“Kofi Annan’s arguments about drugs simply look criminal”
Former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan voiced the position of the members of the special commission of this organization that deals with the problems of combating drug trafficking. As members of this commission believe (among which are the former presidents of Mexico, Colombia and Brazil, the British entrepreneur Richard Brunson, etc.), the war on drug trafficking has led to an increase in drug trafficking and organized crime. So, they come to a paradoxical conclusion, the world community should ... legalize some drugs and stop the criminal prosecution of drug addicts.
Legalization of any drugs is not only a recognition of defeat in the fight against drug trafficking
In my opinion, the legalization of any drugs, including the so-called. “Weak” means not only the admission of defeat in the fight against drug mafia, but also opens up huge additional opportunities for drug addiction of the population. All the illusions that the level of drug use in this case will decrease will not be confirmed either logically or empirically. At least, if you start from the experience.
In particular, I would like to remind you that just over a hundred years ago, in the 1909 year, the so-called. "Shanghai Opium Commission". And this happened at the initiative of the United States, where heroin and opium were legally sold in pharmacies. It was a real epidemic of then not yet illegal drugs, which could be bought in pharmacies as medicines, which became a threat to US national security. This phenomenon acquired even more neglected forms in China, where opium was not banned.
Then, thanks to the deadly enterprise of the British (and above all the East India Company), a giant import of heroin and opium was organized (its volumes exceeded modern production once in 10), with the help of which the targeted degradation of the local population was carried out. And in the opposite direction tea and silver were exported - currency, if to speak in today's language, goods.
We need to learn from Sweden and France
If Kofi Annan, as the former UN Secretary-General, is actively involved in this initiative, then let him answer better, as he admitted that NATO in 2003 had arbitrarily assumed command of the troops of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, which ultimately contributed to the gigantic growth of heroin production . Until he gives a clear answer to this question, his arguments about drugs look not only unprofessional and inadequate, but simply criminal.
As for the cessation of criminal prosecution of drug addicts and the proposal to apply “a strategy of humanity and respect for human rights”, which is also stated in the report, then, strictly speaking, this is an element of legalization. Secondly, as we see, the most effective methods of combating drug addiction are precisely connected with the criminalization of drug use, which is shown by the experience of, say, Sweden and France. In this sense, Dmitry Medvedev is absolutely right, who at the Presidium of the State Council of April 18 said about the need to toughen the measures of influence towards drug users. And in the instructions on the results of the meeting of this presidium it is directly said about the preparation of proposals on the criminalization of drug use. So we need to learn from the experience of Sweden and France, advanced countries in this regard, and not look at irresponsible and immoral recommendations.
It's a shame that Russian diplomacy deals with minor problems
By the way, the same example of Sweden (as well as the USA and China) shows that the legalization of drugs and the sale of methadone as a method of so-called. Replacement therapy resulted in 1960's. to a terrible epidemic of drug addiction, as a result of which the authorities were forced to take the path of criminalizing drug use. All the talk about the fact that legalization leads to a decrease in drug addiction is simply inadequate. But Holland or Prague, where it happens, means a way to solve their financial problems by attracting "drug tourists". It turns out that the financial benefit is derived from the drug addiction of neighboring countries. Such "drug trafficking" should be banned by the international community through UN mechanisms.
As a result, as we see, Kofi Annan criticizes the US not for being criticized, but for refusing effective measures to combat drug production in Afghanistan. Let me remind you that in 2003, he, on the basis of a letter from the then NATO Secretary General, slyly legalized NATO’s unauthorized acceptance of the command of the International Security Assistance Force, which, in fact, is a blatant fact. It's a shame that Russian diplomacy deals with secondary issues and does not pay attention to such fundamentally important things.
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