Posted August 8, 2004
Analysis by Richard Cowan Sponsored by

Advanced Nutrients.

After the September 11th attacks,
authoritarian elements in the Administration and Congress rushed the so-called
Patriot Act through Congress, claiming that it was necessary to protect American
freedom.
See

It’s The Stupidity, Stupid. How the Prohibitionist Ideology Has Wrecked The
Republican Party and Undermined Democracy Everywhere. When Ideology Trumps
Reality, The Result is Stupidity.

One provision of the law – which literally no one read before it
was passed – gave the government new powers to seize the assets of persons
accused but not yet convicted of smuggling money, the sort of thing that
terrorists supposedly do. (Under previously existing forfeiture laws the
government can seize assets allegedly used in or derived from an illegal
activity. This ever so patriotic act allows the government to seize any of the
accused’s assets. The real patriots who founded this country would be outraged.)
See


Forfeiture as Enterprise By Kay Lee
and links

Now, almost three years later, this part of the law has been used for
the first time, not to stop terrorists, but in Washington State to go after
alleged smugglers of BC Bud, who have not even been accused of having any
links to terrorists.

An Assistant U.S. Attorney explained, “The Patriot Act
is not really confined to terrorist activity.  This is a general criminal
statute that can be used to investigate and prosecute terrorism and it could be
used to investigate more traditional types of organized crime.”

That is obviously true, but that is not how the law was
sold to the Congress and the American people – not that the Congress has ever
shown much resistance to increasing police powers.
See

Learning About Prohibitionism: House Debate on Medical Marijuana Bill Offers New
Insight Into Police State Ideology.

Had the act been used previously on terrorists, its use on alleged BC Bud
smugglers would be less remarkable, but once again this seems to be a case in
which our worst suspicions have been confirmed. To make matters even more
bizarre, the money in question was actually smuggled by an undercover US nark.
(Canadians have also taken due notice of this misuse of US law, but the RCMP was
more than happy to cooperate.)
See

Cannabis Reform and The Canadian Election. (It’s Okay to Exhale, and I Promise
that Your Eyes Won’t Glaze Over.)

Since the Patriot Act was passed, a number of American
jurisdictions have passed local ordinances against co-operating with certain of
its provisions. This fall some voters in Massachusetts will be able to vote for
non-binding question urging that their representatives should vote for “a
resolution asserting that the campaign against terrorism should not be waged at
the expense of constitutionally protected civil rights and liberties of
Massachusetts residents.”

It will probably pass, but, even if it does not, it
makes clear that a large number of Americans are concerned that the so-called
war on terror is being used as an excuse to undermine civil liberties.
The fact that the first use of this provision of the
Patriot Act was against alleged cannabis smugglers should also alert the
American people to the fact that the war on cannabis is an even greater threat
to everyone’s freedom.
See

Reuters Madness and the Subordination of Journalism to Prohibitionist
Propaganda. Conning CNN. Lies Lead to Wars, But Then, That Is Their Purpose.

Convict Nation

Late last month another number – and another milestone –
went almost unnoticed. The Justice (sic) Department announced that the DEAland
prison population in 2003 was 2.1 million, and another 4 million were on
probation, with another 775,000 on parole. That means that
almost 6.9 million Americans are under direct control of
the law enforcement machine. That is almost 3% of the population. As
previously noted, the burden falls disproportionately on minorities.
See

Prohibition and The Prison State. “Protecting” Youth and Minorities. In DEAland,
The UK and France Prisons Are Full.
and

Abuse In Prisons: Iraqi and American. Bush says, “That is not the way we do
things in America.” No, That Is Exactly The Way We Do Things in America!
Especially In Texas and Florida.

Of course, the Drug War is the primary source of these police state assets. In
addition, there are more than 15 million Americans who have criminal records as
the result of cannabis prohibition.
See

NORML Reports Marijuana Arrests For 2002 Near Record High “Pot Smokers Arrested
In America At A Rate Of One Every 45 Seconds” Plus Analysis by Richard Cowan.

The consequences of a criminal record vary enormously
from state to state, but many people are hindered from making a living by their
records. It is not known how many more people are suffering the economic
consequences of an arrest, such as losing their jobs, student aid, driver’s
licenses, housing, etc.

Just as keeping a person in prison costs taxpayers
directly, there are also many other indirect economic costs for the public. When
people who have been arrested lose their jobs or are forced to take jobs that is
less than they are qualified for, it costs the overall economy – meaning all of
us – not only lost tax revenue, but also the loss of their talent where it could
have been best used.

Ultimately, these costs radiate out through society. The
families, especially the children, of the accused also suffer, and those costs
continue for generations. Of course, we are told that the Drug War, and
especially the war on cannabis, is all about “saving the children.” As usual,
just the opposite is true.
See


The Need For Drug Prohibition Education.
Analysis By Richard Cowan.
How Can Parents Tell Their Children The Truth In A Sea Of Lies About Marijuana?

We are passing on to future generations the consequences
of state violence that will burden them even more heavily than the massive debt
that we are incurring to wage war without end around the world, but especially
at home.
See

The Theory and Practice of Chaos – Analysis By Richard Cowan

Patriot Act indeed!

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