Eradication

Why screw around arresting pot smokers when you can get to the root of the problem by simply eliminating marijuana? That is the latest plan from Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency, at least according to this report, which notes that the country should be pot-free by 2015:

BNN: 2015, Indonesia Free from Marijuana Fields Tuesday, 16 January, 2007 | 17:46 WIB TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: The National Narcotics Agency (BNN) targets Indonesia to be free from marijuana fields by 2015. “BNN will fight marijuana growth” said Executive Chairman of BNN, Insp. Gen. Made Mangku Pastika, during the working meeting with the Regional Representatives Assembly (DPD) in Senayan yesterday (15/1). For the first stage, he said, BNN will clear marijuana fields in Aceh. “In Aceh, there are 500 hectares (marijuana fields), but we target 200 hectares in this year,” he said. In order to make the program successful, he will cooperate with the Agriculture Department and the Trade Department in looking for substitute production. “If there is no substitute, it will be difficult,” he said. In addition, the agency will carry out a rehabilitation program for illegal drug addicts via the religious way. “This is more effective,” he said.

Gen. Pastika is only the latest in a long line of politicians and drug fighters who have set their eyes on the ultimate prize. The last one I can recall is former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was going to eliminate drugs there in 2003. Well, Thaksin is gone now, and he didn’t manage to eliminate drugs, although his cops murdered some 2,000 or so drug users and sellers. I think the European Union was going to eliminate drugs by 2008, or maybe it was the UN. And wasn’t it Newt Gingrich who wanted to wipe out drugs by 2002 in our country? I'm not sure because I don't spend a lot of time pondering such codswallop. Such promises are enough to embarrass Don Quixote. But hey, at least the good general in Indonesia is promising faith-based treatment…