Warfare On The Streets Of Jamaica

The proud African state of Jamaica has joined Mexico and Columbia as states totally destabilized by the drug policy of the United States. The policy of extraditing alleged drug traffickers to the United States for kangaroo courts has ignited a backlash.

It is no coincidence that violence, kidnapping, and assaults on police are prevalent in countries that extradite their "citizens" to the US for trial. Accused criminals like Pablo Escobar and now Christopher Coke would rather die in their own country fighting than submit to the white man's justice here.

The extradition policy is a policy of rendition, cloaked in the legal system. The US merely charges a foreign citizen with a crime, the more outrageous the better. The foreign government, without charging the individual with a crime, destroys half the country and kills countless civilians to deliver the citizen to a foreign land. A land the accused may have never visited.

In this case 30 people have died as a result of this policy. The civilians died for the defense of their sovereignty. The Police died as slaves to another country.

Does not every citizen have a right to be accused and tried in the nation where he was born, by a jury of his true peers, and by a government that benefited from his/her taxes? Anyone can understand extraditing individuals who flee to other countries to avoid capture. However, bringing drug dealers here who have never been here is another.

Strange that only Black and Brown people are extradited. Roman Polanski is still vacationing in France after raping a little girl. The French protect him as a citizen, even though he is from here and committed the crime here. Certain individuals in the drug business are labeled "kingpins" and "cartel chiefs" because they made money in the drug business. These individuals are always Black or Brown. Although the distribution of drugs has always been controlled by the government and the bankers, none are ever convicted as kingpins. Frank Lucas, Freeway Ricky Ross, Christopher Coke, and Pablo Escobar did not own any ships or planes with runways in the US. They did not own any banks. They did not run a single police department. However, these men were kingpins because they owned a few houses and cars, and sponsored a few community events. Meanwhile, the police, judges, bankers, lawyers, and politicians who benefit are left alone. The government started the crack epidemic in the 1980's, yet, no government official was ever convicted of even a parking ticket.

This ridiculous policy must end. If the money spent during the past 30 years to stop, try, and convict drug dealers had been spent on treatment and prevention programs, there would be no drug kingpins. Lots of people have to be benefiting for a drug war to continue unabated for as long as it has.

The real drug kingpins are the pharmaceutical companies who sell legal drugs at exorbitant prices to people who can't afford them. These drugs are not designed to cure but, to keep the user coming back over and over again. Blood pressure medications, cancer drugs, AIDS drugs, drugs for restless leg syndrome. Oxycontin, percocet, vicodin, Demerol. All legal drugs that don't cure anything, but they cost a lot. Yet, the drug companies make billions legally, even though their drugs kill many more people.

Christopher Coke should be tried in Jamaica, if they have any charges against him. The popular uprising occurring in the streets may cause the government to fall as more and more people see this as an issue of sovereignty, and the government as a tool of the US. Other individuals involved in the drug trade and find common cause with Mr. Coke and join the fight, which may already be occurring based on the number of roadblocks.

In the end Christopher Coke will be killed and a new "drug kingpin" appointed and targeted. The cycle of violence will continue and the drugs will continue to flow. Then another scapegoat will emerge.