NORMAN J CLEMENT RPH., DDS, NORMAN L. CLEMENT PHARM-TECH, MALACHI F. MACKANDAL PHARMD, BELINDA BROWN-PARKER, IN THE SPIRIT OF JOSEPH SOLVO ESQ., INC.T. SPIRIT OF REV. C.T. VIVIAN, JELANI ZIMBABWE CLEMENT, BS., MBA., IN THE SPIRIT OF THE HON. PATRICE LUMUMBA, IN THE SPIRIT OF ERLIN CLEMENT SR., WALTER F. WRENN III., MD., JULIE KILLINGWORTH, LESLY POMPY MD., CHRISTOPHER RUSSO, MD., NANCY SEEFELDT, WILLIE GUINYARD BS., JOSEPH WEBSTER MD., MBA, BEVERLY C. PRINCE MD., FACS., NEIL ARNAND, MD., RICHARD KAUL, MD., IN THE SPIRIT OF LEROY BAYLOR, JAY K. JOSHI MD., MBA, ADRIENNE EDMUNDSON, ESTER HYATT PH.D., WALTER L. SMITH BS., IN THE SPIRIT OF BRAHM FISHER ESQ., MICHELE ALEXANDER MD., CUDJOE WILDING BS, MARTIN NJOKU, BS.,
The War on Drugs: A Fiasco Built on Turtles All the Way Down
In the annals of modern American history, there’s no tale quite as darkly comedic and tragically absurd as the War on Drugs. This misadventure, spanning decades, has not only failed in its mission but has also inflicted untold damage on communities, doctors, and the very fabric of justice.
Central to this debacle is the DEA, an organization whose operational philosophy can only be described as “turtles all the way down”—a never-ending cascade of obfuscation and deceit.
“Turtles all the way down” is an expression of the problem of infinite regress.
The saying alludes to the mythological idea of a World Turtle that supports a flat Earth on its back. It suggests that this turtle rests on the back of an even larger turtle, which itself is part of a column of increasingly larger turtles that continues indefinitely.
The DEA’s Infinite Labyrinth of Secrecy
Imagine, if you will, the inner sanctum of the DEA. It’s a place where truth goes to die, buried under mountains of red tape and endless layers of bureaucracy.
Enter Doctors of Courage armed with the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), determined to uncover the hidden machinations of this shadowy agency. Their quest, however, quickly turns into a Sisyphean ordeal.
Doctor of Courage’s requests for information are met with a barrage of exemptions and redactions. The DEA, like a master illusionist, hides behind Exemption (b)(7)(E) for “law enforcement techniques” and Exemption (b)(5) for “deliberative process privilege,” transforming vital documents into unreadable gibberish.
Each denial and delay adds another layer to the already impenetrable wall of secrecy, reminiscent of the mythological “turtles all the way down”—where each turtle rests on the back of another, extending into infinity.
Dr. Meredith Norris: A Victim of Fraudulent Science
Caught in the crossfire of this farcical war is Dr. Meredith Norris, a dedicated physician whose life and career were destroyed by the fraudulent testimony of Dr. Timothy King, and Donald Sullivan. King’s so-called “expert” analysis, based on untested and scientifically dubious algorithms, was accepted in court as definitive proof of wrongdoing.
His methodology, lacking any semblance of peer review or validation, led to Dr. Norris’s conviction on charges that should never have held water.
The War on Drugs, with its relentless pursuit of convictions at any cost, has turned into a witch hunt against doctors who dare to prescribe necessary pain medication.
The DEA’s fortress of secrecy ensures that any attempt to challenge these injustices is met with an insurmountable barrier. The philosophy of “turtles all the way down” prevails, with each layer of deception protecting the one beneath.
A Colossal Failure with Devastating Consequences
Let’s not sugarcoat it—the War on Drugs is a monumental failure. Declared by President Nixon in 1971 and perpetuated by every administration since, this campaign has done little more than exacerbate the problems it purported to solve. Drugs are more accessible than ever, addiction rates are skyrocketing, and the opioid crisis claims more lives each year than any other public health crisis.
The fallout from this failed war is most acutely felt in minority communities, where aggressive enforcement has led to mass incarceration, broken families, and cycles of poverty. The DEA’s tactics have corroded public trust in law enforcement and turned neighborhoods into war zones.
ehrlichman:
“..You understand what I’m saying? We knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities.
We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did…”
Despite the overwhelming evidence of its failure, the DEA continues to cling to its outdated and draconian strategies. Public opinion has shifted, recognizing the futility and harm of punitive measures, yet the DEA remains steadfast, ensconced in its philosophy of endless obfuscation.
The Infinite Regression of Turtles
A well-known scientist, Bertrand Russell, once gave a public lecture on astronomy.
He described how the earth orbits around the sun and how the sun, in turn, orbits around the centre of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. At the end of the lecture, a little old lady at the back of the room got up and said: “What you have told us is rubbish.
The world is really a flat plate supported on the back of a giant tortoise.”
The scientist gave a superior smile before replying, “What is the tortoise standing on?” “You’re very clever, young man, very clever,” said the old lady. “But it’s turtles all the way down!”
The concept of “turtles all the way down” perfectly encapsulates the DEA’s approach to transparency and accountability.
Each time a truth-seeker like Doctors of Courage peels back a layer, they find yet another turtle, another excuse, another layer of secrecy. It’s a philosophical and bureaucratic nightmare where truth is forever just out of reach.
Former Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia once highlighted the absurdity of infinite regression with his retelling of the turtle myth. The DEA’s structure is much the same—a never-ending series of justifications and concealments, each one resting on the back of another, leading nowhere.
Scalia discussed his “favored version” of the saying in a footnote to his 2006 plurality opinion in Rapanos v. United States: In our favored version, an Eastern guru affirms that the earth is supported on the back of a tiger.
When asked what supports the tiger, he says it stands upon an elephant; and when asked what supports the elephant he says it is a giant turtle.
When asked, finally, what supports the giant turtle, he is briefly taken aback, but quickly replies “Ah, after that it is turtles all the way down.”
A Call for Compassion and Reform
The tragic stories of Dr. Norris and countless others victimized by this senseless war underscore the urgent need for change. The War on Drugs has failed, and the philosophy underpinning the DEA’s operations—this infinite regress of turtles—must be dismantled.
TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN
It’s time to replace punitive measures with compassion, treatment, and evidence-based strategies.
We must shine a light into the DEA’s labyrinth, demand transparency, and hold those in power accountable.
Only then can we hope to heal the wounds inflicted by this disastrous campaign and build a justice system that truly serves the people. It’s time to stop the turtles from piling up and start digging down to the bedrock of truth and justice.
FOR NOW YOU ARE WITHIN
THE NORMS
Is Dr Norris going to appeal this nonsense, since the evidentiary standard set forth in Ruan vs United States was IGNORED once again in her case?