But I firmly believe that the war on drugs is doing more harm to our society than drug abuse itself. Let me explain my perspective. I became involved in the drug issue because of my commitment to the concept of open society. The open society is based on the recognition that we act on the basis of imperfect understanding and our actions have unin tended consequences. Our mental constructs, as well as our institutions, are all flawed in one way or another.
Perfection is unattainable but that is no reason to despair.
On the contrary, our fallibility leaves infinite scope for innovation, invention and improvement. An open society that recognizes fallibility is a superior form of social organization to a closed society that claims to have found all the answers. I have devoted much of my energies and resources over the past two decades to promoting the concept of open society in formerly communist countries. I have started to pay more attention to my adopted country, the United States, because I feel that the relatively open society we enjoy here is in danger. Our drug policies offer a prime example of adverse, unintended consequences.