Pubdate: Tue, 08 May 2012
Source: Daily Courier, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 The Okanagan Valley Group of Newspapers
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/5NyOACet
Website: http://www.kelownadailycourier.ca
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/531
Author: David Bond

HARPER REFUSES TO CONSIDER THE EVIDENCE

Prime Minister Stephen Harper seems determined to stick to
preconceived notions he "knows" to be right and to ignore contrary
evidence.

Two recent examples come to mind.

First, at the recent Summit of the Americas he was the lone supporter
of the U.S. in rejecting inviting Cuba to attend future meetings.

That President Barack Obama would say no is understandable. There is a
rabid anti-Castro voting block in Florida, a key state he must carry
if he is to be re-elected. Agreeing to allow Cuba to attend was not
on.

But our prime minister is has no such political pressure. Canada
maintains diplomatic relations with Cuba, several Canadian companies
have substantial investments there and it is a popular holiday
destination for Canadians.

Yes, Cuba is a dictatorship but does that mean we can't even talk to
them in an international forum?

The PM treats Cuba the way he did China until the business community,
particularly the oil patch, convinced him to wise up. Our stance
toward China had caused the leaders in Beijing to shut us out of many
business opportunities and that had to change. I guess Cuba unlike
China is not an important market, so we can ignore it.

The 50-year American embargo against Cuba has been a resounding
failure. True, the country is impoverished, but there is no
starvation, literacy rates are at all-time highs and the regime is
slowly relaxing its iron grip. Why not talk and perhaps speed up that
relaxation?

Harper's anti-Cuban stance has not endeared us to many nations in the
Americas. We have lost credibility and respect without gaining anything.

Harper's second, equally baffling action came with stonewalling at
that same conference when several states requested rethinking
regarding illicit drugs and drug policy in general. Again, Canada
sided with the U.S. in rejecting any discussion.

For more than 100 years, the U.S. and Canada have been fighting the
spread of illicit drugs.

The amount the U.S. spends on this "war" is in the tens of billions
annually. And to what avail? Use of drugs has steadily increased.

The amounts of money involved in this illicit trade are in the
multi-billions and the prison population of those convicted on charges
related to drugs has increased by leaps and bounds. But the drugs keep
coming in ever-greater amounts.

While there have been frequent skirmishes with substantial quantities
of drugs seized, the war on drugs has been anything but victorious.
You would think political leaders in both of our countries would begin
to realize something is wrong. Our society is being undermined by our
unwillingness or inability to even consider changing our policies on
drugs.

The one great achievement prohibition of alcohol in the last century
in both the U.S. and Canada accomplished was to provide the financing
for organized crime. Al Capone was the first crime boss followed by
many others. The war on drugs is having the same effect now in
creating vast illicit wealth for drug lords.

But of equal, if not greater, concern is the devastating impact the
drug trade has on the viability of democracies and civil society in
many of our Latin and South American countries.

Their request for a rational and open discussion on drug policy and
potential solutions was a cry of anguish from our southern neighbours
who feel overwhelmed and are asking for help.

Obama, again because it's an election year, could only say no. But
Harper pursuing his usual political wedge strategy also turned a deaf
ear to these pleas.

Such narrow-minded politicking by the prime minister made me ashamed
of Canada. It certainly cost us a loss of respect among the countries
seeking our help. And it did nothing to alleviate our own growing drug
problem.

David Bond is an author and retired chief economist with the HSBC
bank.
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