Ep 35: The Drug War with Raeford Davis

The War on Drugs is one of the most frequently-cited policy issues in modern politics, and it also serves as a clear foil of libertarianism. Whether or not one supports inflicting legislative violence to stop non-violent activity, as happens routinely in the Drug War, is perhaps the most important litmus test of a libertarian. Where one stands on the Drug War also often serves as a firm dividing line between libertarianism and conservatism. Yet despite the relentless evil of the War on Drugs, which is even more destructive to society than drug abuse itself, bad arguments and weak ethics still prevail in most national policy discussions. Thankfully, the tide is turning in recent years.

In this episode, we are joined by Raeford Davis, a former police officer who used to enforce the Drug War, and now is one of its most fervent and piercing critics. Raeford walks us through his own story as a Christian police officer enforcing drug prohibition, what happened to change his mind, why the Drug War is both intrinsically evil and pragmatically ineffective, and why it is incumbent on every police officer, and every citizen, to consider and reject the sin that is the War on Drugs.