Drug War: Bad news from Congress. Good news from Mexico.

Starting with Nixon and ever since, the bi-partisan “War on Drugs” has been a political scheme to attack “hippies” and people of color.  After the Nixon years it became a way to attack immigrants too.  It was designed to promote fear, escalate oppressive policing, and take away people’s civil rights.

Finally, some people — including fiscal conservatives who oppose the waste of money on an unworkable “big government” program — are calling for changes that reflect common sense.  The “harm reduction” strategies are a great step forward.

The Republican-dominated U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that purports to reduce overdoses from opioids, but this article explains how the Republican bill will put people in greater danger.  See https://www.alternet.org/drugs/overdose-prevention-bill-would-actually-promote-driving-people-out-treatment?src=newsletter1094168

Finally, after decades of corrupt and often conservative governments, the voters of Mexico elected a progressive person who wants to reform many aspects of that corrupt, violent, dysfunctional nation.  He wants to end Mexico’s “War on Drugs.  See https://www.alternet.org/drugs/mexico-new-president-andres-manuel-lopez-obrador-ways-end-drug-wars?src=newsletter1094168