[Paleopsych] drug war

[Michael Christopher]

>>I think we should separate out types of crimes- 
victimless crimes, property crimes, and
crimes against other people. I think our prohibitions
against pot and psychedelics reflect a societal horror
of ecstatic experience.<<

--Agreed. More specifically, drugs that connect the
right and left brains are denigrated, while "numbing"
drugs are accepted. 

>>If we approve of using alcohol, a brain poison, to
numb the pain of our existence, why not smack?<<

--Because admitting a mistake is difficult when that
mistake has harmed people's lives. The drug war has
created more crime than it deterred, and admitting it
would be impossible for those who have invested their
political reputation in the process.

As for prison deterring crime, it may have that
effect, but we don't know the long term consequences
of having a large per capita prison population. It
could end up backfiring dramatically. We do love short
term solutions in this country, since they provide
immediate feedback. We just don't understand, or want
to understand, the long term.

Michael


		
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