Drugs, Covert Ops, and the Reagan Era

This text details the hypocrisy of the Reagan administration’s “War on Drugs,” revealing how the government secretly supported drug trafficking by Contra rebels in Nicaragua and Mujahideen fighters in Afghanistan in exchange for their assistance in anti-communist efforts. The text highlights the disproportionate impact of the drug war on minority communities, particularly African Americans, through harsher sentencing for crack cocaine and increased rates of incarceration. It also exposes the flawed “Gateway Theory,” which falsely linked marijuana use to harder drugs, and the widespread use of mandatory minimum sentencing. Furthermore, the passage criticizes the Reagan administration’s use of drug testing as a tool for social control and the media’s failure to adequately report on the administration’s involvement in drug trafficking. Ultimately, the text argues that the war on drugs was not a genuine effort to combat drug abuse, but rather a politically motivated strategy with devastating social consequences.