Fighting drugs, using drugs

Yesterday The Times editorial board checked in to see how the War on Drugs is doing in South America. The consensus? Not so well:

It was probably unintentional, but "The Incredible Hulk" is much more than a summer afternoon's escape; it's clearly a satire, a perfect depiction of Washington's boneheaded belief that firepower can resolve any problem. Although the creature is obviously bulletproof, soldiers shoot him anyway. They get bigger guns, then tanks. He survives. They get cannons. They shoot and shoot. The Hulk sulks for a bit and then is fine.

Unfortunately, combative redundancy is also our strategy for fighting drug trafficking.

Also yesterday, the World Health Organization released a not too surprising study that will allow me to extend the metaphor — just as the government wants to use the very same gamma poisoning that infects the very Hulk it's fighting, it turns out that Americans try drugs much more often than anyone else. Reuters reports:

The researchers said their findings shed light on drug, alcohol and smoking policy.

"The use of drugs seems to be a feature of more affluent countries," they wrote.

"The United States, which has been driving much of the world's drug research and drug policy agenda, stands out with higher levels of use of alcohol, cocaine, and cannabis, despite punitive illegal drug policies, as well as (in many U.S. states), a higher minimum legal alcohol drinking age than many comparable developed countries," they added.

So apparently "Hulk" really is fine, and prescient, satire, not just summer fun. And if you need more satire (and can handle relatively on-the-cheap explosions), I might suggest "War, Inc."

*Photo courtesy Associated Press.