Since its inception, organized religion has ruined and wasted countless human lives. Human nature overruled by God’s will, has always been the hallmark of organized religion. The enormous suppression under the pretext of divine right bears huge socio-economic costs. The impact is so strong that even in most advanced, highly developed, secular societies, the politicians, law makers, governments, media and other influencers could not avoid the crunch. Instead of common sense, human rights, and social and economic value, lots of legislation and law enforcement in most countries is based on so called religious values. Even in America, where constitutionally speaking all law making is supposed to be above and beyond religion, there is huge mess up based on religious values.
There are many examples including marriage laws, abortion related legislation, prostitution and war on drugs. While we keep spending trillions of dollars of tax payers’ money on wars and interventions based on human rights violations in other countries, such violations on the grounds of these suppressive laws are reaching astronomical proportions in our own country. Nation building and enforcement of these laws are two major causes of rising annual federal budget deficits and national debt. While we criticize the victimization and incarcerations in other countries, our own incarceration rate is literally highest in the world.
Just think for a second! Unless we are a nation of bonafide criminals, what could be the other reasons for highest incarceration rates in the world? Of course, the reasons are highly suppressive governments, legislation and laws, corporate media and lobbies, and public opinion. This is extremely unfortunate, especially for the country which was founded on very basic principles of individual liberty and freedom. It is very hard to believe that the land of free and brave has incarceration rates higher than world’s most suppressive regimes like Russia, China, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Iran.
The human cost of war on drugs is enormous. Lives, careers and living of millions of youngsters is being jeopardized, mostly minority people, especially Blacks and Hispanics. Once you have drug related criminal charge on your record, it is extremely hard to get into a good college or get a good job. These youngsters are then pushed into a criminal life, full of violence and risks. This is huge productivity loss and economy of the country suffers. If they did not have a criminal charge on their records, many of them could have been very successful and productive entrepreneurs, executives, managers. Supervisors and workers.
It makes life harder for millions of families, too. The significant others and kids of these people have to face lifelong uncertainty. They live and grow up in a violent and criminal environment. Hence, they are very likely to live a similar life. They do not perform very well in their families, schools, neighborhoods and workplaces. In this way we are ruining the future generations of American people. Kids growing in this environment are very likely to get involved in serious crimes ranging up to murder. They are also very likely to abuse their significant others, kids, parents, neighbors, co-workers and other people in their lives.
Entire communities are getting destroyed by this menace. Many minority neighborhoods in metro areas like D.C., New York, Chicago, LA, Houston and Miami are being pushed deeper and deeper into poverty. Schools in those neighborhoods are failing, unemployment and under employment is very high, violence is growing, and families are broken. Due to serious criminalization, for most individuals, once involved, there is little or no way out. Even from religious point of view, there is no God’s or Christ’s mercy and forgiveness for them. These communities are becoming an ever increasing burden on tax payers. A very large and increasing number of individuals are on food stamps or unemployment benefits.
The economic cost is very high, too. The global enforcement cost is estimated to be well over 100 billion dollars a year. The global market for illegal drugs is now being estimated to be over 330 billion dollars a year. Since 1961 UN single convention on narcotic drugs, only U.S. has spent over one trillion dollars on enforcement. Official U.S. federal government figures show 15 billion dollar spending on drug control. But, credible estimates show that 25.7 billion dollars are being spent annually on drug related criminal justice only.
Several big banks are proven to be involved and have been indicted by U.S. federal government for drug related money laundering. These involve HSBC and Wachovia. These banks were fined for up to 2% of their profits. They were spared from criminal charges because they are considered too big to fail. Similar charges could have ruined the life, education and career of a young minority person, without any doubt. If drug related charges are so bad than why there is this disparity in enforcement? If you made few hundred bucks with drug trafficking, it could be the end of tunnel for you. But, if you made billions by money laundering, you can be spared because you are considered too big to fail?
Governments, law enforcement and judiciary around the world is extensively involved in drugs related corruption. Trust me, Columbia and Noriega were not the only ones involved in it. United States, Mexico, Afghanistan, Turkey and officials from many European and African countries are extensively involved in drugs related bribery and other corruption. Drug lords and gangs are indirectly involved in many lobbying efforts and super packs, to make sure that drug prohibition laws are not pulled away.
As usual, many big corporations have keen interests in keeping drugs illegal or at least in keeping the access limited. Ever wonder, why many efforts to legalize drugs, especially Marijuana, end up in legalization of medicinal use only. This is because of huge amounts of money being poured in lobbying efforts by big Pharma. Pharmaceutical companies want to make sure that people do not get open access to drugs like Marijuana. If they need it they have to buy expensive prescription medicines, manufactured by these pharmaceutical companies. If you can buy Morphine, Heroin, Cocaine and Marijuana from a local grocery store for your medical needs than who is going to buy prescription medicines at inflated prices?
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