Charles Shaw - The (Not-So) Secret History of the War on Drugs (1 of 13)

Charles Shaw, activist, author of "Exile Nation: Drugs, Prisons, Politics & Spirituality" and a regular contributor to Alternet, Huffington Post, Grist, and Reality Sandwich leads us on a fascinating, mind-blowing trip through the secret history of American drug policy, where nothing is as it appears.

The drug war is one of those topics that is always met with fierce resistance for a number of reasons involving class and race and cultural identity. But more than that, it is one of those archetypal issues that is in conflict with the American mythology that we are governed by the rule of law, and the morality of righteousness. One of the great new stories we need to tell is the true history of US involvement in the global drug trade and the integral role of drugs in the American economic and political systems. Learn how the American government has created many of the drug problems it claims the War on Drugs is supposedly designed to address. Learn about the domestic prison crisis, and what all those drug laws are really all about.

"The (Not-So) Secret History of the War on Drugs" was recorded on October 18, 2008 in Chicago as a test-run for a lecture based on a section of "Exile Nation," a book that chronicles his experiences in the drug war as both a recovering addict and activist working to raise awareness and reform drug policy, and the time he spent in prison on a non-violent drug possession charge.

For more information, or to read the book, visit the Exile Nation home page:
http://www.realitysandwich.com/exile_nation_drugs_prisons_politics_spirituality

Video by Christoper Breedlove:
http://www.mrbreedlove.com

Exile Nation Copyright © 2009 Charles Shaw. All rights reserved.

This video may be shared under a Creative Commons license.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• drug war
• prison-industrial complex
• CIA
• history
• problem-reaction-solution

[metal616]

this entire presentation is absolutely amazing.

[LasVegasLars]

pretty butterflies

[gdrcitizen]

video consists of two components a) video b) sound - please take care of that next time

[eturnone]

fantastic