Leonard J. Schaffnit: It's not an act of war to sell something to someone who wants it

To The Daily Sun,

We are told by the Donald Trump Administration that we are engaged in an "armed conflict." While there is widespread opioid addiction, it's not because cartels are deliberately weaponizing the drug; smugglers and dealers are meeting market demand and selling something illegal to someone who wants to buy it ― not an act of war. In essence, powerful cartels and illicit drug manufacturers are meeting intense consumer demand. These cartels have and will adapt to enforcement.

Trump and his advisors spend every day manufacturing and seeking adversaries to tangle with so that they can assign blame for any problem in America that Trump cannot fix or will not fix. Designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction is more about optics and escalating the militarization of the "war on drugs." While boat strikes in the Caribbean play well in conservative media and among Trump followers, they will not cut the supply of drugs on American streets or slow overdose deaths. These strikes are meant to cultivate constant drama, prioritizing showmanship over actual accomplishments.

The U.S. leads the world in the consumption of various illicit drugs. Illegal fentanyl primarily comes into our country across our southwest border with Mexico, primarily through official ports of entry and supplied by Mexican cartels. Drug intervention resources would be better utilized in these areas, and not with the fourth U.S. fleet in the Caribbean Sea. The fleet has less to do with drug interdiction, and more to do with power, greed and Venezuelan oil.

Pete Hegseth's "warrior ethos" calls for "killing people and breaking things," unburdened by "overbearing rules of engagement." On Sept. 2, a second missile attack was authorized to kill survivors of an initial suspected drug boat strike, which would be a war crime at best and likely just straight-up murder.

Leonard J. Schaffnit

Gilmanton