Nixon Policy Advisor: "Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did."

Overheal

http://jezebel.com/nixons-policy-advisor-admits-he-invented-war-on-drugs-t-1766359595

At the time, I was writing a book about the politics of drug prohibition. I started to ask Ehrlichman a series of earnest, wonky questions that he impatiently waved away. “You want to know what this was really all about?” he asked with the bluntness of a man who, after public disgrace and a stretch in federal prison, had little left to protect. “The Nixon campaign in 1968, and the Nixon White House after that, had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people. You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”

I must have looked shocked. Ehrlichman just shrugged. Then he looked at his watch, handed me a signed copy of his steamy spy novel, The Company, and led me to the door.

This glaring and damning condemnation of the decades long War on Drugs. You're welcome. And **** these assholes, that helped influence drug politics across the globe. To win an election.

Victor

Overheal wrote: »

To win an election.

No. To (help) win every election - felony conviction means not being able to vote for the rest of your life.

genericguy

Good old drugs.

Hande hoche!

I quite liked that film Sicario.

drunkmonkey

Everybody lies about drugs why would Nixon be any different.
Ello, Ello, Ello, are you on drugs mr monkey, no officer..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhB2phcYs4I

Menas

Does not surprise me in the slightest.

Dont read if you have not seen all of House of cards yet.

Sure look at what Frank Underwood is doing to win the US election - going to war!

Duggy747

Not a big surprise really, dodgy practice that had always been alluded to. I'd read more of that piece but I don't want to give that horrible place Jezebel the click.

Ronald Wilson Reagan

Every president since Andrew Jackson been off their tits on drugs, I myself often snorted coke out of Nancy's arse crack while jacked up on PCP.

Mesrine65

Ronald Wilson Reagan wrote: »

Every president since Andrew Jackson been off their tits on drugs, I myself often snorted coke out of Nancy's arse crack while jacked up on PCP.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhEJ8gm8aL4