CT: The War on Drugs

Kama

More of a genre within conspiracy theory than a specific theory, and very populular with the hippy stoners

(because they're paranoid of course!)

Here's a few related angles, just some to get started



'Big Oil Killed Hemp'

The theory that marijuana was criminalised, largely at the behest of the petroleum industry, or 'Big Oil', to prevent competition with emerging synthetic materials from hemp, which is a versatile raw material for a variety of end products, both industrial and nutritional; from rope to paper to oils to car parts. Hemp was then legally banned, as a violence-causing drug, in a propaganda-scare campaign with a heavy racial tone. Films like 'Reefer Madness' were later recut and screened, for stoners, as comedy, ironically enough.


'The Man keeps drugs Illegal to make us criminals'

Basically, that making lots of people criminals is what its all about; especially if the dissidents or oppositional groups who need controlling (this is particularly popular in the African-American community, historically over-represented massively in the prison system) happen to use them. 'Police state' conspiracy theories are included here; the police state needs an excuse to grow and infringe our basic liberties, and to do that it needs to make more criminals; drug use serves this admirably.


'The Spooks Run the Drugs'

Assumption here is that the intellegince services became, one way or another, involved with the supply of drugs, and remain so. Drug profits feed 'Black Op' budgets, and increase the intensity of the drug war; a current variant on this is that the overthrow of the Taliban was partially in order to restore the flow of heroin from Afghanistan.

There is a synergy with the previous argument; they get to play both sides of the game. Supplying and controlling the drug flows, and the accompanying revenues, while beefing up the prisons and police simultaneously.


'It's a Battle for Our Minds'


Idea here, coming out of people like Tom Leary, was that certain drugs are consciousness expanding, and if a system is based on control and domination, the last thing it wants is people who are thinking freely; you want to give them depressant drugs like alcohol which make them want to fight, and make 'em feel like sh1t afterwards, rather than something that will make them feel giggly, or make them see weird stuff.

At a further end, we have people who think we meet aliens from another dimension (rather than experience stuff from our subconscious, or effects from altering brain neurochemistry), and the System is trying to prevent this beneficial alien contact.

(btw I think drugs are illegal primarily because of the idiocy of policy drift and inertia, rather than anything exotic. But thats no fun! )


Anyone else got any good ones?

Diogenes

Kama wrote: »

More of a genre within conspiracy theory than a specific theory, and very populular with the hippy stoners

(because they're paranoid of course!)

Here's a few related angles, just some to get started



'Big Oil Killed Hemp'

The theory that marijuana was criminalised, largely at the behest of the petroleum industry, or 'Big Oil', to prevent competition with emerging synthetic materials from hemp, which is a versatile raw material for a variety of end products, both industrial and nutritional; from rope to paper to oils to car parts. Hemp was then legally banned, as a violence-causing drug, in a propaganda-scare campaign with a heavy racial tone. Films like 'Reefer Madness' were later recut and screened, for stoners, as comedy, ironically enough.

Actually alternatively the idea was the William Randolph Hearst, pushed the criminalisation of hemp. He had major stock in forestry to be used as paper, instead of hemp, which could be used as alternative.

'The Man keeps drugs Illegal to make us criminals'

Basically, that making lots of people criminals is what its all about; especially if the dissidents or oppositional groups who need controlling (this is particularly popular in the African-American community, historically over-represented massively in the prison system) happen to use them. 'Police state' conspiracy theories are included here; the police state needs an excuse to grow and infringe our basic liberties, and to do that it needs to make more criminals; drug use serves this admirably.

And how does the state "make" money from having a prison population.

'The Spooks Run the Drugs'

Assumption here is that the intellegince services became, one way or another, involved with the supply of drugs, and remain so. Drug profits feed 'Black Op' budgets, and increase the intensity of the drug war; a current variant on this is that the overthrow of the Taliban was partially in order to restore the flow of heroin from Afghanistan.

The Taliban only banned opium production for a couple of years (they were in power for over a decade) possibly to drum up prices for their stockpiles. They were happy for opium production to continue for years under their rule.

Secondly, intelligence budgets are mssive running into the billions, do you think they need the extra cash?

Idea here, coming out of people like Tom Leary, was that certain drugs are consciousness expanding, and if a system is based on control and domination, the last thing it wants is people who are thinking freely; you want to give them depressant drugs like alcohol which make them want to fight, and make 'em feel like sh1t afterwards, rather than something that will make them feel giggly, or make them see weird stuff.

At a further end, we have people who think we meet aliens from another dimension (rather than experience stuff from our subconscious, or effects from altering brain neurochemistry), and the System is trying to prevent this beneficial alien contact.

(btw I think drugs are illegal primarily because of the idiocy of policy drift and inertia, rather than anything exotic. But thats no fun! )


Anyone else got any good ones?

Honestly I should have just read the second to last line.

Kama, would you just wander off and change you name to "devil's adovcate?"

Kama

And how does the state "make" money from having a prison population.

It's a conspiracy theory, it assumes a malignance somewhere; I don't think I said the State 'makes' money from prison, even Wackenhut and CCA have a hard time doing that. It makes criminals the paranoid presumes this to be purposeful policy, and shares with Ayn Randian-libertarian types a view of the State as possessing an intrinsic desire to deprice its citizen-subjects of liberty

Where it places blame changes with different tellings. For a more developed and sophisticated version of this theory, there is a venerable classic in criminology called 'The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison', which as you can probably tell from the title, is a class-based critique of the American prison system. I don't think the shift from the lay theory that the Government keeps (race X) in jail because they don't like purple people and want to keep us down and 'lower classes are disproportionately represented in the penal system due to repeat targeting, criminal socialization and recidivism, and class bias in sentencing' are that far apart, as concepts, and very close in result.

Secondly, intelligence budgets are massive running into the billions, do you think they need the extra cash?

Do you know of any person or organization who does not want to have more money or a bigger budget? According to most economic theory, wants are unlimited, without a satiation point. That seems a weak argument, if you are trying to refute. Kinda amazed that you are trying to, proving non-involvement is logically impossible, isn't it?

Honestly I should have just read the second to last line.
Kama, would you just wander off and change you name to "devil's adovcate?"

Devil's_Advocate is my SockPuppet
Seriously, he gets a bad rap from Christians, someone has to be on-side for Him...

buddyonair

I have read much about these things but I am sure it was not enough.
I always had the impression that hemp was banned on purpose because other had invested in other commodities that had to be pleased, just like you said before.
And somewhere I read that the former slaves and black people were using weed a lot. The weed smokers would take away the white women and this mixture of the colours was not approved by the general public.

Among other this was another reason of banning weed? Correct me if I am wrong.

btw: I really like watching you guys argueing! I got a lot GOOD out of it. The only disturbing thing is that one is trying to be better than the other one. What about being open minded, tolerance and acceptance? I know it is hard to accept something what do do not believe in, no doubt about that. It is just like one is trying to prove that he is better than the other one but nobody is going to win this fight. It is more like putting yourself on a higher platform than the other one because he has not the right be on the level as you.

Can't we just all get along?

Although this fights are bringing out the best in you to have a good and solid arguement in the ongoing discussions :pac:

Kama

Hey Buddy, I don't know why it was banned. I doubt there was one 'big' reason, but a few different ones. There were people like Hearst and Oilers who benefited from it, and who it looked like may have campaigned against it. There was also a lot of racial intolerance at the time, and this was used and hemp linked to 'marijuana', a Mexican name.

Oh, and I think me and Diogenes are getting on a lot better now; offering arguments rather than having one.