There is one eccentricity of human behavior that leaves me dumbfounded. That’s when people will turn their backs on a successful strategy which achieves their goal, and embrace instead a failed strategy that makes them look and feel good.
There are a number of examples in our modern American life, but the one that made today’s headlines is the stupendously horrible War on Drugs.
Now I’m not saying that drugs are good. We all know that drugs can destroy individuals and tear apart families. Only a fool would deny that. But the American policy known as the War on Drugs was a massive failure in every way, unless you benefit somehow from the explosion in prison populations.
Under that policy, individuals were destroyed and families torn apart, but this time by our own government; and all the while, drugs got stronger, cheaper and more available. Jails, courts and prisons became overloaded as their load increased tenfold, but crime did not diminish and drug use was not curbed in the least.
After decades of folly, we finally began to understand that the all-out “war” on our own citizens was counterproductive, and some of the policies began to be relaxed. Today the new conservative on the block says, “Drugs are bad! Back to the war on drugs!”
And no doubt many will line up and nod. Yes, drugs are bad. Yes, the program is a failure. “But we can’t do nothing! Let’s do what sounds good!” It’s just so much easier than trying to understand facts that don’t seem palatable on their surface.
Sigh.
This is certainly not the only instance of such idiocy. Many people oppose abortion, and have sound reasons for doing so. I have yet to find one, however, who can explain to me how preventing women from obtaining birth control and other health services will slow the demand for abortions. The simple truth is that when women have access to family planning services, unwanted pregnancies drop and abortions decrease. If you want to end abortions, you should have a family planning clinic on every corner.
But that doesn’t look good. It doesn’t feel right. Damn the statistics. Bomb the clinics!
At least it makes us look good. And after all, that’s apparently all that matters.