Many people seem to find the very expression "War On Drugs" a matter of derisive mockery, laughter and ridicule. I confess, I do myself... but how often does the TRUE meaning of those words ever occur to anyone?
Sometimes I have heard chuckles when Vietnam is jokingly mentioned as the first actual 'war on drugs', and of course it was in a way - the first widely appreciated, sometimes fondly remembered, often amusing (NB Not by Veterans!) and notoriously absurd multi $$$billion war the USA managed to lose, despite massive superiority in technology, weapons, transport, logistics, logistics and medical facilities. We all loved 'Apocalypse Now', but the Vietnam was not lost because everyone was stoned, tripping or couldn't be bothered, it was lost due to poor leadership and lack of intelligence at the highest levels. Really that should read 'the war fought on drugs', referring to combat troops smoking heroin through rifle barrels, tripping (in every way possible) in the face of booby trapped jungles, and so hung over from booze and barbiturates, the feeble supplies of speed available were incapable of allowing them to fight... yet despite all that, they killed probably ten times and more enemies, than the 50,000 odd US men lost.
Vietnam was certainly not the first conflict where troops indulged in mind alterng substances on the battlefield. Unfortunately for the disillusioned, bitter and often unhinged Vietnam Veterans, they were taking the wrong drugs, that's all - yet still, to give them credit, managed to kill and be killed in great numbers.
The most impressive and devastatingly effective 'war on drugs' took place during the early stages of WW2, where Nazi SS Panzer divisions, fuelled by what we now call meth, ice or crank (to name a few), surged across Europe and the Soviet Union unstoppably, sweeping all weary, downcast opposition aside with tireless, ruthless efficiency.
The distinctly less effective Allied answer to this was Benzedrine, which sadly failed to match 'Nazi Meth' in battle, and led to heavy losses and disastrous retreats when matched against the SS and Wermacht.
Fortunately the Panzer Divisions were eventually deprived of another fuel, i.e., petrol, which no amount of whizz could compensate for, and after a last, desperate jag at the Battle of the Bulge, collapsed. This was not the end of 'war on drugs' in Germany even so, but once again, the wrong sotrt of drugs led to disaster. Hitler was apparently injected with methamphetamine three times a day by his doctors, but also added a poor choice of sedatives and anxiolitics, which took away his vital edge (following Stalingrad), and led down a rocky road which ended with a dangerous, one off dose of cyanide.... which has now completely vanished as a recreational drug. His old friend, and one time deputy, the loveable heavyweight, Herman Goering, ran into trouble far earlier, thanks to a poor choice of drugs. Whether he was misled by inept doctors, or merely in pain, Goering - a notorious hardhead and hardcore 'party animal', failed to realise that vast quantities of dihydrocodeine were not the best choice for battle situations, and the onetime fighter ace managed to lose the Battle of Britain as early as 1940. His war on drugs sadly ended in 1946, when, having been forcibly detoxed by his Allied captors, he apparently eschewed stimulants altogether, and died from a cyanide dose like Hitler. It is a sad tale really, and I can't help thinking how much more pleasnt and enjoyable life in Europe might have been, had LSD, MDMA and Skunkweed become popular in the Third Reich, rather than methamphetamine, cocaine and schnapps?
To me (and no doubt all participants?), the loveliest, most splendid and potentially wonderful 'war on drugs' was all too brief, and took place just over 100 years ago, in the trenches of WW1. It seems that in a moment of true military genius (a rare thing in that war, and all others since), the German High Command - no pun intended! - decided to issue their troops with a well deserved Christmas treat, a recently discovered chemical (1908) which apparently 'lifted the mood, boosted energy, eliminated hunger, and made people feel warm, even when snowing'. Absolutely perfect to raise morale and provide 'Xmas cheer' and far cheaper and easier to transport then large amounts of Brandy, Beer, Schnapps, Wine and Vodka... and not even flammable, safe too! Far better than everyone getting pissed and falling asleep.... and so it was.
This was a previously unknown and untested (in battle, anyway) substance, which we now know as MDMA. NB, I can find no records of the German Command mentioning "improves dancing ability", or "increases musical appreciation", which shows how poorly tested it was! Fancy risking such untested substaces on their innocent men, and on Christmas Eve - such a thing would never happen nowadays! Whatever, the poor desperate fellows dutifully necked ther 'Xmas present', and the rest is history...
Very sadly, there were a few fatalities during the 'First Rave', though none were caused by drinking too much water, hyperpyrexia, accidentalsuffocation by police, or driving under the influence, AFAIK. I'm afaid to say they were due to nervous or very drunk British sentries, who mistook German troops approaching their trenches with bottles and cigarettes, whilst singing 'Silent Night' n German. I suppose it must have been a bit discconcerting? Once the 'truce' was underway, it was hard to stop, and commanders on both sides were utterly horrified, just as the so called 'authorities' are today, at the prospect of a load of young people having a good time, and refusing to obey orders.
And so, there can be 'winners' in 'wars on drugs', though it will never be the paranoid, murderous bullies in power. Therefore one of their greatest horrors is the prospect of the population they are supposed to serve and protect, learning to think openly for themselves, question what they are told, and (most terrifying of all) refusing to DO as they are told. Hence it is an absolutely essential priority they are denied access to any substances which might engender that, encourage free thought, or reveal to anyone the forbidden idea of what real joy and pleasure can be!
Sometimes I have heard chuckles when Vietnam is jokingly mentioned as the first actual 'war on drugs', and of course it was in a way - the first widely appreciated, sometimes fondly remembered, often amusing (NB Not by Veterans!) and notoriously absurd multi $$$billion war the USA managed to lose, despite massive superiority in technology, weapons, transport, logistics, logistics and medical facilities. We all loved 'Apocalypse Now', but the Vietnam was not lost because everyone was stoned, tripping or couldn't be bothered, it was lost due to poor leadership and lack of intelligence at the highest levels. Really that should read 'the war fought on drugs', referring to combat troops smoking heroin through rifle barrels, tripping (in every way possible) in the face of booby trapped jungles, and so hung over from booze and barbiturates, the feeble supplies of speed available were incapable of allowing them to fight... yet despite all that, they killed probably ten times and more enemies, than the 50,000 odd US men lost.
Vietnam was certainly not the first conflict where troops indulged in mind alterng substances on the battlefield. Unfortunately for the disillusioned, bitter and often unhinged Vietnam Veterans, they were taking the wrong drugs, that's all - yet still, to give them credit, managed to kill and be killed in great numbers.
The most impressive and devastatingly effective 'war on drugs' took place during the early stages of WW2, where Nazi SS Panzer divisions, fuelled by what we now call meth, ice or crank (to name a few), surged across Europe and the Soviet Union unstoppably, sweeping all weary, downcast opposition aside with tireless, ruthless efficiency.
The distinctly less effective Allied answer to this was Benzedrine, which sadly failed to match 'Nazi Meth' in battle, and led to heavy losses and disastrous retreats when matched against the SS and Wermacht.
Fortunately the Panzer Divisions were eventually deprived of another fuel, i.e., petrol, which no amount of whizz could compensate for, and after a last, desperate jag at the Battle of the Bulge, collapsed. This was not the end of 'war on drugs' in Germany even so, but once again, the wrong sotrt of drugs led to disaster. Hitler was apparently injected with methamphetamine three times a day by his doctors, but also added a poor choice of sedatives and anxiolitics, which took away his vital edge (following Stalingrad), and led down a rocky road which ended with a dangerous, one off dose of cyanide.... which has now completely vanished as a recreational drug. His old friend, and one time deputy, the loveable heavyweight, Herman Goering, ran into trouble far earlier, thanks to a poor choice of drugs. Whether he was misled by inept doctors, or merely in pain, Goering - a notorious hardhead and hardcore 'party animal', failed to realise that vast quantities of dihydrocodeine were not the best choice for battle situations, and the onetime fighter ace managed to lose the Battle of Britain as early as 1940. His war on drugs sadly ended in 1946, when, having been forcibly detoxed by his Allied captors, he apparently eschewed stimulants altogether, and died from a cyanide dose like Hitler. It is a sad tale really, and I can't help thinking how much more pleasnt and enjoyable life in Europe might have been, had LSD, MDMA and Skunkweed become popular in the Third Reich, rather than methamphetamine, cocaine and schnapps?
To me (and no doubt all participants?), the loveliest, most splendid and potentially wonderful 'war on drugs' was all too brief, and took place just over 100 years ago, in the trenches of WW1. It seems that in a moment of true military genius (a rare thing in that war, and all others since), the German High Command - no pun intended! - decided to issue their troops with a well deserved Christmas treat, a recently discovered chemical (1908) which apparently 'lifted the mood, boosted energy, eliminated hunger, and made people feel warm, even when snowing'. Absolutely perfect to raise morale and provide 'Xmas cheer' and far cheaper and easier to transport then large amounts of Brandy, Beer, Schnapps, Wine and Vodka... and not even flammable, safe too! Far better than everyone getting pissed and falling asleep.... and so it was.
This was a previously unknown and untested (in battle, anyway) substance, which we now know as MDMA. NB, I can find no records of the German Command mentioning "improves dancing ability", or "increases musical appreciation", which shows how poorly tested it was! Fancy risking such untested substaces on their innocent men, and on Christmas Eve - such a thing would never happen nowadays! Whatever, the poor desperate fellows dutifully necked ther 'Xmas present', and the rest is history...
Very sadly, there were a few fatalities during the 'First Rave', though none were caused by drinking too much water, hyperpyrexia, accidentalsuffocation by police, or driving under the influence, AFAIK. I'm afaid to say they were due to nervous or very drunk British sentries, who mistook German troops approaching their trenches with bottles and cigarettes, whilst singing 'Silent Night' n German. I suppose it must have been a bit discconcerting? Once the 'truce' was underway, it was hard to stop, and commanders on both sides were utterly horrified, just as the so called 'authorities' are today, at the prospect of a load of young people having a good time, and refusing to obey orders.
And so, there can be 'winners' in 'wars on drugs', though it will never be the paranoid, murderous bullies in power. Therefore one of their greatest horrors is the prospect of the population they are supposed to serve and protect, learning to think openly for themselves, question what they are told, and (most terrifying of all) refusing to DO as they are told. Hence it is an absolutely essential priority they are denied access to any substances which might engender that, encourage free thought, or reveal to anyone the forbidden idea of what real joy and pleasure can be!
