Friday, May 6, 2011

"Dogmatic and unproductive"

Yes, that's how the U.S. ironically describes European nations who pushed to include the term "harm reduction" in a United Nations anti-drug strategy document, according to this recently leaked diplomatic cable.

Negotiations for the UNGA special session have hit an impasse, created by EU insistence on adding the controversial term "harm reduction" to various parts of the draft UNGASS action plan and political declaration. While Canada, an opponent of the term's inclusion, is considering conceding to EU demands, other opponents are standing firm with the U.S. in preventing such a problematic element's inclusion. Mission has engaged counterparts at every level, from experts to ambassadors in an attempt to break the impasse and find compromise language. Mission believes there is increasing pressure within the EU to resolve this gridlock and avoid an embarrassing showdown at the March Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) but some delegations will be inclined to hold this issue hostage up until the opening of the CND, in hopes the US will relent. To facilitate EU compromise, Mission recommends that the Department reach out to various capitals and the European Commission to help underscore the firmness of U.S. resolve-both to our allies and to the EU, before the EU horizontal group meeting in Brussels on February 4. Mission has urged like-minded countries here (Japan, Russia, Colombia) to take similar actions.
...
By engaging EU member states in a different context, it may help them to reevaluate their dogmatic and unproductive approach.
U.S. officials should take a second to look in the mirror...

4 comments:

  1. The link to the leaked cable just goes to the main Blogger site.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Here is the link to the WikiLeaks page:

    http://www.WikiLeaks.ch/cable/2009/01/09UNVIEVIENNA31.html

    Breaking the UNGASS Impasse on "Harm Reduction"

    ReplyDelete
  3. Of course they hate "harm reduction" they obviously much prefer "harm escalation" and are so in love with the upward trajectory of harm they've been able to ram down our throats while making us pay for it, so they can galavant off to foreign lands and dine on great food.

    Even their proposed, "Develop, review and strengthen, as appropriate, prevention, treatment, care and rehabilitation of drug use disorders and to take measures to reduce the social and health consequences of drug abuse as governmental health and social priorities, in accordance with international drug control treaties, and where appropriate, national legislation." paragraph wouldn't be so bad if they 1) didn't abdicate govt sovereignty to to international "treaties" and 2) actually had the brains to realize that not all use is abuse.

    Here's some great double-speak, "In order to break EU unity on this issue, and thereby create a climate in Vienna conducive to compromise," […] They must "break unity" to "create a climate of compromise."

    The author suggests the threat that "the potential for embarrassment is great for the EU" if they allow the phrase "harm reduction." Hm, I guess these people, who probably go to church have somehow overlooked the threat of "everlasting shame and contempt" and Jesus' parables of how those in power will be tossed out. I think they need to read my "Despise the Shame" section, let alone the "Bible" section.

    "until the EU shows more flexibility" this is just so hypocritical. The brittle minds of the prohibitionists are the problem.

    "it should be noted that the current EU proposal effectively eliminates the draft's previous focus on prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. Although there may be some disagreement on 'harm reduction,' Mission believes all delegations should be concerned that the elimination of prevention, treatment and rehabilitation from their prominent place in the draft may give the wrong signal that member states are no longer focusing on the critical need to reduce the demand for drugs. " Such a bunch of baloney, sounds like Schulte and whoever else goes along with that junk is worried about the placement of deck chairs on the Titanic.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I just have such a hard time believing we pay people enormous sums of money to write that crap. I wish I could say something good about our govt. or the mega-corps(es) but I can't. Just today I read about how a mega-corpse was found out to be charging nearly $100,000 for a few plastic gears for war machines. They got caught, this time, but how about all the times they weren't caught? And how much did the audit cost us to perform? Probably that much, so was it a net gain for us citizens?

    Our govt. is totally doomed. We are a failed state. Parasites have taken over the world's governments and most of the mega corporations.

    Considering that memo was written in 2009 I guess the matter was settled somehow, no doubt by the crooked bullies headed up by the T.H.E.M. government.

    ReplyDelete

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