The war on terror: Misnamed, misfought, misthought

Sam Smith - According to the belligerently bombastic Daily Beast: ISIS continues to gain substantial ground in Syria, despite nearly 800 airstrikes in the American-led campaign to break its grip there. At least one-third of the country’s territory is now under ISIS influence, with recent gains in rural areas that can serve as a conduit …

Legalize drugs, delegalize our culture

Sam Smith After listening to two friends debate the legalization of marijuana (the opponent, incidentally, sipping some vodka as he did so), I was reminded again of the degree to which we have become addicted to the law as a primary way to solve life’s problems. From the multi-page documents we accept unread in order …

The story the media won’t tell you

Sam Smith 2009 - Based on media coverage at least, name the largest industry in America that never contributes to political campaigns, never tries to influence politicians, never is involved in political corruption and has no lobbyists in Washington? In other words, name the cleanest business in America - that is, if you believe the …

Why do we have a drug war anyway?

Sam Smith 2007 Given that the drug war has been a demonstrable failure why does it continue to be so strongly supported by the American political and legal establishment? One reason that few want to touch is corruption, in both the moral and legal sense, which is to say the corruption that comes from political …

Before the drug war

Sam Smith, 1970 - The Public Safety Committee of the [DC] City Council held two days of hearings this month to hear scientific and public testimony month about marijuana. Most of what it heard was expectable: scientifically, marijuana is a mild conscious-altering drug; it is not addictive, nor does it lead to the use of …