Singer Chap 4 RQ
1. What are the differences between reactive and proactive drug policies?
Policy analysts differentiate two types of policy: reactive policy and proactive policy. Reactive policy according to Singer "is present-oriented and emerges as policy makers implement immediate measures in response to a threatening crisis, such as a health emergency" (p. 61). Proactive policy on the other hand, "is more future-oriented and is guided by a longer-term vision of an aspired future, such as achievement of a broader foundation for democracy or higher standard of living" (p. 62). National and international drug control policies tend to fall under reactive policies, while development policy is guided by a proactive approach.
2. Discuss the fall and rise of opium in Afghanistan. Prepare for a class debate. Do drug users fund terrorism?
In 2000, the Sunni Muslim and ethnic Pashtun movement implemented a ban on opium production that achieved a "99% reduction in the land area under opium poppy cultivation in Taliban-controlled areas" (p. 67). There was almost complete compliance without the need of any direct enforcement or punishment. These drug control efforts were discussed with Pino Arlacchi, the director of the UN Office of Drug Control. However, Arlacchi decided to shut down all UN drug control initiatives in Afghanistan. The Taliban responded with dismay and anger. Due to the short-lived Taliban drug control program, the purity of heroin available dropped significantly, making it even more dangerous for individuals to consume into their bodies.
3. How has the war on drugs been globalized?
The war on drugs is not solely a U.S. domestic affair. Instead, it is a global war carried out by three programs implemented by the U.S. Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs. The three programs are: the Andean program (Colombia, Bolivia, Peru), the Western Hemisphere program (Latin America and Caribbean countries), and the South Asia program (Afghanistan and Pakistan). Through these programs, five strategies are implemented to control drugs. The strategies are: eradication of psychotropic crops, interdiction and support of foreign law enforcement, diplomatic initiatives, use of economic sanctions or restrictions on foreign aid,development of domestic institutions in producer or trafficker countries, and military force.
4. What is the paradox of alternative approaches to the issue of drugs globally?
It is important to recognize that the contemporary development discourse is inherently paradoxical. According to Singer, "This paradox emerges from that fact that it is the very countries (Western European nations, the U.S., and Japan) that epitomize advanced development in the modern world that have instigated the human rights-destroying process of colonialism, economic exploitation, environmental degradation, international conflict, and globalism, which have promoted the development of underdeveloped" (p. 84). There is also the issue of cultural hegemony, or the tendency of dominated groups to absorb the terms and worldviews of their dominators. The consequence has been the development of drug control policies and programs that have not only failed in their stated missions but have contributed to the total sum of social suffering and repressive social control in the world.