UK (The Sun) - Why we must look at legalising drugs

[edgarshade]

The Sun

By NIGEL INKSTER, Ex-Assistant Chief of MI6
Published: 17th April

A controversial view on global epidemic
A FORMER British MI6 chief has joined growing calls to end the “war on drugs” and consider legalising them.

The battle has left tens of thousands dead in Latin America but failed to reduce drug-use around the world. Here Nigel Inkster, of the International Institute For Strategic Studies, argues that we need to rethink our approach to narcotics. PRESIDENT Santos of Colombia wants independent experts to look at alternatives to the war on drugs, including making them legal. This is precisely what research by the International Institute For Strategic Studies has led us to conclude in our new report. Our investigation has shown that the so-called “war on drugs” undermines international security.

More...
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepag...ter-reveals-why-we-should-legalise-drugs.html

Reader comment

tillybear

Have I mis-read this article. He seems to be saying that we should consider the producers & suppliers of this poison as being 'victims'.

What next; we will never win the war on serious crime so let's decriminalise burglary, rape, robbery etc.

This guy lives in cuckoo land. It's all very well for these 'researchers' & 'experts' to comment from their mansions in the country or secure apartments in the city; but they are so far removed from reality that they loose track of the truth.

Get a grip you clown.

 

[Mugz]

I mentioned in another thread that the sun shouldn't ever be read, worst uk tabloid as proven by the comment

Nice to see more legislation articles and talk recently, not clicked thee link to the article in the sun but I bet they have somehow put a negative spin on it.

 

[edgarshade]

As far as I can tell the article was written by the ex-MI6 chief himself.

 

[edgarshade]

Telegraph article

War on drugs 'should be abandoned'
6:55PM BST 17 Apr 2012
With reader comment

The global war on drugs should be abandoned and they could be legalised, an establishment think tank has declared.

A study by the International Institute of Strategic Studies found that the global war on narcotics had failed to contain the scourge of illegal stimulants.

The drugs trade has spread to Africa and Eastern Europe in recent decades and entrenched its standing in its traditional strongholds of Asia and the Americas. Nigel Inkster, the former assistant chief of MI6 and author of the study, said there was a growing revolt against the cost of the fight in developing countries. Only "vested interests" in countries where illegal drugs are consumed stood in the way of a change in approach, he said.

More...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9209796/War-on-drugs-should-be-abandoned.html

 

[Crankinit]

This guy lives in cuckoo land. It's all very well for these 'researchers' & 'experts' to comment from their mansions in the country or secure apartments in the city; but they are so far removed from reality that they loose track of the truth.

I love how all the smug middle class baby boomer 9 - 5 morally outraged hypocritical fuckheads act like they somehow have more right to comment on drugs and drug policy than most. Like they're somehow they're deep and involved in the process because they smoked a joint back in the 70's or their kid came home from a party fucked up on MDMA some time, whereas these people are just academics in some ivory tower. It's just so fucking laughable.

 

[scureto1]

That sort of anti-intellectualism is rampant in the U.S. too. It actually forms a large part of the personality/topics/"discussion" on most conservative talk radio (I'm looking at you, Limbaugh, Hannity, Beck, etc.) Its absolutely mind-boggling how many people buy into that shit. I almost feel like it has to be some kind of inferiority complex, where they feel threatened because they are less educated (about this one particular topic, they may not even be less educated overall) so they pull the sour-grapes game and mock those who are more educated.