Home > POLITICAL SCIENCE > War on Drugs >

War on Drugs

This paper explores the effectiveness of the United States government's War on Drugs. Examines efforts of the government's policy and concludes that the anti-drug policy in the U.S. is not cost-effective, and that the ways in wich the War on Drugs is conducted is damaging to the foreign relations of the U.S. and the social outcomes are damaging to American society.

Details

Citations 12

Citation Style APA

Sources 8

Pages 8

Price: $32.00

From the Paper

the american war on drugs effective Introduction The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of the so-called War on Drugs pursued by the United States government over the past odd years The research performed for this paper involves an assessmentof relevant published literature The thesis of this paper is that the American War on Drugs isineffective economically politically and socially The implications ofthis thesis statement are that a the anti-drug policy in the UnitedStates are not cost-effective b the

The American government also is able toavoid the spectacle of a heavy-handed governmental repression of marijuanaproducers in the United States, an action that could easily cause politicaltrouble for the sitting Administration. ReferencesAnthony, D. The War on Drugs is lost. None of us wants a drug-free dictatorship .... The burden on the states' judicial systems has increased enormously.In some jurisdictions, drug cases account for as much as two-thirds of thecriminal case filings. 146). Further, there is cover for the use of funding for the anti-drug effort as a tool to compel Latin American governments to kowtow toUnited States policies for the Latin American region. The ClintonAdministration and the Bush Junior Administration embraced the earlier waron drugs policies. (2 5, August 29). The facts are, however, thatapproximately four-fifths of the illicit drugs consumed in the UnitedStates consists of marijuana, and that about four-fifths of the marijuanaconsumed in the United States is grown in this country. The environmental degradation has been severein Bolivia, Colombia, and Peru. We also support efforts to address the underlying causes of thehopelessness that leads people to resort to chemically induced escape fromtheir personal situations. (1996, February 12). The importers are simply following therules of American style capitalism. Thereis strong evidence that the military authorities in the target countriesexpend most of the American money they receive for anti-drug efforts topursue their own political goals by attacking the political organizationsopposing the military. (1993, Spring). 17). American anti-drug policy has never recognized theeconomic realities of drug production in that region (Buckley, 1996). The second conclusion is that the waste in moneyand goodwill must come to an end. George BushSenior used the drug war as a justification for the invasion of Panama,when the real reason for that action was to "punish an insubordinatedictator" (Cornez, 1992, p. The perception in foreign countries is that is easier forthe United States government to blame domestic problems on "foreign devils"than it is to implement realistic actions to reduce American demand forillegal drugs (Buckley, 1996). Schaffer Library of Drug Policy. Further, there is a perception thatthe United States is not prepared to deal with at home or is unable to dealwith at home. We have adopted programs to support literacyand to provide pro bono legal services to those who cannot otherwise affordthem" (Quoted in Flynn, 1993, p. Analysis of the Issues The war on drugs pursued by the United States as usual is being foughton someone else's land. Weare all committed to defending democracy and its principles as we defeatthe scourge of drugs" (p. The research performed for this paper involves an assessmentof relevant published literature. Failed "plan". Users of hard drugs must be forced intorehabilitation programs. F. TheUnited Nations reports that more than 1 countries are participating inthe drug market as producers, consumers, transfer points, or moneylaundering sites. The advent of the Bush Junioradministration marked an end to any pretense that the primary emphasis ofgovernmental anti-drug policy would be the reduction in demand. (1992, October). Heath education programs along thetobacco model can yield outcomes in relation to soft drug use similar totobacco use outcomes. Other thanpoliticians and others in Latin America who profit from the Americanpolicies, the resentment is fueled by a perception that the problemessentially is an American problem. Basic facts about the War on Drugs. The Department of Defense in the United States is a principal actor-stakeholder in the nation's war on drugs in relation to Latin America.Through the war on drugs, the armed forces are being deployed within theborders of other countries, as well as on the high seas where they assumejurisdiction to conduct interdiction activities in open waters far from thejurisdictional limits of the United States. Conclusion The first conclusion drawn from the findings of this exploration ofthe war on drugs is that the United States must focus primarily on thedemand side of the issue. Nevertheless, 7 percent of the anti-drug money spent by the United States government isdirected toward foreign countries. In spite of all the resourcescommitted to the so-called drug war, the production of illicit drugscontinues to increase, and the supply of illicit drugs available toAmerican consumers continues to increase, regardless of governmental claimsto the contrary (Anthony, 2 6). The Latin Americansholding such perceptions do not accept the proposition that the UnitedStates has ceased to be a nation with colonial intentions. the american war on drugs: effective? A third source of friction between Latin America and the United Statesin relation to the anti-drug effort in Latin America is that the UnitedStates is using the anti-drug campaign as a source of export earnings forthe arms and chemical industries in the United States. Political leaders in the United States have also used the drug war asa pretext to pursue their own political agendas and vendettas. Resentment in Latin America is high against the United States becauseof drug war efforts of the United States in the region. The newest Trojan Horse. (1992, March 2). Wrong man, wrong war. American anti-drug efforts in Latin America have also been devastatingto the natural environment. World Press Review, 17- 18.Flynn, S. While President Clinton has said that the United States governmentwould begin to emphasize the reduction in American drug demand ingovernmental anti-drug efforts, as opposed to the Bush Senior/Reaganemphasis on the control of foreign supply, no significant changes in theanti-drug funding ratios materialized. Most American politicians and public prosecutors are fond ofproclaiming that foreign drug lords and domestic drug pushers are poisoningAmerica's youth. The use of soft drugs must be closely regulatedand taxed along the alcohol model. Two years after Cartagena: Assessing accomplishments and plans. Although at first it may seem unrelated, the war on drugs has had amajor impact on the civil justice system at both the state and federallevels (McWilliams, 1992). To the extent that court resources must be diverted to dealwith the enormous inflow of drug prosecutions, these resources are notavailable to process other cases. This fact is particularly relevant to the situation in LatinAmerican countries. 37). A. The activity is more effectivelyregulated than it is eliminated. The courts are institutions of limitedresources. Coupled with thegeneral get tough on crime and criminals policies, one outcome of thenation's war on drugs has been the overwhelming of the criminal courtsystems at both the federal and state levels, but especially at the statelevel. The sellers of hard drugs in the United States mustcontinue to be punished; however, the focus of the actions must be withinthe nation's borders. (1992, June). The drug enforcement policy of is based on a widely heldassumption in the United States that the American drug abuse problem iscaused by a few evil people who are forcing American youth into evil ways.The use of illegal narcotic substances has never been the source of as muchor as serious individual and societal damage as has alcohol use.Marijuana, heroin, cocaine, and other illegal narcotic substances, however,had long been associated in the public mind in the United States with somesort of foreign culture, or with groups in society who either would not orcould not accommodate themselves to public norms (Schaffer, 1995). Business Economics, 27, 19-24.Schaffer, C. Unfortunately, there is also strong evidence thatUnited States diplomats are aware of this situation, and that these samediplomats in many instances either condone or support such use of Americananti-drug funds by Latin American military leaders to quell politicalmovements that are anathema to American policy makers. The implications ofthis thesis statement are that (a) the anti-drug policy in the UnitedStates are not cost-effective, (b) the ways in which the War on Drugs isconducted are damaging to the foreign relations of the United States, and(c) the social outcomes of the War on Drugs are damaging to thecohesiveness of American society. The American anti-drug effort hasbeen primarily a supply-side effort that has run counter to economicimperatives. Most of these countries are not treated by the UnitedStates the way in which this country treats the South American nationsinvolved in the drug trade. In the face of United States governmentpolicy to reduce the cultivation of illicit drugs in Latin America, thenumber of countries that grow, produce, and traffic in drugs has increasedsince the Cartagena drug summit. At the San Antonio Drug Summit, however,President Bush, Senior (1992) said that everything "we do must conform todemocratic principles. The Bush Senior Administration was a major actor stakeholder in thenation's war on drugs in relation to Latin America. National Review, 58(4), 27-28.Buckley, W. (1995). National Review, 35-48.Bush, G., Senior, President. Accessed on the Internet on 2 6- 3- 9 at: http://www.druglibrary.org/SCHAFFER/ library/basicfax.htm The United Stateshas long been perceived by many Latin Americans as a nation intent ondominating Latin America economically to the same extent that the UnitedStates has long attempted to dominate the region politically. (2 6, March 13). Introduction The purpose of this paper is to explore the effectiveness of the so-called "War on Drugs" pursued by the United States government over the past3 odd years. The United States troops, drug enforcement agents,and FBI agents represent a new form of colonial power interference in theaffairs of Latin American countries - the source of most illegal drugsimported into the United States (Contreras, 2 5). Presidents from Ronald Reagan throughGeorge Bush, Junior continue to punish Cuba for being communist, whileproclaiming that the Castro government is deeply involved in the drugtrade. Newsweek, 146(9) (Pacific Edition), 36-39.Cornez, C. US Department of State Dispatch, 3, 145-151.Contreras, J. The former president's words and the deedsof the United States government, however, do not always coincide in LatinAmerica. Worldwide drug scourge: The response. The delays caused by the resulting shortages of judges, courtrooms andstaff add to the costs of the system and to processing delays for cases."The American Bar Association supports in every way consistent with dueprocess of law the efforts to rid our country of the scourge of illegaldrugs. M. The thesis of this paper is that the American War on Drugs isineffective economically, politically, and socially. A second and more important source of resentment among many LatinAmericans is that the United States is simply using the war on drugs as apretense to continue to maintain a military presence in many Latin Americancountries. By concentrating the anti-drug efforts of the United States in foreigncountries, especially in Latin America, the American government isrelatively successful in persuading a substantial proportion of theAmerican people that costly, unpleasant efforts to control consumption inthe United States are unnecessary. The anti-drug policy of the United States government has failed tocontrol the spread of illicit drugs. Americans who regularly consume illicit drugs number in the millions.American demand for illicit drugs is the primary source of theinternational illicit drug problem. Thus, the types of effective regulation developed for alcohol hadnever even been seriously considered by the federal drug establishment inthe United States in relation to illegal narcotics. Latin American military authorities in countries targeted by theAmerican anti-drug effort are major beneficiaries of the drug war. Lastly, the United States must recognize that peopleimport drugs into this country for two reasons: there is a demand for drugsand selling drugs is profitable. The way in which the American drug war is waged throughout LatinAmerica causes many skeptics in both Latin America and the United States tobelieve that the real purpose of the American anti-drug efforts in thisregion is the perpetuation of United States hegemony in Latin America. Brookings Review, 11, 36-39.McWilliams, J. Setting the record straight: Facts about litigation costs and delay.

Ask a question about this product

Also Search for War on Drugs in all categories

Related Essays

DECRIMINALIZING DRUGS
Considers the arguments in favor of decriminalizing drugs.
THE WAR ON DRUGS: POSITIVES AND NEGATIVES
Discusses the positive and negative effects that the "war on drugs" has had on society in the U.S. Inception of the program under President Reagan. ixed findings on positive impact of the program.
LEGALIZATION OF DRUGS IN CA.
Argues that legalization would reduce crime and release "war on drugs" money for treatment centers and education.
Legalization of Drugs
Outlines pros & cons of drug legalization. 3 arguments for legalization are put forth and discussed, and then rebutted in the following section. The heart of the problem seems to be removing morality from governmental decisions on the matter.
"TRAFFIC."
Analysis of Steven Soderbergh's 2000 film dealing with the drug trade. Issue of why drugs are grown in poorer countries of Latin America & smuggled into rich countries. Drug cartels. Failure of U.S. War on Drugs. Economic law of supply & demand that governs the drug trade. Plot and motifs of film.
Debate Questions
This project is the negative answers to two questions. Should the government ban cyber porn on the Internet? and Should the US end the war on drugs?
LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA.
Considers the pros and cons. Sociological perspective. Argument that the War on Drugs is a failure and should be replaced with a policy that legalizes drugs. Corruption and crime brought about by War on Drugs, and illegality status. Argument that even limited use of marijuana for medicinal purposes is wrong as it sends a dangerous message to youths.
DRUG TRAFFICKING.
Discusses the issue of drug trafficking between the USA and Latin America. Examines the political ramifications of various governments' drug policies. Economic concerns and factors. History of drug trafficking as a product of the 20th Century. Illegal market. Impact of Prohibition on drug use and transportation. Changing government positions towards the problem.
Drug War and Terrorism
drug war and terrorism, relationship, efforts, intended and unintended consequences, players, prevention and mitigation, homeland security
WAR ON DRUGS.
Plan for fighting drugs in U.S. as if writer were in charge of War on Drugs.

Become a Premium Member. Buy all pre-written essays for only $2 per page! AND Get $1 of store credit for every $10 you spend!

Testimonials

This makes all the difference.

The staff and writers are true professionals. They are honest and helpful. If you order from them, you are in very good hands.

I'm so happy!

I used to have such a terrible time with writing, but not any more. This company has taken one of my most stressful college experiences and made it easy!

The Best Service Ever!

I really do appreciate Research Assistance. I'm not a good writer and the service really gets me going in the right direction. The staff gets back to me quickly with any concerns that I might have and they are always on time. Thanks a million for your excellent service.

Subjects

Show all subjects...

War on Drugs

Related Essays

Related Pages

Your cart

Testimonials

Subjects