In its objections to medical marijuana, the Clinton administration shaped its justifying myths skillfully. By envisioning children getting the wrong message massive carnage from medically stoned pilots, and consumers duped by snake-oil drugs, the government depicted a huge fellowship of victims harmed by medical marijuana precisely to justify society's ritual persecution of marijuana users, patients included. Although absurdly dishonest, this is exactly the reasoning required to uphold a system of sacred violence against the threat of encroaching empathy. Although it undermines the anti-drugism myth and inspires disarming sympathy, we must not underestimate our society's resistance to being robbed of an intensely meaningful system of sacred violence. Since the primal satisfactions of scapegoating are nearly instinctual, they are stubbornly defended and cleverly justified.
Politicians understand the power of the anti-drugism myth.
If they fail to feed it, they rightly fear that they may be fed to it. Few take the risk. But if Bailie is right, the days of enthusiastic drug-warring are numbered. From the biblical mob surrounding the adulteress to the drug-fighters of today, scapegoaters have always claimed that empathy for the victims of righteous crusading weakens society's moral authority. But this is not true.