Capitalism plus dope equals genocide

[Prospero]

This is a Black Panther pamphlet from 1970. It is still very relevant today. The premise is that in a Capitalist society dope is a necessary illness.

The government is well aware of the fact that even if they were able to stop the importation of heroin, dope dealers and addicts would simply find another drug to take its place. The government is totally incapable of addressing itself to the true causes of drug addiction, for to do so would necessitate effecting a radical transformation of this society. The social consciousness of this society, the values, mores and traditions would have to be altered. And this would be impossible without totally changing the way in which the means of producing social wealth is owned and distributed. Only a revolution can eliminate the plague.

http://www.marxists.org/history/usa/workers/black-panthers/1970/dope.htm

[Athanasius contra mundum]

An astute observation! I'm not sure if I like the implied solution though. I prefer the campaign to "Never Stop the Madness":

http://www.myspace.com/never_stop_the_madness

"And to those whom you do not teach to fly, I pray you teach... TO FALL FASTER!" - Friedrich Nietzsche, Thus Spoke Zarathustra

[Cargést]

I stand with Euronymous on this one - drugs are a good thing.  The people who are weak enough to become slaves to the material deserve their diseases, overdoses, jail sentences, executions, &c.

[Noumenon]

Whilst there are certain drugs I'd like to try simply for the states of altered conciousness they produce, if someone cannot control and dicipline themselves and if they become addicted then fuck them. Same goes for annorexia, obesity and other forms of self debasement. However, we shouldn't be too quick to scorn these people, most of of them are only products of their time - victims. Still one of my favourite Neitzche quotes though Erosion.

[Cargést]

Why should we not scorn victims?

[scourge]

However, we shouldn't be too quick to scorn these people, most of of them are only products of their time - victims.

What if they were mostly products of their genes - genes our species is better off not having in the future? Is psychological destruction of the brain in the body spreading these genes around "bad"?

[duamtef]

Why should we not scorn victims?

Why should you ever waste your time with scorn? Drugs are for people with no direction in life. There are some exceptions, like some of the people here who are potheads, but just wait ten years and they'll grow out of it.

[scourge]

Yeah man. If there's bad metal just ignore it and smoke a doob. The bad bands will go away. Some day.

[Cargést]

Why should we not scorn victims?

Why should you ever waste your time with scorn? Drugs are for people with no direction in life. There are some exceptions, like some of the people here who are potheads, but just wait ten years and they'll grow out of it.

This is like saying "why should we react to anything".

If my path through life is crossed, or blocked, by a "victim", or by "victims", a response is required of me.  My response will be to remove them, forcibly, from my way.

[duamtef]

That's not scorn, that's action.

[Prospero]

There are hard drugs, but I feel the article also relates to more subtle addictions like fast food, shopping or watching TV. These are all easy way to pleasure yourself in a society where everyone is concerned with him or herself alone. These occupations have the same effect as heroin. They are not deadly to your body, but to your mind.

[Cargést]

That's not scorn, that's action.

Definitions of "scorn":

lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
open disrespect for a person or thing

My "action" fulfills both of those definitions simultaneously.

[Noumenon]

It has been suggested by many people that there should be areas where drugs are legal. Problem is that we are in such a humanist society where all of us "deserve" to live even if we are complete fuck ups in every single way. So valuable time and resources get put into keeping these people alive time after time. Should we just let them die? It would seem the best answer, though I doubt it will happen in our lifetime.

[Athanasius contra mundum]

Yeah man. If there's bad metal just ignore it and smoke a doob. The bad bands will go away. Some day.

I'm just saying we should let the drugs kill them. Why the fuck do I want to keep them alive?

[Conservationist]

The premise is that in a Capitalist society dope is a necessary illness.

In every society so far known, and even without society, people and even animals become obsessed by drugs and will forsake needs in order to procure them. Whether it's pigs who eat up the fermented apples under the tree, or lab monkeys who keep hitting the cocaine button until they die, or wino liberals who drink their way through boring jobs, it's the same.

Capitalism has nothing to do with it.

What the Black Panthers (great organization, cannot endorse too much) are saying however is that this tendency is fortunate for those who wish to control others. And I think W.S. Burroughs covered that as well, quite well.