so i saw the movie ‘traffic’ (directed by my friend steven soderbergh…oh, the shameless name dropping…) recently, and although it was remarkably well made i was kind of troubled by its take on the world of drugs.
i’ve always found it remarkably difficult to generalize about drugs and drug use. most of my friends take drugs occasionally and they continue to lead normal and productive lives and they’re neither addicts nor waste-cases. but i’ve also known lots of people who have disappeared into the hell-holes of addiciton and dissipation and who have had their lives ruined by drug use.
some people can take drugs once and be destroyed by the experience, and other people can take drugs many times and remain happy, healthy and strong.
so how to make generalizations about drugs? one thing that i did find refreshing about ‘traffic’ was it’s clear portrayal of the war on drugs as an absolute faliure.
whenever the d.e.a intercepts a load of drugs coming into the states it just means that prices will go up for a while as the drug cartels figure out new ways of getting the drugs into the country.
we as a nation spend hundreds of billions of dollars on the ‘war on drugs’ and it accomplishes next to nothing. at some point we’re going to have to recognize that people, citizens, tax-payers, moms & dads, teachers, etc, seem to enjoy taking drugs. and these same people are willing to take drugs even though they know it’s illegal.
i was with a friend a couple of weeks ago and he had 3 or 4 ecstasy pills for his friends private consumption. he’s an adult, and he wasn’t going to sell these pills, and it seemed so absurd that he could be arrested for wanting to put something relatively benign into his body. i mean, he wouldn’t be breaking the law if he had a bottle full of bleach and he was drinking from it, so why should he be arrested for wanting to take something into his body that’s ‘relatively’ benign? it seems so odd.(i’m not proposing any solutions). but it seems so odd that we’re willing to give the government jurisdiction over our bodies. it’s kind of the ultimate expression of the fascist/nanny state, controlling what people can do to themselves.
i recognize that this is a contentious issue, and i’m not proposing solutions or advocating drug use, i’m just pointing out the absurdity of making criminals of citizens and tax-payers who choose to do drugs.
the next time you’re with someone who’s doing drugs just hold a pill in your hand for 2 seconds and realize that while that pill is in your hand the police could arrest you and lock you up. just for holding a little pill. and then recognize the absurdity of the fact that if you swallowed the pill they couldn’t arrest you anymore. isn’t that funny? you can be arrested for drug possession, but not for drug consumption? i’m sure that the fascist/nanny powers that be would love to be able to do invasive blood tests on people and arrest them for having drugs in their system…. ok, i’ve said enough.
to avoid backlash i have to remind everyone that i think that drugs are dangerous and should be avoided. i’m really not in any way advocating drug use at all. i’m just trying to apply a little bit of logic to an issue that is usually dealt with illogically.
-moby
p.s – the scene in ‘traffic’ where michael douglas’ daughter gets caught smoking crack in her bathroom was great…her standing outside the door with giant pupils was probably the best scene in the movie, imo.