The Drug War: A Trillion Dollar Con Game

This three-book series, Rackets, presents the case for the legalization of drugs and gambling, along with the decriminalization of prostitution. It reveals the underlying corruption, hypocrisy, and abuses of power associated with the prohibition of these three vices.

The war on drugs is a microcosm of far greater systemic problems with criminal justice and politics. This book shines a spotlight on the bureaucratic and corporate special interests that are fighting to keep this disastrous policy in place.

That’s a theme of this book series -- exposing “rackets.” It denounces crony capitalists and the government "racketeers," i.e. bureaucracies, which operate similarly to organized criminals by posing as the solution to problems caused by the government. Suffice it to say, these books will prove that our political and criminal justice systems, in many ways, are inadvertently designed to fail...like rackets.

The Drug War: A Trillion Dollar Con Game stands out from the crowd in a genre that is flooded with quality work. It makes it abundantly clear that criminalizing drugs has been an abysmal failure. Furthermore, practical and evidence-based solutions are presented.

However, what sets this book apart is that it strips away every disingenuous aspect of the war on drugs. It’s the perfect antidote to decades of government propaganda. There are too many stunning revelations to list. You’ll discover all of the ways in which in the war on drugs serves as a pretense for expanding government power and our military forces abroad. Also, several major corporations and government agencies have been complicit in flagrant drug trafficking without being held accountable.

This is explosive subject matter and Brian Saady's writing provides compelling, definitive analysis that is backed by extensive academic research. You’ll never look at the drug war, and many other issues, the same way as before.

Editorial Reviews

Eternal Truth: People and institutions - including government - act in their own economic self-interest. (Sorry to shock you.) So that is how government, which is a huge special-interest group, has been acting - from its inception.

In that regard, things like mind-altering and sometimes addicting drugs, prostitution and gambling have always been present in every society. But if government makes them illegal, it spawns a big bureaucracy to enforce those laws of prohibition. And that necessarily increases the size, cost and power of government, which government likes. But if the products are regulated and controlled, then two things happen. First the Al Capones and pimps of those worlds will lose so much money that they will probably go out business and,second, those products will be delivered more safely, and will also be taxed. And through all of that, the amount of drugs, prostitution and gambling will most likely stay about the same. So what's not to like?

This is what Brian Saady shows so forcefully and completely in his trilogy - which is a strong and healthy addition to the "common wisdom." Read it, and you will agree.

Judge James P. Gray (Ret.)

Author of "Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed" (Temple University Press,2d edition, 2012) and 2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President.

"Impressively informed and informative, "The Drug War," is exceptionally well researched, written, organized and presented, making it an ideal and very highly recommended addition to both community and academic library Contemporary Social Issues collections..."

Midwest Book Review