The War on Drugs

Left Independent highlights an article from The Nation by Ira Glasser about the electoral consequences of the draconian and futile drug laws in this country. How many times have you heard a politician promise to lock up all the drug dealers if elected. That policy has been a huge success as the Luzerne County prison is overflowing and more people than even seem to be doing drugs. I don't have the answer to the problem but locking people up for the last 50 years hasn't worked. As Pat says:

The right wing Democrats have been able to get by poaching the GOP moderates to achieve their majority. But even this is failing them now as the numbers of disenfranchised grow so large that they, along with gerrymandering, apportionment manipulation, ballot access and polling place denial of access have achieved a critical mass that today denies anyone national elective office if they do not adopt a right wing 'family values' agenda over the constitutional values of social justice, civil liberties and human rights. This is why, since 1995, I have not voted for drug warrior Democrats.