Many years ago, I first discovered Salon.com because of the powerful series of articles by Daniel Forbes exposing the government’s efforts to subvert popular culture with anti-drug advertisements. It was partly because of that that I decided to start my blog originally at SalonBlogs. Recent years have not been so great there, with a lot of heavily partisan reporting tending to dominate.
But this is a very good article about the repercussions of the controversial U.N. report: Censored UN paper calling for decriminalization marks beginning of the end of drug war as we knew it by Daniel Denvir.
Recently, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime quietly circulated a remarkable document not only calling “decriminalising drug use and possession for personal consumption…consistent with international drug control conventions†but stating that doing so “may be required to meet obligations under international human rights law.â€
The paper’s language was sober but its critique of drug criminalization devastating, noting that a law-and-order approach to drug use “contributed to public health problems and induced negative consequences for safety, security, and human rights,†pointing to the limitation on access to clean needles and the resulting spread of HIV and hepatitis C, overdoses, vulnerability to physical and sexual abuse and, of course, incarceration, which disproportionately impacts poor and minority people. […]
Whether the paper gets released or not, however, is immaterial to its striking conclusions, which are carefully grounded in international law: the UN’s global drug war arm conceded not only that criminalization was a mistake but also that it violates human rights.
“…it violates human rights.â€
Finally. The message got through. In a leaked UN document, no less.
http://www.salon.com/writer/daniel_forbes/
OT
David Nutt on why drugs are illegal:
“So the short answer to the question “why are (some) drugs illegal?†is simple. It’s because the editors of powerful newspapers want it that way. They see getting drugs banned as a tangible measure of success, a badge of honour. And behind them the alcohol industry continues secretly to express its opposition to anything that might challenge its monopoly of recreational drug sales. But that’s another story.”
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/oct/28/why-are-drugs-illegal-google-answer
So, the criminalization of drug use was criminal.
In a just world, we would respond to this news by incarcerating the Drug Warriors.
As you can see, this is not a just world. Mostly due to those who earn a paycheck delivering “justice”.
Protect & Serve (themselves!)
Human rights is only for the right humans.
.
I wonder how many folks at the UN were involved in writing the paper, if it was simply one person, or if it was an effort by the team as it were. (I’m sure that answer could be found easily, I’m just feeling lazy at the moment.)
I agree with Servetus that the acknowledgment of infringing human rights is pivotal. Stunning to see such an august body acknowledge this.
I guess critical mass has been reached, and the truth has become self-sustaining against the prohibitionist stance.
And the beat goes on…
They can’t deny the accuracy or truth of the report, so they have to come up with other, more creative ways to downplay and discredit it. Which can be entertaining. “It was just a rogue employee obsessed with telling the truth, when his job is to stick to official UN policy only. We can’t be held responsible for any truth disseminated without our official approval.”
I almost feel bad for people still falling for that left vs. right, pepsi vs. coke, WWF vs. WWE, false duopoly when there is no difference just one ruling oligarchy globalist corpofascist robber baron party who count their money together and enjoy fine wines and steaks while laughing at the divided and conquered serfs on the neo-feudal plantation.
If this clangs any louder they’re going to have to introduce lead (as a sweetener!) to their kool-aid to reduce that engine knock.
so, if i touch a prohibited plant i am only asserting my human rights? i like that concept.
Sure, But be careful…
As always if you enjoy yourself too much while you’re at it = you could go blind! Oh wait, that one’s taken.
Okay, then use some other BS story, feel free to make up and -Insert Lie Here- Just make it seem plausible to the truly ignorant.
Traditionally speaking – You should try to work on the notion that it could (or likely will) make you ‘place it before God’ – a spin/variant of the whole *false idol* thing…
For inspiration = picture Moses coming down from the mountain with the Ten Commandments, stumbling across Woodstock and totally losing his shit over it.
YES, that is indeed ludicrous – But that should give you a very good idea of how low the bar is set for this crap.
A more modern version might be a Cannabis Cup – where the only “Golden Calf” involved would be an amazing winning strain descended from ‘Acapulco Gold’ -rather than a statue of fraking cow.