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The Iraq War—On Drugs

By Terry J. Allen

Wounded U.S. soldiers are being patched up and returned to battle before they are healed. The wounds in this case are to the psyche, caused by the trauma and horror that are as integral to war as guns and death. In Iraq and Afghanistan, when “suck it up” fails to snap a soldier out of depression or panic, the Army turns… return to article

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    This is not at all surprising, considering the context of abuse and misuse of psych meds within the broad culture. It seems as though the “end” of achieving a smooth emotional profile as fast as possible, justifies the “means” of dropping head-pills almost indiscriminately. Damn dangerous.

    And just as short-sighted misuse of drugs among troops in Iraq must lead eventually to even worse psychological problems, the same risk applies to people stateside. This stuff doesn’t just rinse out of you overnight.

    It sure belies the usefulness of all the anti-drug educational programs out there. Technically, we know more than ever about the nature of addiction, side effects of drugs, bad interactions, proper therapeutic use, etc. Practically, we don’t use that knowledge to our benefit. The troops drop another dose of Soma (will it be “Jacob’s Ladder” next, ala the Tim Robbins film?) and get back to “doing their job”. Civilians dose and nearly overdose, switch meds and mix them together, cooking their consciousness like a bunch of hardcore 1960s pill-poppers, while at the same time wringing their hands in distress if a teenager cadges one of his daddy’s beers or takes a toke at a rock concert. Bizarre.

    And for a country whose government uses so much of its political and economic leverage to push the Drug War in other countries, the US sure is a stoner-nation. The cultural psychology of the situation is frightening. The ulterior motives of the powerful are even more so.

    Philippines Posted by Kuya on May 30, 2006 at 1:02 AM

    Makes me wonder, once again, is this adventure in afghanistan and iraq making our nation stronger or weaker?  I would suspect the latter.
    The Real Terrorists must be having a good laugh at our expense.

    United States Posted by crawford on May 30, 2006 at 2:47 AM

    what happened to good old-fashioned thai sticks?

    United States Posted by rocco on May 30, 2006 at 6:28 PM

    to crawford: You must have a special sense of humor, calling the atrocities performed in Afghanistan and Irak “adventures”. As to the “Real Terrorists” you mention, I’m afraid are not only on one side. Pehaps the ones having a good laugh are those who profit from wars but I can’t promise they are not closer to you than you seem to believe. As to us, the rest of the world, don’t worry, we are not laughing at all, we are looking at “your nation” with wide open eyes, in blind terror.

    Costa Rica Posted by Maria on May 31, 2006 at 5:03 AM

    No Fear!

    Interesting… the CIA and McGill got it wrong.

    LSD did not make the ultimate psychotic fighting machine because people became too paranoid and disorganized, but Valium could just do the trick…too impaired to question or run away… just cogent enough to be commanded.

    Just take away the fear of danger, and people will lose their sense of reality.

    Now what’s the excuse for those of us not on psychotropics, eh?

    United States Posted by minerva_jones on Sep 25, 2006 at 9:05 PM
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