Bang heads, take stats, tell lies

COMMENTARY

Published: 19 Aug 2012 at 00.00
Newspaper section: News

Is the government's war on drugs a success? No, it's not. You might colour it a successful PR campaign, but not much else. Banging heads and taking stats, making front page news, is nothing more than the time-honoured tradition of putting up a good face. The lords of illusion are at work and everyone else eats it up.

Truth has many colours. In reading the news you get the version of truth endorsed by the news source, which isn't necessarily the truth. It might not be an outright lie, but colourful twists and tweaks cannot be discounted.

Then there are the stats, which, of course, are subject to the interpretation of the person presenting them, which brings us back to the news source.

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jonny
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Discussion 47 : 26 Sep 2012 at 04.2047
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johninbkk 44: "Like with alcohol abuse, no law-abiding driver is immune from a lethal car crash caused by a drunk driver. It is not just the choice of the drug user."

Aye. Except of course, the drunk's poison is regulated. The other poisons are made to be more toxic by 'Prohibition'.

Have you ever heard of Desoxyn? It's worth a Google search. It's blockaded at the border. "Fear of abuse potential" is the 'reason' it's banned. With the FDA indicating it for treatment of children with ADHD, it can't be _that_ bad can it? Fear of Desoxyn abuse?

"Desoxyn abuse" would be the Reason it was imported at taxpayer dime, in a sane world. There's a reason it's blockaded instead. The official 'reason' given is the honest, correct one.

The FDA-regulated med is feared. With 'good' reason, I might add. It's not especially habit-forming.
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englishbob
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Discussion 46 : 26 Aug 2012 at 18.2646
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Disc44 JohninBKK - But the figures don't back up reality.
Marijuana is illegal. But alcohol isn't.
Ecstasy is illegal. But nicotine isn't.
In both those cases the legal drugs are more harmful and damaging than the illegal drugs.
And in many cases, legal drugs are more addictive than illegal drugs.

Making some drugs illegal while permitting and taxing others and then launching a war on the first is illogical and self-defeating. Adults should be permitted to make an informed choice (and this is where education is needed). And the minority that abuse must pay the price - the same way that being drunk is no defence for committing a crime.
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faceless
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Discussion 45 : 22 Aug 2012 at 07.0745
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When Joe Friday in Dragnet (1950s TV) said, "Give me the facts ma'm, just the facts" he was looking for the truth. Good old Joe was unquestionably straight up.

Unfortunately in this forum some people throw "facts" around as if they are the last defenders of the truth.

"Polls that have been taken over the last 6 months continually show an overwhelming approval for PTP's anti-drug policy and enforcement. This is strong evidence that it's working. (AV always rated ~34%, while YS is rated ~68% for drug enforcement)" - johninbkk dis.43

How does an approval rating equate to a successful drug enforcement policy? What is "working?" IMHO it's the PR campaign.

Never let the truth get in the way of a good political point, no?
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johninbkk
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Discussion 44 : 21 Aug 2012 at 02.1544
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englishbob 37 - Everyone has their own opinion of what 'abuse' is for drugs. Unfortunately, given the strongly addicting and judgement impairing properties of these hard drugs, some individuals don't realize when they cross that line. Like with alcohol abuse, no law-abiding driver is immune from a lethal car crash caused by a drunk driver. It is not just the choice of the drug user.
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johninbkk
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Discussion 43 : 21 Aug 2012 at 02.0543
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bkkyo 26 - No, I do not believe those stats. See my post #24 here:
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/politics/307966/govt-war-on-drugs-hailed-a-success
I'm just pointing out that the author has absolutely zero evidence to back up his claim.

Polls that have been taken over the last 6 months continually show an overwhelming approval for PTP's anti-drug policy and enforcement. This is strong evidence that it's working. (AV always rated ~34%, while YS is rated ~68% for drug enforcement)
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commonman
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Discussion 42 : 20 Aug 2012 at 08.0342
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another home run for Voranai. The gods of illusion have been hard at work in Thailand for many,many years.
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buster
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Discussion 41 : 20 Aug 2012 at 02.5941
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yesterday, on treu vision knowledge, a documentary was shown what was going on behind the scenes before and after 9/11
Micheal Moore for all people gave inside in ties the Bush clan Inc had/has with Saudi Bin Laden consortium.
The cover-up which time and time again involves Halliburton, the shady world of money greed, spin doctors but most important the war efforts.
Lets bomb Iraq Bush was quoting,lets declare war, but on who? Reagan introduced the "lets declare war" issue...he declared war on drugs
around the time the US just lost his no 1 war prospect...the USSR.
As you put it, political turmoil? declare war.
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nitnoi
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Discussion 40 : 19 Aug 2012 at 20.4840
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Thank you Khun Voranai for the suggestion of the books I definitly will read them. I was very young when those Thai politicians names mentioned in these two books.I am reading the book about the head of FBI during JFK "Privacy War"by "Ron Felber" make me chilled.You are on your own no matter where you live In any part of the world.The Thai government will never has its own slogan when it comes to cleaning up the messes the country is in. Even the date declared war on drug was picked 9/11
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justfacts
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Discussion 39 : 19 Aug 2012 at 20.3539
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OK folks everyone take a deep breath and think about this, Do you really believe that the drugs are off the street and out of the market. Even if Chalerms #'s were correct and we all know they are not. Do you think for a minute PT or BIB are gonna destroy all that they could turn into baht

Not a chance
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whatajoke
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Discussion 38 : 19 Aug 2012 at 20.1838
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It's politics 101 and every govt does it, Chalerm is just more shameless about it, in 30 years no war on drugs has been entirely successful, they've succeeded in temporarily pushing up the street prices and showing it can be done with out 2,500 deaths. Pity most of the population fall for this. Last year a friend told me she wasn't going to vote for Abhisit because she'd heard in here village that more people were on yaba when he was in power. This campaign appeals to the lowest common denominator of voter emotion.
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