Pubdate: Tue, 05 Feb 2002
Source: Daily Texan (TX Edu)
Copyright: 2002 Daily Texan
Contact:  http://www.dailytexanonline.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/115
Author: Todd Willis
Note: Willis is a geosystems engineering and hydrogeology junior.

A WAR WE JUST CAN'T WIN

Our government has a daunting task ahead of it, for the network of 
terrorism support is vaster than we could have imagined.

Just last weekend, for instance, there were likely dozens, if not hundreds 
of raucous meetings held right here in Austin to further the cause of 
terrorism abroad. Disgustingly, many of these supporters are probably UT 
students themselves.

Football fans around the country were informed Sunday during the Super Bowl 
that buying drugs supports terrorist activities. These gravely somber 
commercials were broadcast in an apparent attempt to unite the causes of 
the War on Drugs and the war on terrorism. Not since World War II, when 
America was faced with fighting in both Europe and Japan, have we had to 
brace ourselves for such a two-front assault.

Nancy Reagan herself could never have dreamed this one up. Surely it makes 
sense to capitalize on Americans' newfound patriotism by telling us that 
the dime-bag profits the neighborhood dealer makes eventually wind up 
bankrolling Osama's new shipment of AK-47s. It introduces an entirely new 
way to "just say no." Instead of simply pointing out the potentially 
addictive and harmful effects of drugs, you can now scream "terrorist 
lover!" and get a direct line to Homeland Security adviser Tom Ridge. How 
could such an advertising campaign possibly go wrong?

In every way, it turns out. For one thing, the commercials' lofty soap-box 
stance was laughable. Both the war on terrorism and drug abuse are serious 
subjects, but joining the two into one omnipotent evil is absurd. Granted, 
the premise might be true, but surely an even bigger support system to 
foreign terrorism are the millions of barrels of gasoline consumed in this 
country every day. The "gasoline consumption supports terrorism" commercial 
campaign probably isn't forthcoming though.

The war on terrorism is many things that the War on Drugs is not. For 
starters, the war on terrorism is justified, since wiping out terrorism 
would undeniably benefit the entire world. The war on terrorism pursues a 
definite, if evasive, enemy. Perhaps most importantly, however, is that the 
war on terrorism, at least this far, has been wildly successful. The War on 
Drugs has not.

Americans have been told that our part in the war on terrorism is to simply 
return to life as usual: Go to work, spend time with your family, and spend 
your money. But now there is a rather large exception being made: If you 
used drugs before, you can't now, or else you are supporting terrorism. The 
problem is that most Americans readily support the gung-ho attitude of the 
Bush administration against international terrorists. But now they are 
overstepping their bounds, as big government tends to do, and are passing 
moral judgments by telling us what we should and should not do. It is 
ironic that American tax dollars were spent to tell us what not to spend 
the rest of our money on. Can non-drug users expect a refund check in the mail?

The point of advertising is to persuade the target audience to accept your 
message, whether that message is "buy this product" or "visit this Web 
site." But it is unlikely at best that John Doe is going to put the crack 
pipe down because he feels guilty for supporting terrorists. It is equally 
unlikely that someone will pass on an ecstasy pill because they don't want 
to support terrorism; more likely, they will decline because of strongly 
held principles and convictions formed even before Sept. 11.

This campaign amounts to a waste of taxpayer dollars, specifically to the 
tune of $1.6 million dollars every 30 seconds, that could be better spent 
upgrading outdated military equipment or beefing up national intelligence 
assets. But it does serve as a prime example of "good intention, bad 
judgment." While there might be a good message behind it, it probably rings 
hollow in the ears of someone who loves and supports America, all the while 
passing around a bong amongst friends.

Probably, if the commercials' designers had thought the matter through, 
they would have realized that such assertions are overstretched and silly. 
Perhaps a war on mediocre advertising schools should be our next agenda.
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager