Proof politics has long gone to pot

[Brash]

Author: Julia Baird

Date: 3/11/2005

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Copyright: ©© 2005. The Sydney Morning Herald.

Link: link to article

 

Proof politics has long gone to pot

 

By Julia Baird

November 3, 2005

 

WHAT a curious state of affairs in Britain, when models are sorely judged for using drugs, while politicians are excused for the same behaviour. As the New Statesman asked, "Politicians on drugs, what's new?"

 

Does this finally explain the decision to go to war in Iraq? What's going on?

 

First, the model. It's been a wonderful irony that the icon of heroin chic, the spindly legged, gaunt- cheeked Kate Moss, is now a cautionary tale for anti-drugs campaigners.

 

Ever since she was secretly filmed snorting half of Colombia's cocaine in some grubby recording studio with her unappealing rocker boyfriend - who someone once deliciously described as having a face like a sweating cheese - her image has taken a serious pummelling.

 

The finger-thin Brit lost contracts with Burberry and Chanel among others, and has been chastised by other sponsors. She has been painted as the scourge of the modelling world as hypocritical fashion and advertising executives have wiped their noses and feigned horror.

 

Moss's devoted fan, British columnist Julie Burchill, declared people were just jealous and indulging in a "sumptuous banquet of self-righteous envy because she is the one constant great hell-raiser it is impossible to feel sorry for: no lost looks, no lost love, no failed career, just an endless parade of drugs, boys and girls to take or leave as she wished."

 

It may also have been the fact that she is a mother, and that the evidence was graphic.

 

Whatever the reason for the outcry, she has been punished, has gone off to rehab, is being investigated by police and may lose custody of her child. Kate has been thoroughly spanked.

 

But David Cameron, who admitted he "erred and strayed" at university, has got through to the final round of the Tory leadership contest relatively unscathed. "Cannabis Cameron", perhaps because he threatens to be a modernising influence on the stuffy Conservative Party, has been repeatedly grilled about his personal drug use. He refused to reveal whether he tried hard drugs in his life before politics, declaring it was private. He said he had a "normal university experience" and that politicians were only human. He also gained sympathy because he is not alone.

 

Cameron pointed out that when the shadow home secretary called for a tougher approach to marijuana in 2000, eight Tory shadow cabinet members admitted having smoked it.

 

In the New Statesman, Simon McDonald convincingly constructed a lineage of drug and alcohol abuse in the British Parliament: former PM William Pitt the Younger said he was told by his doctor to drink one bottle of port a day, and more than obliged. William Gladstone added opium to his coffee. A prime minister, Lord Rosebery, was fond of cocaine.

 

Thirty current British MPs have admitted to dabbling in soft drugs.

 

You might conclude it's all right for drug users to lead the country but not to advertise plaid scarves.

 

And it's not just in Britain.

 

Bill Clinton, famously, did not inhale. George Bush, caught on tape talking about having used marijuana, said he would not answer any questions because he did not want to encourage kids to do the same. JFK took steroids, amphetamines and smoked pot with his mistress.

 

Here, Carmen Lawrence, Alexander Downer, the Northern Territory Chief Minister, Clare Martin, the Victorian Premier, Steve Bracks, and the West Australian Premier, Geoff Gallop, have admitted to smoking marijuana.

 

Tony Abbott confessed to having a drink laced with hallucinogens in India, and having "one half-hearted puff of a marijuana cigarette on a rugby tour in America".

 

When the NSW independent MP Richard Jones polled 37 of the 42 members of the NSW upper house in 2002, 40 per cent said they had smoked marijuana and a handful said they still did.

 

Mark Latham has shared a joint with journalists. He implied plenty of politicians took drugs: "I think their dealers are up in the gallery, and the pollies are just in the conga line of choofers."

 

Australia has demonstrated the same perverse tolerance as Britain, though - we are startled, apparently, to learn a Neighbours actor was sacked for drug use, but Latham's comments were largely unexplored.

 

Community attitudes have changed, and liberalised. We now tolerate youthful experimentation but would view current addiction differently. If Cameron were thought to have a habit today, he would doubtless have not survived.

 

Still, it's bizarre to see models and actors chastised for behaviour tolerated in politicians.

 

As Nino Culotta famously wrote, we're a weird mob.

[Brash]

Mark Latham has shared a joint with journalists. He implied plenty of politicians took drugs: "I think their dealers are up in the gallery, and the pollies are just in the conga line of choofers."

Got to love that Latham.

 

My letter to the editor in reply -

 

Julia Baird ('Proof politics has long gone to pot' SMH 3/11/05) raises the issue of double standards applied to political and model drug users. As someone with a major illness, I'd like to point out that the hypocrisy doesn't end there.

 

What is particularly galling about our legislature is that the many former recreational users, inhalers or not, continue to deny the seriously ill the medical benefits of cannabis. It's now nearly two and half years since the former Premier promised a trial into medical cannabis and of course nothing has happened.

 

The patients of NSW are rapidly losing patience.

 

Justin Brash

Surry Hills

--------

Now I wonder if they will print?

[raverspec]

Mmmmm....nice bit of coke goes down nicely. Don't know what everyoneis carrying on about. One should, however, always be discreet.

[Luke Skywalker]

One should have the right to ingest whatever recreational substance they so desire IMO provided they're not harming others in the process. The idea of "diminished responsibility" should be removed from the law, disallowing people to claim that they were on drugs and therefore shouldn't be punished as harshly for any crime they may commit under the influence.

 

The medicinal situation is a joke. Our premier in WA promised medicinal and hemp legislation too, but nothing has come of it.

 

The fact remains that the hypocricy of the ruling classes is absolute. Anyone who is in the lower socioeconomic classes is a drug abuser, anyone who is rich and powerful simply "experimented" and then proceed to claim everyone else who uses drugs automatically disqualify themselves from integrity.

 

There needs to be a groundswell of public opinion on this from those who know the facts. The media won't help us unless they see an angle to sell papers/advertising. It's easier to sell a paper by bashing drug users. It's harder to sell one by saying, "hey, these policies of punitive action against users aren't actually doing what they're supposed to, how about we try something else?".

 

Cannabis and other drug use has recently returned to public discussion with stupid comments about decriminalisation causing mental illness to increase in the population, regardless of the fact that in WA at least, there has been a fall in cannabis use since the decrim laws were introduced....

 

Bastards. Complete bastards.

 

GO BRASH! GO YOU GOOD THING!

 

Sorry, rant finished now.

[HighRising]

Luke Skywalker, I agree with you entirely. You make lots of good points.

Good post.

[dsyfer]

Right on the money as always Brash, I wonder if the politicians could be shamed into a medical trial? You know a couple of well placed ads, along the lines of (picture of someone obviously suffering) "Would you deny this person the medication needed to ease their suffering"?

[Brash]

Oh well, didn't get my letter to the editor published - better luck next time.

 

... but got an email from an old friend I hadn't seen in over 30 years (school friend). He saw my name in a 'letter to the editor' in the Herald and thought is that the same Brash? did a goggle and found me. I love modern technology.

 

I've also got the opportunity to push the issue with some pollies on Monday. I work for one of Sydney's major HIV charities and we are having our 12th birthday celebrations. As usual there will be plenty of VIPs present and I've been given the job of 'political wrangler' - looking after a group of politicians including the Mayor (and local member) Clover Moore most of her fellow councillors and the local federal member.

Edited November 5, 2005 by Brash

[Chato]

fuckin give em heaps mate! of course in your educated and articulate manner but still give em heaps!

c

[raverspec]

Make sure you have a spliff with Clover Moore

[Chev]

:thumbsup Good on ya Brash, you're an inspiration. And yeah, give em heaps ::