It’s time to boycott cocaine.
No, NOT because it’s illegal
No, NOT because it’s addictive or dangerous
No, NOT because it’s harmful to those who use it.
But because the prohibition of cocaine means that its supply and distribution is carried out by criminal gangs that have caused death and destruction – particularly in Mexico, Colombia and other parts of Central and South America.
People must make change through social action - through their choices as consumers.
Every gram of cocaine bought brings more death and destruction to the people of Mexico.
Morally we must boycott cocaine just as you’d boycott meat from any farmer that killed their livestock in a horribly gruesome way, or any company that refused to pay wages.
The solution to this problem is through abstinence as individuals until Governments deal with this problem properly by regulation - taking supply of such drugs out of the hands of criminal gangs and into the hands of Governments, where at least the production of the drug is without blood on its hands – and that is more important than some general deterrence.
Drugs can be harmful – but they are far more harmful under prohibition.
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Facebook TwitterYou say it yourself: prohibition is the cause. Prohibition is the cause of almost every problem associated with recreational drugs, not the drugs themselves. So it’s difficult for me to understand why you’d waste time on calling for a boycott of cocaine, which will certainly fail. As others have pointed out, boycotts are only effective when an alternative exists. But nobody knows (or cares) where their coke comes from. It’s a commodity in a world market, like oil.
On the other hand, efforts at ending prohibition are finally seeing some daylight. Doesn’t it make more sense to attack the root problem, especially now when some progress seems possible? I understand your intent, but this boycott idea just strikes me as a shot in the wrong direction.
So, if the trillion-dollar war on drugs, with all its casualties, failed to stop people from using cocaine, then this author’s exhortations will succeed? Come now. A boycott? Do you have any idea what withdrawal pangs feel like?
Place the responsibility squarely where it belongs, with the corrupt “leaders” who continue this deadly policy.
“…until Governments deal with this problem properly by regulation…” As though that were somehow out of our control as citizens, like the weather. Far from it, we are directly responsible for putting those corrupt leaders in power, and we can just as easily elect better ones. We have all the power to change policy, when we recognize it.
The difference between boycotting cocaine and boycotting meat is that with meat, there’s a choice of producers. We don’t just boycott less than ethical meat dealers, we also reward others for behaving ethically. The thinking in this article forgives the people who were responsible for creating the black market and in fact rewards them for doing so. I’ll assert that that at least as evil as the organized criminal syndicates created by the epic failure of public policy embodied in the war on (some) drugs.
You gave a couple of very good reasons to stay the heck away from the cocaine. I wholly recommend that everyone do so but not because the US government has chosen to assign the duties of production, distribution and quality control to organized criminal syndicates which are ethically bereft and morally bankrupt.
If you haven’t figured out that cocaine is just plain evil please don’t let this article make you feel like you’re responsible for what the U.S.A. has created.