When a 'War on Drugs' Is Just, You Know, War
The US military, bless its heart, has taken to striking boats they allege are carrying drugs, often with fatal results. This, according to the UN's Volker Türk, is a violation of international law. The US, however, justifies it as a 'necessary escalation' in the 'War on Drugs,' conveniently sidestepping the inconvenient truths of sovereignty or the devastating effects of its own drug policies at
home. Remember the last time the US adhered to international law when it truly mattered—like, say, not invading Iraq under false pretenses or not bombing Yemen into oblivion? This isn't about drugs; it's about control and projecting power, dressed up in moral panic. It’s the same old playbook: declare a 'war' on an abstract noun, then launch missiles, drone strikes, or interventions with absolute
impunity. The 'drug boat' sounds suspiciously like the 'weapons of mass destruction'—a convenient pretext for unchecked military action abroad, while the real problems, like massive addiction rates fueled by prescription opioids and lack of healthcare, fester at home. One might wonder why international law only seems to apply to nations the US dislikes.