Drug Politics: Dirty Money and Democracies (International and Security Affairs) [Hardcover]

David C. Jordan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 1999 | Series: International and Security Affairs

Drug Politics is an enlightening new book by a man who knows this disturbing and dangerous subject. A former United States ambassador to Peru, David C. Jordan has testified before the U.S. Senate and House Foreign Relations committees and has consulted with various government security organizations. His account of government protection of the criminal elements intertwined with local and global politics challenges many of the assumptions of current drug policies. Using examples from South America, Mexico, Russia, and the United States, Jordan shows that the narcotics problem is not merely one of supply and demand.

Jordan argues that many national and international financial systems are dependent on cash from money laundering, and some governments are far more involved in protecting than in combating criminal cartels.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

David C. Jordan served as United States Ambassador to Peru (1984-86). He is currently Professor of International Relations and Comparative Government, Woodrow Wilson Department of Government and Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia, and President of the New World Institute, Charlottesville, Virginia.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 304 pages
• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press (October 15, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0806131748
• ISBN-13: 978-0806131740
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #483,130 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Provocative but Flawed, October 16, 2004

By 

H. Campbell (houston, texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Drug Politics: Dirty Money and Democracies (International and Security Affairs) (Hardcover)

This book is a near miss that still deserves to be read, though the author is repetitive and his reasoning is flawed. he describes the creeping dismantling of democracy in all its variants through the collusion, if not conspiracy, of politicans, drug traffickers and the banking industry. He cites interesting cases but strays off on tangents and reaches conclusions that could just as easily be reversed with a slightly different perspective. Clearly he has an agenda and refuses to seriously consider subtlety or nuance, dismissing such attempts as "counterculture" or misguided liberalism. Though there is no argument with regard to the very real dangers that the money of the drug business poses to national governments evrywhere, he decides to strike out at hippies, anti-war protestors, the CIA and George Soros, who he obviously equates to the AntiChrist.There remains to be written a book with this topic that is not judgemental and avoids aimless redundancies. Still, having said all this, Johnson did get me thinking about these issues, and even made me appreciate some of the arguments against decriminalization. Though I don't agree with much of his analysis, he poses interesting viewpoints that everyone should be aware of.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars At last some clarity on drug policy, March 17, 2002

By 

Jeffrey Steinberg (Washington DC USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Drug Politics: Dirty Money and Democracies (International and Security Affairs) (Hardcover)

Professor Jordan's Drug Politics sheds critical light on one of the most persisting problems of the post-World War II period: How to properly tackle the problem of the illegal drug trade. What I found most valuable was Dr. Jordan's identification of the false underlying assumptions that have plagued America's anti-drug policy for decades, and have led many people, in frustration, to accept the even more deeply flawed arguments of those proposing the legalization of drugs. The vast majority of treatments of the drug plague fail to take into account the witting role of powerful "overworld" forces, including those in the banking and financial community, who engage in drug money laundering; politicians who become witting captives of the drug interests; and media and cultural industrialists who profiteer off of their own promotion of the drug culture. This book is a real thought provoker, and, what is best, the careful diagnosis of the false assumptions give one the idea that a viable approach to dealing with the deadly plague of illegal drugs may, at last, be possible. In addition to having the courage to names some of the names of the "overworld" figures promoting the drug epidemic for their own gains, the book provides invaluable historical background and insight. Yet, it is not an overly written academic treatment. It is one of those rare books that is too good to put down.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Drug Problem is a bigger problem, December 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Drug Politics: Dirty Money and Democracies (International and Security Affairs) (Hardcover)

At last a comprehensive study of the "Drug Issue". This book not only deals with hard facts but provides a solid theoretical framework of analysis. The author provides a lot of information and references, plus a new interpretation on the nature of the Drug Problem seen in a historical perspective. If you want to know how Drugs, Governments, Businessmen, Financial Institutions, media and organized crime are related: read this book! A must for politicians and community leaders!