In the first installment of this series, I discussed Reefer Madness in reference to the fact that the original was a piece of exploitative propaganda. In this installment, I want to talk about another bit of social perniciousness, what I call the "do-gooder" movement.
As I pointed out, Reefer Madness was originally produced by a church group as a morality play to inform parents about the supposed "evils" contained in marijuana. When Dwain Esper purchased the film rights, he changed it from a morality tale to an over the top bit of film propaganda. Clearly, the intent of this film was to make something happen. That something was the prohibition of marijuana. It can be argued, and quite successfully, that Reefer Madness, and a few other exploitation films just like it were some of the tools used to institute marijuana prohibition.
The obvious question comes up: why would the people who produced these films been so interested in the prohibition of marijuana? The answer is simple, somewhere down the line; someone learned that if you turn an issue of personal choice into a moral issue, it is a lot easier to get a moral issue prohibited than a personal choice.
Why Prohibit Weed?
On the surface, this question is seemingly answered by constant barrage of anti-pot ads (propaganda) that remain as "public service announcements". While it is clearly true that certain illicit drugs (as well as lots of legal ones) can be downright deadly, there is more than enough evidence that shows the danger (if any) of marijuana pales in comparison to most legal drugs, including alcohol and nicotine. Clearly, if one is concerned about health and safety, alcohol has claimed many more lives, and should be the thing prohibited.
Ah, but we tried that, and it failed...miserably! One would think that given the times, people would have been wise to the idea that prohibition is a bad idea, no matter what it is that is being prohibited. Unfortunately, do-gooders are easily lead, and don't usually understand the cause and effect of their ignorant actions.
The answer to why marijuana was actually prohibited is manifold. However, mostly, it can be boiled down to eliminating competition and fostering racism. To understand this, we need to understand some of the players in this moral drama, and the motivation behind their actions.
The first and most important player in this is one William Randolph Hearst. For those not in the know, WR Hearst (4/29/1863 – 8/14/1951), was the Rupert Murdock of his time. He began his career in the publishing business in 1887. At that time, he took over management of the San Francisco Examiner. His father George Hearst had accepted it as payment of a gambling debt. (1)
From this humble beginning, he expanded his media empire from sea to shining sea. He owned newspapers In New York, San Francisco, and lots of places in between. He began to champion public causes, among them, outlawing marijuana possession and use.
On the surface, he used a do-gooder air to make it appear as if his motives were pure. Unfortunately, his motives were more prurient than pure. Because he owned so many newspapers, he also found it economically advantageous to also own lots of forests. Paper made of hemp was cheaper, better, and allowed virgin forests to remain undefiled. It also cost Hearst money. Ergo, it was in his financial interests to act sanctimoniously.
The hemp crop also threatened the recently patented substance known as Nylon. Invented in 1935 by the Dupont corporation, nylon had a rather large competitor in the hemp industry. It was definitely in their best interest to outlaw their competition's product.
Hearst was also sympathetic to the plight of one Harry J. Anslinger, the nation's first official "Drug Czar". Mr. Anslinger's goal was to make marijuana illegal. While his motives were "clean" on the surface, his biographer claims that Anslinger knew that the issue of marijuana would be good for his political career (2).
Anslinger 's association with Hearst got his anti-pot message out to the general public. The seemingly above reproach motives of Anslinger and Hearst brought numerous do-gooders out of the woodwork like cockroaches.
The racism component comes from Texas and other states that bordered Mexico. The depression was still on, and the job market in Texas was flooded with Mexicans. Many of them brought their favorite leafy intoxicant north of the border with them. Since it would have shown racism to just push them back over the border, Texas decided to make pot illegal. That way, they had a reason to deport those who were found to be illegal aliens. Outlawing weed could be seen as being on the side of right instead of a means of promoting racism.
There's really is one Ulterior motive of the do Gooder,
Control.
Usually the controlled behavior yeilds other desirable results to the controller and his friends.
Money, Power, etc. The usual suspects.
The Authoritarian parades around as the Ultimate Do Gooder. No?
Hypocricy and infliction of guilt,
Ah yes, The POWER TO PUNISH gratifies all the best, by now insatiable base instincts of the DO GOODER and the CONTROLLER Authoritarian hiding behind the mask of the Do Gooder.
IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD and the GOOD of the HOMELAND SECURITY. PLUS,,,
IT'S GOD'S WILL!!!
by
"Hoss" David P. (51 articles, 5 quicklinks, 14 diaries, 339 comments)
on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 at 2:56:28 PM
There's really is one Ulterior motive of the do Gooder,
Control.
There is more than one ulterior motive behind the run if the mill do-gooder. However, you are correct about the ulterior motives of those who call upon the do-gooder to do their bidding.
And yes, that motive is control Some people are simply NOT happy unless they are meddling in the lives of others. It is curious that it seems those who have the most chaotic lives are the biggest control freaks. From the raging, codependent Al-Anon to the politician wailing about the sins and transgressions of the rest of us, it can be clearly seen that their lives are completely out of control.
It is sad that instead of admitting the trouble and chaos that is their lives, the do-gooder is compelled to try to control the others. My life is chaotic. My life is problematic. Some times, my life completely sucks!
However, I don't try to tell other people how to live their lives. I am both smart and humble enough to know that I hardly know how to run my life. Why would I consider I could suddenly be able to know how others should live their lives? I would never be so presumptuous.
Usually the controlled behavior yields other desirable results to the controller and his friends.
Money, Power, etc. The usual suspects.
Yes, most definitely.The do-gooder backers definitely get something for their efforts. Clearky, in the case of Reefer Madness, the do-gooder backers' motive was money. The unfortunate thing is, now we are left with a arbitrary drug policy that criminalizes the most trouble-free drug, reefer, and allows one of the most problematic drugs, alcohol, to advertise during football games.
As if alcohol needs advertising anyway. If people could find booze during the height of alcohol prohibition, and considering the pervasiveness of booze, there is no need to advertise. Mogen David 20/20 still exists like it did when I was in high school. The number of winos I have seen drinking MD 20/20 has remained constant. When was the last time you saw a commercial for Mogen David? Funny, me either.
And this is after the biggest historical do-gooder failure: alcohol prohibition. Clearly, there are people who are going to want to drink booze and do other drugs. Why should they be prevented? These are matters of personal choice.
But not to the do-gooder. They are reasons to stand and march in righteous indignation. Somewhere in the background stand folks who stand to make really huge profits.
The Authoritarian parades around as the Ultimate Do Gooder. No?
Oh yes. DUBYA is a do-gooder and a criminal. What a scary combination!
Hypocrisy and infliction of guilt,
Those are definitely two tools in the do-gooder Fortunately, these tools always backfire, and expose the users. Just ask the latest in line for humiliation due to his phone number winding up on the list of phone numbers possessed by the DC madam:
Senator David Vitter, (R, La) had his phone number wind up on the list of numbers from the DC Madam that are being leaked. Clearly, his philandering ways stand in stark contrast to his concern for the "institution" of marriage, and his working for the cause of teen sexual abstinence. Clearly, it can now be seen he is of the do-gooder stripe...kinda like Mark Foley, but with prostitutes instead of teen pages.
Ah yes, The POWER TO PUNISH gratifies all the best, by now insatiable base instincts of the DO GOODER and the CONTROLLER Authoritarian hiding behind the mask of the Do Gooder.
IT'S FOR YOUR OWN GOOD and the GOOD of the HOMELAND SECURITY. PLUS,,,
IT'S GOD'S WILL!!!
God's will. No one knows what that is. Oh sure, many say they know the will of god. Amazingly, there are enough stupid people in this country who hear the words, "god told me to..." and actually believe what follows the ellipses.
That's why I called do-gooder-ism a genetic form of insanity. Whenever I hear anyone saying they know what god is thinking, I can't help but see said person in a straitjacket.
Maybe one day soon, we will eradicate do-gooder-ism from our species. What a great day that will be! I'd love to see that day, but I am sure to be in an urn before that day comes. Oh well, at least there is hope for evolution.
Blessed be! Pappy
by
Pappy (61 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 863 comments)
on Tuesday, July 10, 2007 at 10:08:30 PM
On the money Pappy. Reminds me of Bart Simpson greeting his friend, "Hi Leslie, where ya been all summer?"
"O, hi Bart, I've been off to bible camp learning to be more judgemental."
As an X pat yank of over 20 years the world is looking pretty strange from where I sit these days. Ya got yer muslims in muslim land and ya got yer christians in christian land and I'm having a hard time telling em apart.
by
davy (1 articles, 0 quicklinks, 0 diaries, 241 comments)
on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 2:58:37 AM
...consider us poor saps who are still stuck with this shit going on around us. It's getting to the point that I am even considering expatriation. If we wind up with another douche bag like DUBYA, I'm fucking out of here. I just can't deal with the bullshit any longer. I am tired of being embarrassed about being an American.
I never thought I'd feel that way. I don't want to feel that way. But the America I knew is no longer among the living. The America my parents fought for isn't this bullshit mess that gets passed off as the greatest country on the planet. The America I knew before January 20, 2001 is just as long gone. No one asked me how I felt about that. Hell, I write about it on an almost daily basis; preaching to the choir here, as it were, and I'm still not being seen by the idiots who have allowed this country to be ravaged just for a dynasty of oil pigs.
It's sad.
It's also the fault of do-gooder-ism. Through the Religious Reich, the Republican party untilized a veritable army of do-gooders. That army of do-gooders put DUBYA back in office.
We truly need to eradicate do-gooder-ism from humanity! it is nothing but trouble.
Blessed be! Pappy
by
Pappy (61 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 863 comments)
on Wednesday, July 11, 2007 at 3:45:15 AM
