America's War On Drugs

This has been added to the compound posting, "Investigations", December 2018. Other related sections of that posting are 30) MARIJUANA and 35) AMERICA'S ELECTORAL COLLEGE.

Has anyone noticed what a fantastic success America's "War on Drugs" has been? Although it has not succeeded in eliminating drugs it has been very successful in another way.

The "War on Drugs" is generally credited to Republican president Richard Nixon, who announced it in 1971. It proscribed long prison terms for possession or use of even small amounts of illegal drugs.

In New York State this was followed by the passing of the notorious "Rockefeller Drug Laws", named for Republican former New York governor Nelson Rockefeller. These laws had penalties that were even harsher than the national laws, very long prison terms. I can remember from childhood the announcements on television that the harsh new laws are soon to take effect and drug users should seek help immediately.

In the U.S. convicted prisoners are not allowed to vote.

What I find so interesting is that virtually all of the many people who have been given long prison terms under these drug laws are from the population demographic that almost always votes Democrat. The Democrats are the political rivals of the Republicans who made the harsh drug laws.

In other words, America's Republicans have succeeded in taking millions of people who would vote against them and locked them away in prison where they can't vote. This is absolutely brilliant. We can definitely be sure that the "War on Drugs", while not succeeding at actually eliminating drugs, has meant many more Republicans in office, and more political power to Republicans, than there would have been otherwise. In this regard it has been a brilliant success, as the Republicans' war against people who would vote against them.

On another issue, what about guns? A central tenet of Republicans is the right to gun ownership, even though so many Americans are killed or wounded by gun violence every year.

But what is significant is that the vast majority of American victims of gun violence are of the population demographic that would vote Democrat. People who have been injured by being wounded will be less likely to get out and vote.

Republicans tend to favor having the death penalty, capital punishment. But once again virtually everyone who is put to death is of the population demographic that would vote against the Republicans.

I am not claiming that the Jehovah's Witnesses are a creation of Republicans. But the group is one of the best things that have ever happened to Republicans and conservatives. Jehovah's Witnesses do not get involved in politics, neither voting nor running for public office.

What this amounts to is taking people of the population demographic that would ordinarily vote Democrat, of which almost all Jehovah's Witnesses are, and telling them not to vote. Republicans and conservatives should absolutely adore the Jehovah's Witnesses.

America's Republicans are absolutely brilliant at gaining and holding on to office.