aka
the war to put poor people and minorities into prisons for more slave labor.----------------- Bulletin Message -----------------
From:
MasterpieceDate: Apr 7, 2006 8:31 PM
With most of the US military aid under the so-called "Plan Colombia" delivered, Pres. Pastrana unilaterally withdraws from the peace process engaged with the FARC guerilla (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and steps up violence in this 50 year-quasi-civil war. But what is left of the initial anti-narcotics purpose of the US "Plan Colombia"? After 20 years of drug-wars in the Andes resulting in a two fold increase of cocaine import in the US in the last ten years alone, what is to be expected from a plan focusing primarily on spraying coca-fields in rebel-held parts of the country when coca is grown all over Colombia ? Is the US Government even concerned still with fighting drugs when the post 9-11 rhetoric made it easy for the State Dep. to now single out the leftist FARC as the enemy .. 1 in Colombia on the ground that they use what might be viewed as "terrorist tactics" ?
Many interviews including Noam Chomsky, Ramsey Clark, Colombian Presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt (now a hostage of the FARC), US MCs Paul Wellstone and John Conyers, US Gov. officials, a WWF scientist, many different Colombians from all walks of life, including guerilla-leaders, will shed light on the complex issues of drug-trafficking and civil struggle in Colombia. The doc. also looks at the impact and result of the current chemical-spraying campaign carried out by US Defense-contractor Dyncorps, it will probe the US plan in search for alternate motives to a drug-war that the US Gov. has seemed so keen on losing over the past 30 years.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5218840557646758100
Relatet info:
DNW - War on Drugs (1999)
The war on drugs has been going on for more than three decades. Today, nearly 500,000 Americans are imprisoned on drug charges. In 1980 the number was 50,000. Last year $40 billion in taxpayer dollars were spent in fighting the war on drugs.
As a result of the incarceration obsession, the United States operates the largest prison system on the planet, and the U.S. nonviolent prisoner population is larger than the combined populations of Wyoming and Alaska. Try to imagine the Drug Enforcement Administration erecting razor wire barricades around two states to control crime and you'll get the picture.
According to the U.S. Dept of Justice, the number of offenders under age 18 imprisoned for drug offenses increased twelvefold from 1985 to 1997. The group most affected by this propensity for incarceration is African-Americans. From 1985 to 1997, the percentage of African-American young people put in prison increased from 53 to 62 percent.
Today, 89 percent of police departments have paramilitary units, and 46 percent have been trained by active duty armed forces. The most common use of paramilitary units is serving drug-related search warrants, which usually involve no-knock entries into private homes.
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5527847173427564456