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Why we must end the War on Drugs to Win the War on Terrorism

The author with Monks, 1983 Boudha, Nepal (click on the image for a larger view)

1. Eliminate black markets that create crime which enables terrorism and supports Narco-governments around the globe and to finally keep the CIA out of the hard drug business.

2. It's time for the US Government to take responsibility for failed drug policies and their own involvement in the drug trade. During the 1980's the CIA ran operations in Central and South America as well as Southwest Asia. The wholesale price of cocaine and heroin went down 500%. Not all the drug cartels together had the power to operate with impunity. There were 17 DEA agents in Pakistan over a ten year period and not one major heroin bust! What's obvious to me is that someone in the CIA had the nifty idea that by making heroin and cocaine cheap they could get the Cartels out of the dope business as there was no longer any profit in it for them! At the same time they could use the funds generated from the drug business to support CIA programs in South and Central America as well as Southwest Asia. The DEA are compromised by CIA agendas all over the globe since the day they were created! They are in effective and obsolete!

What's also obvious to me is that while the DEA and FBI busied themselves arresting non-violent marijuana smokers and medical marijuana patients, terrorists were residing in our own country and living La Vida Loca. A great example being the Rainbow Farm massacre by Federal agents! 120 Federal agents to arrest two hippie marijuana activists who were then killed by FBI snipers. What a disgrace.

3. Legalize heroin and cocaine and anything else that could be considered medicine. Its funny that the words legalize drugs scares most Americans. How else to control drugs? Make them available by prescription. Make clinics where addicts can receive their doses under sterile conditions. By registering all drug addicts and supplying them how better to offer treatment to finally help them break their addiction. As an example why this is so important to finally get help to these afflicted people: a junkie spends 24 hours a day in the search for money to feed a habit and never really has time for self-reflection. A funny thing happens when you supply the drug addict with his doses and an environment where he can enjoy them. The addict no longer has to spend 24 hours a day in search of money and drug's, he now has 24 hours of self-reflection. The adventure has been taken out of the high and it becomes boring. This is what happens when an extraordinary thing becomes ordinary. It becomes boring and at this point the junkies opt for therapy. It's like living in a glass house. Which is not conducive for getting high on heroin or cocaine. Once the adventure and the illegality is out of the picture it becomes boring. In Holland the average age of a heroin addict is forty and addiction rates are going down. Here in the States the average age of a heroin addict is 20 years old and addiction rates are going up. Even the hardcore heroin addicts after sometime will come off drugs using this more compassionate approach to addiction. Get the addict out of the closet and out in the open by registration.

4. The biggest mistake of the War on Drugs has been to classify Marijuana the same as Heroin or Cocaine. An ounce of marijuana now costs as much as an ounce of cocaine and heroin is cheaper than bubblegum! There had always been a separation of the marijuana markets and hard drug markets. Two complete separate scenes that had nothing in common. The prohibition of marijuana and American Foreign Drug Policies has led to hard drug addiction all over the globe. As an example Nepal was the last country where marijuana was legal. In 1973 the King of Nepal made marijuana and hashish illegal in Nepal after receiving 50 million dollars from Richard Nixon. Overnight he created a criminal society. Where once there was no such thing as a Nepalese heroin addict and no opium is grown in Nepal they now have a half million heroin and crack addicts. Heroin and crack are cheap in Nepal and marijuana and hashish are way too expensive for the average Nepalese. Nepal today is 8X poorer than in 1973. Prohibition created a huge black market for hard drugs in Nepal. One of the principal objectives of the Coffeehouses in Amsterdam is to separate the two totally different markets. The last thing a marijuana smoker wants to do is hang out with heroin and cocaine addicts!

5. Its time for the government to admit its mistakes and stop lying to its people. Marijuana is part of our culture and will always be. Marijuana should be totally legal and regulated. The taxes from its sale should go to support rehab clinics for our hard drug addicts. Our farmers should be allowed to grow hemp again. It amazes me that the USA is the only industrial country that does not grow hemp. The government must take responsibility for the hardcore drug addiction that was created due to their failed foreign policies! Think of all the American people in prison for using drugs that came from CIA hard drug pipelines!

6. We no longer can afford the War on Drugs. Why throw good money after bad. Lets face it we need our government to focus on the War on Terrorism. The War on Drugs has been a war on American people. As an example a man in Oklahoma was sentenced to 97 years for 5 marijuana plants! Medical marijuana patients are routinely arrested for using what they consider their medicine in states where medical marijuana is legal! 15,000 people were arrested and put in jail for simple marijuana possession in New York City alone in year 2000! We are going to need our jail space for real criminals who fly airliners into buildings not people who go to Washington Square Park to smoke a joint! Believe me due to our Governments Foreign policies and the enemies we've made we'll need all the jail space we have for terrorists. American Foreign Policy of the last 50 years has had disastrous effects on the Third World.

7. What happened to the Anti-Globalization protestors? What is that supposed to mean? I guess the Government wants the protestors out there with signs reading (We told you so). Lets face it all the zillions we've given to intelligence and still the right hand doesn't know what the left hand is doing! One thing for sure we must end all black markets in order to be a free society. Never again should the misery of an addict's life go to support people such as Bin Laden! We no longer can afford to have our own government create crime and terrorism! Terrorism is a graveyard littered with the likes of the Shah of Iran, Noriega, Pinochet, Mobuto, Diem, Suharto, Chiang Kai Shek, Marcos, Gulbuddin Hekmaytar, ect.

8. Oil who needs it? How long will the American people be slaves to the oil junkies in Washington D.C.? Why do they that hate us? In the 1970's our good buddy the Shah of Iran threw a $200 million dollar party ($2 billion in today's dollars) while a mile down the road his own people starved. The Shah's guests were served on solid gold plates! It's incredible that in the 21st century we are still using the combustion engine. Or that the Government suppresses hemp whose seeds produce oil that can run an engine. Why do they hate us? Is it because lying is as American as apple pie. The truth will set you free but the truth is what most Americans fear the most! As long as the government speaks with a forked tongue and we accept it, that creates terrorism.

9. Will the 21st century be spent fighting wars created by our Foreign policy from the 20th century? America is going to become like a turtle. Who only sticks his head out to eat but retreats in his shell at any sign of danger! Americans will no longer be able to travel freely in the world. As we continue our gunboat diplomacy into the 21st century Americans had better get used to being at a constant state of War. This War on terrorism is going to go on for quite awhile.

10. A Rabbi told me the world would end 70 days after the WTC tragedy according to a prophesy from the Kabala, November 20th, 2001. In the event this does not take place and we are in for the long haul. The answer to the question why do they hate us is simple. We're hypocrites. There is no such thing as a free American. We are all prisoners of our failed US Government foreign policies, as well as the War on Drugs.

Nepal, the land of temples and monasteries (click on the image for a larger view)

Nepal has become a textbook example of failed American foreign drug policy. Once again we will watch the US Government create anti-American hatred, as well as terrorism by backing a despot heroin dealing King and Royal family instead of the people of Nepal. On November 24th the ceasefire fell apart when the Peoples movement attacked an army convoy. Attacks all over the Kingdom occur.

On November 26th the King declares all Maoists terrorists in the hopes of American support! He also declares a state of emergency and announces curbs on freedom of movement and expression and gave authorities powers of detention and search! The US Government has all ready pledged 10 Huey gun ships for the Nepalese Army. Mind you this is the same Nepalese government who has allowed the Pakistani ISI ( Bin Laden protector and creator of Taliban) as well as Kashmiri terrorists to operate from Kathmandu!

Democracy is a sham in Nepal. You either vote for the king's man or vote for the King's man! Guess who wins? If a straight election were ever held in Nepal the Maoists would win by a landslide! Nepal is finally waking up from a thousand years of Feudalism. Nepal has an 80-90% illiteracy rate and 80-90% landless serfs. Communism has to look great to these people. The King of Nepal and the Royal Family have lived off the blood of the Nepalese people for centuries. Today Nepal finds itself 8X poorer than in 1970. Children are sold to brothels in India. Indentured slavery is the norm in Nepal. Can you imagine being born an indentured slave? I've waited for King Gyanendra to finally show himself for what he is the Black Prince who will stop at nothing to preserve himself. Nobody believes the Official account of the June 1st Royal Massacre! He thinks with America the Global Policeman on his side he will crush the opposition. So I find myself in a unique situation where I can point out and show the world the US Government creating terrorism!

The People's Movement in Nepal clamor for freedom. Under the Royal Family there has never been any freedom in Nepal so I can only imagine what it must be like to be living under marshal law! With Americas support the King will dispose of all his enemies. But out of the oceans of blood will a Nepali warrior arise and take his revenge out on Uncle Sam? This is how the US Government creates hatred and gives birth to terrorists. Lets face it the King of Nepal has outlived his usefulness. It's time for a change. The people of Nepal cry out for freedom. Eventually the people will overthrow the King.

Joseph R. Pietri