Pipe Dream Blues: Racism and the War on Drugs

With all the books currently available about the government’s war on drugs, what is left to say? Try this: drug trafficking and manufacturing are done worldwide by persons who profit by the labor of poor and Third World workers, who are usually the ones caught and punished; black neighborhoods and users are the most conspicuous targets of law enforcement, yet they are given the least amount of help to deal with the violence and other social ills that drugs cause (and that in turn cause more drug usage). Addressing the political and racial angles, Lusane has put a new spin on the drug issue; his contention that the war on drugs is a racial battle is supported by a huge amount of research and historical background. He concludes with specific recommendation such as more treatment centers and new police methods, and with a call for political and economic power, which he shows to be the most vital weapons to win this war.