the author's death.

Since George W. Bush first entered politics, allegations of past cocaine use have haunted him. A new edition of Hatfield's Bush biography Fortunate Son (published a month before his suicide by Soft Skull Press) names top Bush advisors who reportedly confirmed the cocaine story, and once again raises the possibility that the President of the United States once took cocaine, used his family's influence to have his criminal record erased, and has repeatedly lied about the incident.

The advisors named as sources are among the closest to Bush: his school buddy and lifelong friend Clay Johnson (now the White House director of presidential personnel), his Texas minister, Rev. James Mayfield, and his Senior White House Advisor Karl Rove. The question is, will anyone believe these charges and the new evidence offered to support them?

While rumors of his drug use have been floated since Bush's 1994 run for governor, and comedians filled their monologues with cocaine jokes, the media largely attacked the cocaine charges and stopped pursuing the story because author J. H. Hatfield, turned out to be an ex-felon who lied about his past. Hatfield's St. Martin's Press book was recalled by his publishers in October 1999 for nothing short of a book burning: St. Martin's Vice President Sally Richardson declared it "furnace fodder." [Full Article]

Chicago Demonstrators Losing Ground on Constitutional Rights

The just-concluded demonstrations against the TransAtlantic Business Dialog meeting in Chicago show what the government at all levels is preparing to stop public dissent.

There was a march on Thursday, November 7 of several thousand people, and smaller demonstrations on Friday and Saturday. There was absolutely no violence. Most of the marchers were organized by Chicago Jobs With Justice, unions, peace activists, and anti-globalization groups. There was an anarchist presence, but it too was completely non-violent. Yet the police mobilization was mind boggling, with more police lining the streets of Chicago than we thought we Chicago taxpayers where paying for. Police were got up like imperial storm troopers from Star Wars, and even the horses had dark glasses on. Some organizers feel that the participation of the public was chilled by this show of force.

During the entire week before the demonstrations, the City of Chicago and especially Mayor Richard Daley and police chief Terry Hillard engaged in psychological warfare against the demonstrations. The nonexistent possibility of violence was heavily played up by the city government and especially the scandal-sheet Chicago Sun Times.

The people of Chicago were told that hordes of violent lunatics were going to descent on the city (actually, most of the marchers were local, coming from well-known Chicago area social justice organizations). They were also told that the police were forming a "goon squad" of extremely large policemen, and that everybody who marched would be videotaped so that the police could act against lawbreakers later. It was announced that any damage to property would result in prosecution by the city to recoup costs. Further, the police announced openly that they would be placing undercover police disguised as demonstrators. [Full Article]