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To End the War on Drugs - Policymakers Edition

Author: Dean Becker

Publisher: CreateSpace

Published: 2014-06-25

Total Pages: 346

ISBN-13: 9781500326340

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To End The War on Drugs was written by long time Pacifica reporter Dean Becker, a former law enforcement officer who aligns with LEAP as a speaker for the group and with the Baker Institute as a research associate. The book has been revised from the first edition to include the thanks of the DEA and Attorney General Eric Holder along with forewords from both the James A. Baker III Institute and the 150,000 strong LEAP organization. In the pages of this book you find the acumen of more than 100 experts on the drug war who were guests on Becker's radio shows. Doctors, scientists, cops, wardens, prosecutors, politicians, parents, prisoners and many others with diverse perspectives all come to the conclusion that the drug war does not work, holds no water, is destructive with absolutely no redeeming value. It is our hope that the gift of these books to these officials will indeed bring forth a mutual agreement, an absolution for all. We seek a debate this winter, we are requesting that the President, the House and the Senate each select a delegate to form a panel to debate Major Neill Franklin and Dean Becker. What is the benefit of drug war? That is our real concern. Currently under the US-mandated policy of drug prohibition, our terrorist enemies can make billions of dollars each year by simply growing the flowers we fear. Cartels in Latin America make tens of billions by corrupting American law enforcement. More than 30,000 US gangs make tens of billions of dollars a year by enticing and selling contaminated drugs to our kids. 40 million arrests later, with snitches and informants, no-knock warrants, door-bashing, dog-killing, child -threatening, midnight raids with overwhelming force and weaponry, most often for a small, truly infinitesimal bag of some diluted stimulant or downer. Ask anyone in law enforcement or behind the bench to tell the truth and they will admit that despite the expenditure of way over a trillion US taxpayer dollars and hundreds of millions of law enforcement hours we have never stopped even one determined child from getting their hands on drugs. What is the benefit?

Book Synopsis To End the War on Drugs - Policymakers Edition by : Dean Becker

Download or read book To End the War on Drugs - Policymakers Edition written by Dean Becker and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-06-25 with total page 346 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To End The War on Drugs was written by long time Pacifica reporter Dean Becker, a former law enforcement officer who aligns with LEAP as a speaker for the group and with the Baker Institute as a research associate. The book has been revised from the first edition to include the thanks of the DEA and Attorney General Eric Holder along with forewords from both the James A. Baker III Institute and the 150,000 strong LEAP organization. In the pages of this book you find the acumen of more than 100 experts on the drug war who were guests on Becker's radio shows. Doctors, scientists, cops, wardens, prosecutors, politicians, parents, prisoners and many others with diverse perspectives all come to the conclusion that the drug war does not work, holds no water, is destructive with absolutely no redeeming value. It is our hope that the gift of these books to these officials will indeed bring forth a mutual agreement, an absolution for all. We seek a debate this winter, we are requesting that the President, the House and the Senate each select a delegate to form a panel to debate Major Neill Franklin and Dean Becker. What is the benefit of drug war? That is our real concern. Currently under the US-mandated policy of drug prohibition, our terrorist enemies can make billions of dollars each year by simply growing the flowers we fear. Cartels in Latin America make tens of billions by corrupting American law enforcement. More than 30,000 US gangs make tens of billions of dollars a year by enticing and selling contaminated drugs to our kids. 40 million arrests later, with snitches and informants, no-knock warrants, door-bashing, dog-killing, child -threatening, midnight raids with overwhelming force and weaponry, most often for a small, truly infinitesimal bag of some diluted stimulant or downer. Ask anyone in law enforcement or behind the bench to tell the truth and they will admit that despite the expenditure of way over a trillion US taxpayer dollars and hundreds of millions of law enforcement hours we have never stopped even one determined child from getting their hands on drugs. What is the benefit?

To End the War on Drugs, a Guide for Politicians, the Press and Public

Author: Dean Becker

Publisher: Dtn Media

Published: 2014-02-27

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 9780615969916

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A globe circling grand slam against drug prohibition. A scathing indictment of the war on drugs. Seattle Police Chief (Ret) Norm Stamper: " For decades, Dean Becker has given himself over to the cause of sane and sensible drug policies. In 'To End the War on Drugs', he explains his passion for reform, and tells us why he's been willing to make sacrifice after sacrifice to end this country's disastrous drug war. Along the way, we hear from scores of reformers (and more than a few apologists for U.S. drug policy). But it is Dean's voice that comes through loud and clear as he makes a strong, compelling case for an end to the War on Drugs." Authored by Pacifica radio host and former cop Dean Becker. This book features the thoughts of 115 experts on the subject of drug war. Included are the words of scientists, doctors, cops, wardens, prosecutors, politicians, authors, prisoners, patients, pastors, pot providers and more. 340 pages of unvarnished truth that will help bring an end to this century of lies.

Book Synopsis To End the War on Drugs, a Guide for Politicians, the Press and Public by : Dean Becker

Download or read book To End the War on Drugs, a Guide for Politicians, the Press and Public written by Dean Becker and published by Dtn Media. This book was released on 2014-02-27 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A globe circling grand slam against drug prohibition. A scathing indictment of the war on drugs. Seattle Police Chief (Ret) Norm Stamper: " For decades, Dean Becker has given himself over to the cause of sane and sensible drug policies. In 'To End the War on Drugs', he explains his passion for reform, and tells us why he's been willing to make sacrifice after sacrifice to end this country's disastrous drug war. Along the way, we hear from scores of reformers (and more than a few apologists for U.S. drug policy). But it is Dean's voice that comes through loud and clear as he makes a strong, compelling case for an end to the War on Drugs." Authored by Pacifica radio host and former cop Dean Becker. This book features the thoughts of 115 experts on the subject of drug war. Included are the words of scientists, doctors, cops, wardens, prosecutors, politicians, authors, prisoners, patients, pastors, pot providers and more. 340 pages of unvarnished truth that will help bring an end to this century of lies.

Ending the War on Drugs

Author: Dirk Chase Eldredge

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2000

Total Pages: 224

ISBN-13: 1882593383

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"A conservative Republican examines how and why America is losing the war against illegal drugs-and presents a case for carefully controlled legalization."--

Book Synopsis Ending the War on Drugs by : Dirk Chase Eldredge

Download or read book Ending the War on Drugs written by Dirk Chase Eldredge and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2000 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "A conservative Republican examines how and why America is losing the war against illegal drugs-and presents a case for carefully controlled legalization."--

Drugs and Drug Policy

Author: Mark A.R. Kleiman

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2011-07-13

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 0199831386

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While there have always been norms and customs around the use of drugs, explicit public policies--regulations, taxes, and prohibitions--designed to control drug abuse are a more recent phenomenon. Those policies sometimes have terrible side-effects: most prominently the development of criminal enterprises dealing in forbidden (or untaxed) drugs and the use of the profits of drug-dealing to finance insurgency and terrorism. Neither a drug-free world nor a world of free drugs seems to be on offer, leaving citizens and officials to face the age-old problem: What are we going to do about drugs? In Drugs and Drug Policy, three noted authorities survey the subject with exceptional clarity, in this addition to the acclaimed series, What Everyone Needs to Know®. They begin, by defining "drugs," examining how they work in the brain, discussing the nature of addiction, and exploring the damage they do to users. The book moves on to policy, answering questions about legalization, the role of criminal prohibitions, and the relative legal tolerance for alcohol and tobacco. The authors then dissect the illicit trade, from street dealers to the flow of money to the effect of catching kingpins, and show the precise nature of the relationship between drugs and crime. They examine treatment, both its effectiveness and the role of public policy, and discuss the beneficial effects of some abusable substances. Finally they move outward to look at the role of drugs in our foreign policy, their relationship to terrorism, and the ugly politics that surround the issue. Crisp, clear, and comprehensive, this is a handy and up-to-date overview of one of the most pressing topics in today's world. What Everyone Needs to Know® is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press.

Book Synopsis Drugs and Drug Policy by : Mark A.R. Kleiman

Download or read book Drugs and Drug Policy written by Mark A.R. Kleiman and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2011-07-13 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: While there have always been norms and customs around the use of drugs, explicit public policies--regulations, taxes, and prohibitions--designed to control drug abuse are a more recent phenomenon. Those policies sometimes have terrible side-effects: most prominently the development of criminal enterprises dealing in forbidden (or untaxed) drugs and the use of the profits of drug-dealing to finance insurgency and terrorism. Neither a drug-free world nor a world of free drugs seems to be on offer, leaving citizens and officials to face the age-old problem: What are we going to do about drugs? In Drugs and Drug Policy, three noted authorities survey the subject with exceptional clarity, in this addition to the acclaimed series, What Everyone Needs to Know®. They begin, by defining "drugs," examining how they work in the brain, discussing the nature of addiction, and exploring the damage they do to users. The book moves on to policy, answering questions about legalization, the role of criminal prohibitions, and the relative legal tolerance for alcohol and tobacco. The authors then dissect the illicit trade, from street dealers to the flow of money to the effect of catching kingpins, and show the precise nature of the relationship between drugs and crime. They examine treatment, both its effectiveness and the role of public policy, and discuss the beneficial effects of some abusable substances. Finally they move outward to look at the role of drugs in our foreign policy, their relationship to terrorism, and the ugly politics that surround the issue. Crisp, clear, and comprehensive, this is a handy and up-to-date overview of one of the most pressing topics in today's world. What Everyone Needs to Know® is a registered trademark of Oxford University Press.

Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It

Author: James Gray

Publisher: Temple University Press

Published: 2011-12-16

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 1439908001

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Our drug prohibition policy is hopeless, just as Prohibition, our alcohol prohibition policy, was before it. Today there are more drugs in our communities and at lower prices and higher strengths than ever before. We have built large numbers of prisons, but they are overflowing with non-violent drug offenders. The huge profits made from drug sales are corrupting people and institutions here and abroad. And far from being protected by our drug prohibition policy, our children are being recruited by it to a lifestyle of drug use and drug selling. Judge Gray’s book drives a stake through the heart of the War on Drugs. After documenting the wide-ranging harms caused by this failed policy, Judge Gray also gives us hope. We have viable options. The author evaluates these options, ranging from education and drug treatment to different strategies for taking the profit out of drug-dealing. Many officials will not say publicly what they acknowledge privately about the failure of the War on Drugs. Politicians especially are afraid of not appearing "tough on drugs." But Judge Gray’s conclusions as a veteran trial judge and former federal prosecutor are reinforced by the testimonies of more than forty other judges nationwide.

Book Synopsis Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It by : James Gray

Download or read book Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It written by James Gray and published by Temple University Press. This book was released on 2011-12-16 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Our drug prohibition policy is hopeless, just as Prohibition, our alcohol prohibition policy, was before it. Today there are more drugs in our communities and at lower prices and higher strengths than ever before. We have built large numbers of prisons, but they are overflowing with non-violent drug offenders. The huge profits made from drug sales are corrupting people and institutions here and abroad. And far from being protected by our drug prohibition policy, our children are being recruited by it to a lifestyle of drug use and drug selling. Judge Gray’s book drives a stake through the heart of the War on Drugs. After documenting the wide-ranging harms caused by this failed policy, Judge Gray also gives us hope. We have viable options. The author evaluates these options, ranging from education and drug treatment to different strategies for taking the profit out of drug-dealing. Many officials will not say publicly what they acknowledge privately about the failure of the War on Drugs. Politicians especially are afraid of not appearing "tough on drugs." But Judge Gray’s conclusions as a veteran trial judge and former federal prosecutor are reinforced by the testimonies of more than forty other judges nationwide.

Drug War Politics

Author: Eva Bertram

Publisher: Univ of California Press

Published: 1996-07-15

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 0520205987

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"An important and timely book. The authors capture the dynamics of drug debate with uncanny accuracy. Too often, treatment and prevention get the short end of the stick in Congress, and this book explains why. Drug War Politics makes a compelling case for bringing public health principles to bear on the drug epidemic, and is essential reading for serious students of the drug issue."—Senator Edward M. Kennedy "A thoughtful analysis of the most fundamental and troublesome social problem in America. It reaches behind rhetoric and starts making sense about how we can go about saving ourselves from two addictions: the terrible affliction of drugs and the easy talk that makes the rest of us feel good but does not deal with the problem."—Kurt Schmoke, Mayor, City of Baltimore "This well-informed book shows how political expediency and a punitive conventional wisdom have combined over the past decades to support a national drug policy that fills our prisons, depletes our budget, and destroys our poor. This is a wonderfully sane analysis of what has become a major form of national insanity."—Frances Fox Piven, City University of New York "We've needed a new way of thinking about the drug problem for a long time. Now we have it. Drug War Politics is one of the best efforts to reconceptualize a major aspect of crime, especially victimless crime, that I have seen since Morris and Hawkins' The Honest Politician's Guide to Crime Control of nearly 30 years ago."—Theodore J. Lowi, Cornell University "A compelling analysis of our failure. The provocative public health solutions it proposes to the drug-related crime, violence, and despair that ravage many of our inner cities show that we can give people a chance—a chance to fight addiction and build better lives."—Congressman John Lewis "We will never be able to arrest, prosecute, or jail our way out of the drug problem. To understand why, read this book. The evidence is overwhelming: we need a radical change in the mission and mandate of drug control."—Nicholas Pastore, Chief of Police, New Haven "This is the smart citizens' guide to the drug policy debate—to why we spend so much time and money on things that don't work, and to where we can look for guidance for things that do."—Barbara Geller, Director, Fighting Back, New Haven

Book Synopsis Drug War Politics by : Eva Bertram

Download or read book Drug War Politics written by Eva Bertram and published by Univ of California Press. This book was released on 1996-07-15 with total page 363 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "An important and timely book. The authors capture the dynamics of drug debate with uncanny accuracy. Too often, treatment and prevention get the short end of the stick in Congress, and this book explains why. Drug War Politics makes a compelling case for bringing public health principles to bear on the drug epidemic, and is essential reading for serious students of the drug issue."—Senator Edward M. Kennedy "A thoughtful analysis of the most fundamental and troublesome social problem in America. It reaches behind rhetoric and starts making sense about how we can go about saving ourselves from two addictions: the terrible affliction of drugs and the easy talk that makes the rest of us feel good but does not deal with the problem."—Kurt Schmoke, Mayor, City of Baltimore "This well-informed book shows how political expediency and a punitive conventional wisdom have combined over the past decades to support a national drug policy that fills our prisons, depletes our budget, and destroys our poor. This is a wonderfully sane analysis of what has become a major form of national insanity."—Frances Fox Piven, City University of New York "We've needed a new way of thinking about the drug problem for a long time. Now we have it. Drug War Politics is one of the best efforts to reconceptualize a major aspect of crime, especially victimless crime, that I have seen since Morris and Hawkins' The Honest Politician's Guide to Crime Control of nearly 30 years ago."—Theodore J. Lowi, Cornell University "A compelling analysis of our failure. The provocative public health solutions it proposes to the drug-related crime, violence, and despair that ravage many of our inner cities show that we can give people a chance—a chance to fight addiction and build better lives."—Congressman John Lewis "We will never be able to arrest, prosecute, or jail our way out of the drug problem. To understand why, read this book. The evidence is overwhelming: we need a radical change in the mission and mandate of drug control."—Nicholas Pastore, Chief of Police, New Haven "This is the smart citizens' guide to the drug policy debate—to why we spend so much time and money on things that don't work, and to where we can look for guidance for things that do."—Barbara Geller, Director, Fighting Back, New Haven

Home Grown

Author: Isaac Campos

Publisher: Univ of North Carolina Press

Published: 2012-04-23

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13: 0807882682

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Historian Isaac Campos combines wide-ranging archival research with the latest scholarship on the social and cultural dimensions of drug-related behavior in this telling of marijuana's remarkable history in Mexico. Introduced in the sixteenth century by the Spanish, cannabis came to Mexico as an industrial fiber and symbol of European empire. But, Campos demonstrates, as it gradually spread to indigenous pharmacopoeias, then prisons and soldiers' barracks, it took on both a Mexican name--marijuana--and identity as a quintessentially "Mexican" drug. A century ago, Mexicans believed that marijuana could instantly trigger madness and violence in its users, and the drug was outlawed nationwide in 1920. Home Grown thus traces the deep roots of the antidrug ideology and prohibitionist policies that anchor the drug-war violence that engulfs Mexico today. Campos also counters the standard narrative of modern drug wars, which casts global drug prohibition as a sort of informal American cultural colonization. Instead, he argues, Mexican ideas were the foundation for notions of "reefer madness" in the United States. This book is an indispensable guide for anyone who hopes to understand the deep and complex origins of marijuana's controversial place in North American history.

Book Synopsis Home Grown by : Isaac Campos

Download or read book Home Grown written by Isaac Campos and published by Univ of North Carolina Press. This book was released on 2012-04-23 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Historian Isaac Campos combines wide-ranging archival research with the latest scholarship on the social and cultural dimensions of drug-related behavior in this telling of marijuana's remarkable history in Mexico. Introduced in the sixteenth century by the Spanish, cannabis came to Mexico as an industrial fiber and symbol of European empire. But, Campos demonstrates, as it gradually spread to indigenous pharmacopoeias, then prisons and soldiers' barracks, it took on both a Mexican name--marijuana--and identity as a quintessentially "Mexican" drug. A century ago, Mexicans believed that marijuana could instantly trigger madness and violence in its users, and the drug was outlawed nationwide in 1920. Home Grown thus traces the deep roots of the antidrug ideology and prohibitionist policies that anchor the drug-war violence that engulfs Mexico today. Campos also counters the standard narrative of modern drug wars, which casts global drug prohibition as a sort of informal American cultural colonization. Instead, he argues, Mexican ideas were the foundation for notions of "reefer madness" in the United States. This book is an indispensable guide for anyone who hopes to understand the deep and complex origins of marijuana's controversial place in North American history.

Beyond the War on Drugs

Author: Steven Wisotsky

Publisher: Prometheus Books

Published: 1990-03

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 1615928359

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This provocative and controversial book rejects the popular pablum of more laws, more money, more enforcement personnel, and more jails as the road to victory in the "war on drugs." Author Steven Wisotsky masterfully documents the failure of the drug war and the erroneous premise central to its destructive and doomed strategy: the idea that drug taking controls human behavior; that drugs "cause" physical dependency. Americans must move beyond the war on drugs by repudiating their obsessive preoccupation with controlling or prohibiting drugs. Instead, we must replace this mindset with a new view that acknowledges individual freedom and the power of directing our choices toward responsible human behavior. According to Wisotsky, the idea of "waging war" on drugs is central to the problem rather than a fundamental part of any solution. He takes the Reagan-Bush-Bennett campaign to task for its failed efforts to cut the supply of drugs, reduce public demand, and enforce laws regarding the sale and distribution of controlled substances. Wisotsky contends that the war on drugs will remain inadequate so long as society continues to be seduced by the battle cries of its own stepped-up combat in which the "enemy" (drugs) must be eradicated at all cost. The rationale for doing battle has become so embedded in the public mind that we no longer recognize the need for a critical review of social policy, strategy, or the methods needed to achieve our desired goals. Have we simply created a new type of Prohibition, which is destined to fail? And if this is the case, then what does it say about our society? Have we lost the ability to reflect critically on our social motives and purposes, as well as our justification for the actions we take, simply because we've declared "war" on the "enemy" and we aren't going to stop the good fight until we've "won"? Beyond the War on Drugs offers hard-hitting arguments to support the growing public opinion that this war, as it is currently conceived, cannot be won and ought not to be fought. Wisotsky argues persuasively for a reassessment of this struggle. We must go beyond the war on drugs to develop a public policy that acknowledges human intelligence, free choice, and individual responsibility.

Book Synopsis Beyond the War on Drugs by : Steven Wisotsky

Download or read book Beyond the War on Drugs written by Steven Wisotsky and published by Prometheus Books. This book was released on 1990-03 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This provocative and controversial book rejects the popular pablum of more laws, more money, more enforcement personnel, and more jails as the road to victory in the "war on drugs." Author Steven Wisotsky masterfully documents the failure of the drug war and the erroneous premise central to its destructive and doomed strategy: the idea that drug taking controls human behavior; that drugs "cause" physical dependency. Americans must move beyond the war on drugs by repudiating their obsessive preoccupation with controlling or prohibiting drugs. Instead, we must replace this mindset with a new view that acknowledges individual freedom and the power of directing our choices toward responsible human behavior. According to Wisotsky, the idea of "waging war" on drugs is central to the problem rather than a fundamental part of any solution. He takes the Reagan-Bush-Bennett campaign to task for its failed efforts to cut the supply of drugs, reduce public demand, and enforce laws regarding the sale and distribution of controlled substances. Wisotsky contends that the war on drugs will remain inadequate so long as society continues to be seduced by the battle cries of its own stepped-up combat in which the "enemy" (drugs) must be eradicated at all cost. The rationale for doing battle has become so embedded in the public mind that we no longer recognize the need for a critical review of social policy, strategy, or the methods needed to achieve our desired goals. Have we simply created a new type of Prohibition, which is destined to fail? And if this is the case, then what does it say about our society? Have we lost the ability to reflect critically on our social motives and purposes, as well as our justification for the actions we take, simply because we've declared "war" on the "enemy" and we aren't going to stop the good fight until we've "won"? Beyond the War on Drugs offers hard-hitting arguments to support the growing public opinion that this war, as it is currently conceived, cannot be won and ought not to be fought. Wisotsky argues persuasively for a reassessment of this struggle. We must go beyond the war on drugs to develop a public policy that acknowledges human intelligence, free choice, and individual responsibility.

Shooting Up

Author: Vanda Felbab-Brown

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2009-12-01

Total Pages: 292

ISBN-13: 081570450X

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Most policymakers see counterinsurgency and counternarcotics policy as two sides of the same coin. Stop the flow of drug money, the logic goes, and the insurgency will wither away. But the conventional wisdom is dangerously wrongheaded, as Vanda Felbab-Brown argues in Shooting Up. Counternarcotics campaigns, particularly those focused on eradication, typically fail to bankrupt belligerent groups that rely on the drug trade for financing. Worse, they actually strengthen insurgents by increasing their legitimacy and popular support. Felbab-Brown, a leading expert on drug interdiction efforts and counterinsurgency, draws on interviews and fieldwork in some of the world's most dangerous regions to explain how belligerent groups have become involved in drug trafficking and related activities, including kidnapping, extortion, and smuggling. Shooting Up shows vividly how powerful guerrilla and terrorist organizations — including Peru's Shining Path, the FARC and the paramilitaries in Colombia, and the Taliban in Afghanistan — have learned to exploit illicit markets. In addition, the author explores the interaction between insurgent groups and illicit economies in frequently overlooked settings, such as Northern Ireland, Turkey, and Burma. While aggressive efforts to suppress the drug trade typically backfire, Shooting Up shows that a laissez-faire policy toward illicit crop cultivation can reduce support for the belligerents and, critically, increase cooperation with government intelligence gathering. When combined with interdiction targeting major traffickers, this strategy gives policymakers a better chance of winning both the war against the insurgents and the war on drugs.

Book Synopsis Shooting Up by : Vanda Felbab-Brown

Download or read book Shooting Up written by Vanda Felbab-Brown and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2009-12-01 with total page 292 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most policymakers see counterinsurgency and counternarcotics policy as two sides of the same coin. Stop the flow of drug money, the logic goes, and the insurgency will wither away. But the conventional wisdom is dangerously wrongheaded, as Vanda Felbab-Brown argues in Shooting Up. Counternarcotics campaigns, particularly those focused on eradication, typically fail to bankrupt belligerent groups that rely on the drug trade for financing. Worse, they actually strengthen insurgents by increasing their legitimacy and popular support. Felbab-Brown, a leading expert on drug interdiction efforts and counterinsurgency, draws on interviews and fieldwork in some of the world's most dangerous regions to explain how belligerent groups have become involved in drug trafficking and related activities, including kidnapping, extortion, and smuggling. Shooting Up shows vividly how powerful guerrilla and terrorist organizations — including Peru's Shining Path, the FARC and the paramilitaries in Colombia, and the Taliban in Afghanistan — have learned to exploit illicit markets. In addition, the author explores the interaction between insurgent groups and illicit economies in frequently overlooked settings, such as Northern Ireland, Turkey, and Burma. While aggressive efforts to suppress the drug trade typically backfire, Shooting Up shows that a laissez-faire policy toward illicit crop cultivation can reduce support for the belligerents and, critically, increase cooperation with government intelligence gathering. When combined with interdiction targeting major traffickers, this strategy gives policymakers a better chance of winning both the war against the insurgents and the war on drugs.