Christchurch Peaceniks say "Stop the War" Mr President

"If Mr Clinton is such a big guy", said Christchurch drug law reformers today, "he should stop the War on Drugs, and set a better example as leader of the free world."

Intending MPs of the Aotearoa Legalise Cannabis Party, Blair Anderson and Kevin O'Connell, hoped Mr Clinton was aware he would be entering the drug capital of New Zealand today- There are supposedly 12,000 injecting drug users (IDUs) in Christchurch, on top of the 60,000 odd outlaw cannabis smokers, in a city of population 300,000.

World wide evidence amassing by the minute shows that $400 billion international prohibition doesn't even reduce drug use, masking an artificial cash bonanza while crime rules thanks to this "free market anomaly".

Clinton has massively escalated the War on Drugs in USA to an unprecedented US$18 billion per annum direct interdiction costs, said Mr O'Connell, (News source TV1). NZ spends $64 million per annum on direct marijuana policing alone according to the office of the Minister of Police. (920,000 hr/pa Dominion, 12-08-98)

"That doesn't include the costs of investigating the frequent murders that occur because of the black market." said Mr Anderson. "New Zealand is second only to USA in rates of drug-related incarceration",

"Crime is growing and Corrections is the National government's only success story." A recent survey of Government jobs On-line confirms that there are more jobs in Corrections than all other departments put together, with prison building the biggest area of government service expansion.

Whether its Drugs, Armaments or Prison construction, the multinational snouts and "free trade" apologists are strangely the strongest advocates for the profit ridden "prohibition" status quo, say members of the ALCP.

If people have drug problems, that is a health issue not a crime issue, say the party. "We need education (with a credible age restriction) not incarceration." And we all need to recognise that the Herb is a natural part of culture and environment. Whether it's mass murder in Timor, or the body count in the authoritarian Drug War, "it shouldn't be happening" say ALCP members.

If we stopped the War on Drugs we'd remove a lot of bad-blood, and do away forever with the criminal underworld- said Mr O'Connell. "and take out the mechanisms for promotion of systemic hatred and prejudice". So-called leaders who fail to acknowledge that the drug war is economic subversion of free trade, democracy and justice, are complicit in the crime", said Mr Anderson.

With USA the largest economic player in Guns and Drugs, the APEC agreement on liberalising trade must really be some sort of cynical "world-leader in-joke", say the candidates..

Mr Clinton has shown a warm side to New Zealanders while here, said Mr Anderson and Mr O'Connell- but while millions the world over suffer the cold injustice of his War on Drugs, there is one sure thing President Bill Clinton can do for the environment, the general public, and drug war victims the world over, "and that's SHOW THE COURAGE TO STOP THE WAR."

We need to change the law on cannabis and reintroduce the economic and ecological benefits of hemp for fibre, fuel, food and more. Mssrs O'Connell and Anderson are ALCP candidates because legalisation will deliver IMMEDIATE BENEFITS and provide the fix that MMP Parliament really needs. "Come on New Zealand -vote ALCP for safer communities together!" say the candidates.

Following news hot on the wires today that California has legalised their agricultural hemp industry, we have one central message to the President and his entourage of millions. "Hemp for victory, hemp for security, hemp for prosperity and Hemp for Peace."

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>