Drug Warriors and Their Prey: From Police Power to Police State
Independent researcher Miller continues the argument he began in The Case for Legalizing Drugs (LJ 4/15/91). Drawing on his latest book, Nazi Justiz (Praeger, 1995), he makes an extended analogy between Germany repressing the Jews and America repressing drug users. In chapters on identification, ostracism, confiscation, concentration, and annihilation, he shows that democracy, privacy, and family life can be lost in our society just as they were when these policies were applied to the Jews. Because of "bureaucratic thrust," the criminalization aimed at one group consumes the entire society. In contrast, Miller thinks drug use is normal and should be regarded as such; he marshals convincing evidence that it can be mature and responsible. If drugs are abused, he does not think criminalization or medical force are solutions, any more than they would be solutions to unemployment. Although many will find Miller's case overstated, it is thoughtful and thought-provoking. Recommended for most libraries.?Janice Dunham, John Jay Coll. Lib., New YorkCopyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.