Ashley Wells, Seth Auberon, Pat Macpherson, Wisdom Quarterly; Johann Hari, Amy Goodman, Juan Gonzalez, Nermeen Shaikh (democracynow.org, Feb. 4, 2015)
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| Talking about liberation and enlightenment, the Buddha said an amazing thing: "Three things cannot remain hidden: the Moon, the Sun, and the Truth" (DigitalTurkey-graph/flickr.com). |
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| My mongoose at my acid. |
As Pres. Obama seeks $27.6 billion for federal police state sponsored "drug control" programs
in Washington D.C.'s new budget, British journalist Johann Hari talks about amazing research and evidence.
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| Chasing the Scream (Johann Hari) |
The
century-old failed “drug war” could never have been successful -- while sucking up so much money and feeding a prison-industrial complex to no good effect -- because it was founded on a faulty assumption, lies, and motives other than drugs.
So much of what we "know" about addiction
is wrong. Over the past four years Hari has traveled from England to the United
States, Mexico, Canada, Uruguay, and Portugal to research his new book, Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of the War of Drugs.
His
findings will surprise many -- with the exception of Dr. Gabor Mate, MD (“Zeitgeist”) who has been saying this for years after experience with tens of thousands of addicts in Canada -- from the U.S. government’s persecution of
Billie Holiday, to Vancouver’s success in addressing its heroin
epidemic, to Portugal’s experiment with full decriminalization of all
drugs. More
Chasing the Scream
It is now 100 years since drugs were first banned in the United
States. On the eve of this centenary, journalist Johann Hari set off on
an epic three-year, 30,000-mile journey into our bogus War on Drugs.
What he found is that more and more people all over the world are beginning to recognize three startling truths:
In his new book Chasing the Scream, Hari reveals his discoveries entirely through the life stories of people across the world whose lives have been transformed by this bogus war.
They range from a transsexual crack dealer in Brooklyn, New York, searching for her mother, to a teenage hit-man in Mexico searching for a way out.
It begins with Hari’s discovery that at the birth of the War on Drugs, jazz legend Billie Holiday was stalked and killed by the man who launched this American police state crusade. It ends with the story of a brave medical doctor who has led his country to decriminalize every drug, from cannabis to crack, with remarkable results.
Chasing the Scream lays bare what we really have been chasing in our century of drug war – in our hunger for drugs, and in our attempt to destroy them. This book will challenge and change how you think about one of the most controversial – and consequential – questions of our time.
What's being said about Chasing the Scream
What he found is that more and more people all over the world are beginning to recognize three startling truths:
- Drugs are not what we think they are.
- Addiction is not what we think it is.
- And the Drug War has very different motives than the ones we have been by on our TV screens for so long.
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| Money and rap music lure "enemies" for police to track, attack, and imprison in this "war." |
In his new book Chasing the Scream, Hari reveals his discoveries entirely through the life stories of people across the world whose lives have been transformed by this bogus war.
They range from a transsexual crack dealer in Brooklyn, New York, searching for her mother, to a teenage hit-man in Mexico searching for a way out.
It begins with Hari’s discovery that at the birth of the War on Drugs, jazz legend Billie Holiday was stalked and killed by the man who launched this American police state crusade. It ends with the story of a brave medical doctor who has led his country to decriminalize every drug, from cannabis to crack, with remarkable results.
Chasing the Scream lays bare what we really have been chasing in our century of drug war – in our hunger for drugs, and in our attempt to destroy them. This book will challenge and change how you think about one of the most controversial – and consequential – questions of our time.
 |
| We're launching a war on your plastic baggies, and all of you are terrorists! Back up! |
What's being said about Chasing the Scream
“Johann Hari’s book is the perfect antidote to the war on drugs, one
of the most under-discussed moral injustices of our time. It combines
rigorous research and deeply human story-telling. It will prompt an
urgently-needed debate’
– Glenn Greenwald (The Intercept), Pulitzer Prize winner
“An absolutely stunning book. It will blow people away.”
– Elton John, iconic musician
“Superb journalism and thrilling story-telling.”
– Naomi Klein, author
“Wonderful… I couldn’t put it down.”
– Noam Chomsky
“This book is, forgive the obvious phrase, screamingly addictive. The story it tells, jaw-droppingly horrific, hilarious and incredible, is one everyone should know: that it is all true boggles the mind, fascinates and infuriates in equal measure. Johann Hari, in brilliant prose, exposes one of the greatest and most harmful scandals of the past hundred years.”
– Stephen Fry
“This book is as intoxicatingly thrilling as crack, without destroying your teeth. It will change the drug debate forever.”
– Russell Brand, comedian, truth teller
“Johann Hari has written a drug policy reform book like no other.
Many have studied, or conducted, the science surrounding the manifold
ills of drug prohibition. But Hari puts it all into riveting story form,
and humanizes it… Part Gonzo journalism, part Louis CK standup, part
Mark Twain storytelling, Chasing the Scream: The First and Last Days of
the War on Drugs is beautifully wrought: lively, humorous, and poignant.
And it’s a compelling case for why the drug war must end, yesterday.”
– Norman Stamper, former police chief of Seattle
“In this energetic and thought-proving book, Hari harnesses the power of the personal narrative to reveal the true causes and consequences of the War on Drugs.”
– David Nutt, former chief scientific advisor on drugs to the British government
“This book is an entertainment, a great character study and page-turning storytelling all rolled into one very sophisticated and compelling cry for social justice.”
– Stephen Downing, formerly in charge of the Narcotics Division of the Los Angeles Police Department
– Glenn Greenwald (The Intercept), Pulitzer Prize winner
“An absolutely stunning book. It will blow people away.”
– Elton John, iconic musician
“Superb journalism and thrilling story-telling.”
– Naomi Klein, author
“Wonderful… I couldn’t put it down.”
– Noam Chomsky
“This book is, forgive the obvious phrase, screamingly addictive. The story it tells, jaw-droppingly horrific, hilarious and incredible, is one everyone should know: that it is all true boggles the mind, fascinates and infuriates in equal measure. Johann Hari, in brilliant prose, exposes one of the greatest and most harmful scandals of the past hundred years.”
– Stephen Fry
“This book is as intoxicatingly thrilling as crack, without destroying your teeth. It will change the drug debate forever.”
– Russell Brand, comedian, truth teller
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| Police make money from the War on Drugs |
– Norman Stamper, former police chief of Seattle
“In this energetic and thought-proving book, Hari harnesses the power of the personal narrative to reveal the true causes and consequences of the War on Drugs.”
– David Nutt, former chief scientific advisor on drugs to the British government
“This book is an entertainment, a great character study and page-turning storytelling all rolled into one very sophisticated and compelling cry for social justice.”
– Stephen Downing, formerly in charge of the Narcotics Division of the Los Angeles Police Department
