Army's Role in the War on Drugs
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The document discusses the history and issues surrounding the war on drugs in 3 paragraphs. It begins by tracing the origins of drug prohibition to racist sentiments and class warfare. It then examines the international conflicts caused by poor drug interdiction and the rise of black markets. Finally, it considers domestic solutions like legalization and personal freedom while also exploring social pressures from workplace bans and community action, concluding that the drug war may be an unwinnable fight.
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Army's Role in the War on Drugs
- 1. 1SG David A. Smith Class 38 U.S. Sergeants Major Academy SGM W.D. Thomas, CF Unclassified
- 2. Step Down From the Drug War Origins in Class Warfare Growing Reach of Posse Comitatus Tensions Abroad Legalization Counterpoint Workplace Bans Community Action Unwinnable Fight Unclassified 2
- 3. Early Sentiments Drug Regulation and Prohibition Unclassified Racist Origins 3
- 4. Early Sentiments Drug Regulation and Prohibition Unclassified Racist Origins Posse Comitatus Act 4
- 6. International Conflict Domestic Solutions Unclassified Poor Interdiction Black Market Legalization Personal Freedom 6
- 7. Taking the Fight to the Army Drug Testing Social Pressures Unclassified Workplace Bans Community 7
- 8. Taking the Fight to the Army Drug Testing Workplace Bans Social Pressures Community Worth the Cost? Unclassified 8
- 9. An Unwinnable Fight Origins in Class Warfare Posse Comitatus Tensions Abroad Legalization Workplace Bans / Community Action Cost to Benefit Unclassified 9
- 10. 1SG David A. Smith Class 38 U.S. Sergeants Major Academy SGM W.D. Thomas, CF
Editor's Notes
- We all know someone who’s life has been affected by drug use. Whether it be us or someone else, we’ve all been part of this nation’s drug war.I am 1SG David Smith and this briefing is unclassified.
- In this presentation, I’ll put forth reasons why the Army should step down from its role in the drug war.We’ll discuss how the drug war has origins in racism and will very briefly visit the birth and expansion of the Posse Comitatus ActOn the international stage, I’ll present how our endeavors could be undermining peace abroadI’ll take a look domestically to explore whether legalization is a viable answerAs a counterpoint, I’ll discuss approaches that have arguably been successful: such as drug testing in the workplace, and how social influences play a role in curbing drug use.This presentation is not intended to condone drug use, but only to demonstrate our current approach to the drug war has not worked.
- There was a time in early American history that drug use wasn’t frowned upon. At the turn of the 19th Century, there were scarce restrictions on substances such as cocaine, marijuana, or opiates. Even Frederic Bartholdi, the sculptor known for creating the Statue of Liberty, gave a commercial endorsement for Vin Mariani, a drink fashioned from coca extracts during the mid-1800s. He said if he had used the product twenty years earlier, Lady Liberty would have been several hundred meters taller.Attitudes began to shift in the late 1800s , but not entirely over concerns regarding abuse and addiction. The nation’s first anti-drug law was passed in 1875 to address opium and opium dens in San Francisco – other communities followed suit. These laws were in response to Chinese laborers who came to find work building the transcontinental railroad. The popularity of opium dens grew out of the limited social lives of laborers, who weren’t allowed to bring their families with them due to strict immigration laws. Anti-Chinese sentiment grew as they were seen taking American jobs. Opium become the symbol of the so-called “yellow peril” that threatened American security.Twenty years later, cocaine came under scrutiny for similar reasons. This time, the focus was on Southern blacks. Cocaine use became popular among black dockworkers in New Orleans who used it to endure hours of hard labor on the docks. There was a perception that the drug caused blacks to become violent and superhuman. Some police departments began using the .38 caliber revolver because they believed the standard .32 caliber was ineffective against blacks who used cocaine.Another 30 years later and we find drug laws turning their attention to marijuana. Behind much of the outcry was the idea that Mexican immigrants, influenced by marijuana to become violent and immoral, were threatening the American way of life.In her book, The Making of a Drug Free America, MatheaFalco suggests, “Once these drugs were linked in the public mind with dangerous foreigners and racial minorities, popular attitudes formed that persist today…. Because of this early history, heroin, cocaine, and marijuana have been perceived as “un-American” in a way that alcohol, tobacco, and prescription drugs have not.”“Americans have chosen to combat this “foreign” threat through the police power of the state.”
- Thankfully this “Police Power” is limited by the PosseeComitatus Act of 1878.In short, the Act has made it illegal to use the Army in a law enforcement capacity. Some argue that it was levied as an attempt to keep the federal government from intervening with the racially charged culture of the south - in response to the Army’s contributions to Reconstruction and General Grant’s role against the Ku Klux Klan.As concerns over drug abuse grew and reached their peak in 1981, Congress approved the Department of Defense Authorization Act of 1982, which broadened the net of when the Army could be used. DoD declared a “War on Drugs” in 1986 and the door to military involvement opened a little wider; however, the military has maintained it’s proper bounds within our nation’s borders.CLICK: One notable exception that could have been a public affairs nightmare for the Army was the well-known assault on the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX in 1992. Under the auspices of linking the group to a possible drug nexus, a request to use the Army was approved, though wisely not acted upon.
- The Posse Comitatus Act doesn’t apply outside the borders of the United States, so the military has more leverage in what they can pursue in that arena; however, international efforts are doing little to curb the rate of supply and demand.The Office of National Drug Control Policy has a stated goal of 35-50% success in cocaine interdiction, yet only seizes 28% of cocaine entering the US.Gretchen Peters, author of Seeds of Terror, feels the greatest failure in the war on terror is the West’s incapacity to disrupt the flow of drug money that keeps the al Qaeda network afloat.Ironically, even our modest efforts aimed at disrupting this flow could ultimately undermine our goals for peace. With over 264,000 families who depend on opium poppy cultivation for their livelihood, and perceived attack on their family sustenance will not be met kindly. While terrorists do profit from the drug trade, author Ted Carpenter points out the connection between drug trafficking and terrorism is a direct result of making drugs illegal and suggests that the US pursuit of prohibitionist strategy only “guarantees a huge black market premium”.However, a solution to cutting that black market premium may be in lifting the aforementioned prohibitionist strategy. CLICK
- Former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson suggests that educating, regulating, taxing, and controlling drugs would leverage revenue from a trade larger than the auto industry. Legalization would free police officers to focus time on bringing justice to criminal acts such as burglaries rather than sending people to jail for simply doing drugs. Author Charles Murray frames this in terms of personal responsibility and with an analogy that may sound shocking to some. He said, “Crack cocaine is one of the most terrible of drugs. But if a person who smokes crack cocaine doesn’t abuse his wife or children while he’s high, shows up at work sober, and pays for his habit with money honestly earned, what is the problem that society is trying to solve when it puts him in jail?”Murray draws parallels with alcohol abuse and notes, “the crimes drunk people commit are punishable; the act of drinking is not”.As I stated at the beginning, this does not suggest condoning drug use, but it does follow a logic that says crimes drug users commit should be punished, not the drug use itself.In a 1975 interview, former President and then Governor of California Ronald Reagan said, “I don’t believe in a government that protects us from ourselves.”He continued by saying “being stupid” was one of our “sacred rights”.
- There have been some successes in the drug war. We need to look no further than within the Army’s ranks.Due to its specialized nature, the military must maintain higher standards in regards to drug use. The Army’s method for addressing this issue may be an answer for society at large.Since the Armed Forces began instituting routine drug testing in the early 1980’s, there has been a steady decline in the rate of drug use by military members. Although similar reductions were witnessed among civilians for a period, the rate of decline happened much faster for service members.Just after 1989, there was also a steep decline in the number of heavy cigarette smokers who were enlisting. This is precisely when tobacco bans came into practice for recruits entering basic training. The recidivism rate among those heavy-smokers who did enlist was found to be at 74% within 90 days of completing basic training. Or, more specifically, when forced abstinence was no longer a mandate.This demonstrates that an outright ban within the Army (or any professional organization for that matter) can be successful, whether the substance in question is legal or illegal. The 1989 National Drug Control Strategy mentioned that “with disqualification from employment a possible consequence, many will decide that the price of using drugs is just too high”.Being on the outside of accepted social circles may also be a price too high as many Americans are concerned about substance abuse.Community intervention is at the forefront of the 2012 National Drug Control Strategy as a cost-effective approach to building strong communities; They have recognized the drug problems we face as a nation require solutions at the local level.
- However, trends indicate a 3.4% increase in “past-month use” of marijuana among high school freshmen from 2006 to 2011.Total drug control funding has increased by 12.1% over the same period.Increased funding does not correlate to decreased drug use.Anti-drug spending outpaces the uptick of drug use nearly three to one, yet both continue to grow at unacceptable rates.
- In this presentation, we looked at a few reasons indicating the Drug War is unwinnable in its present form.CLICK: With roots steeped in class warfare, it’s very origins were suspect.CLICK: The Posse Comitatus Act rightfully limited the military’s place in enforcing the laws of the land, but there exists concern over how these limits should be exercised.CLICK: Some argue that efforts to control drugs beyond our borders are not only unsuccessful, but may actually perpetuate tensions abroad.CLICK: Legalization on the home front could prove to be a viable alternative to a system that punishes otherwise law-abiding citizens for recreational drug use.CLICK: Some control efforts have found isolated degrees of success, but none appear to be financially sustainable compared to the rate of growth in the drug industry.CLICK: We fight many wars in society that will never be won. There will always be a fight to end crimes like murder, rape, and theft. Some unwinnable wars clearly must be fought. Nonetheless, the war on drugs is one that should never have been waged in the first place.
- Are there any questions?Thank you.This concludes my briefing.