In “Plata O Plomo: Silver or Lead,” Marie Javdani aims to address the ways of dealing with the persistent problem of drug use and selling in Colombia. The main objective of the article was to urge the US government to look for alternative ways of dealing with the problem because financial investments have only been shown to exacerbate the issue further. The text addresses both the general audience of readers and US policymakers specifically because the situation has remained unaddressed for a long time despite the efforts of the United States to fight the illicit drug trade in Colombia. Javdani’s article’s importance lies in defining and exploring the alternative ways to cut down the demand for illegal drugs through treatment and education. The author of the article states that treatment is essential to stop the population from using drugs, while education is instrumental in making users face the consequences of their use of drugs.
The essay’s purpose is to educate the audience and inform them of the urgent need to act to solve the identified problem. Javdani appeals to statistical evidence by stating that the majority of Colombians are involved in cocaine cultivation, with the production of the drug amounting to approximately 80% of the total global output and a significant quantity of heroin supply to the United States (333). The author is adamant about underlining the fact that the financial aid of the United States that is being given to Latin America to tackle the problem does nothing, and the rate of violence and drug use has not changed for the better.
In the essay, the author takes an assertive tone and argues that money can never be a solution to the challenge of earning money from the drug trade. Javdani tells the stories of two people, Eric and Miguel. While Eric is an American who uses illicit drugs as a fun activity, Miguel is a Colombian who is involved in drug production (333). Comparing and contrasting the two people is a way for the author to illustrate the opposite poles in what the government of the US defines as the war on drugs. What Miguel does is where the problem begins, and what Eric does is where the issue gets perpetuated. Besides, the current efforts in the war on drugs do not consider the fact that Colombian workers depend on the production of coca for their livelihood while the manufacturing of cocaine has been overtaken by the mafia that does not allow workers to earn a fair salary. In addition, the peasants have no other choice than to allow for coca’s cultivation because of the risks to their lives.
Thus, Javdani is clear in her intention to show to the audience of her article that the current ‘war on drugs’ is ineffective and counterproductive as it does not consider the roots of the problem, such as the Colombian cocaine’s consumption by US citizens and the threats to the health and safety of employees subjected to the authority of drug cartels that rule through violence and oppression. The main conclusion to which the author wants her audience to come is that innocent people suffer in countries such as Colombia because of the clueless drug users who do not understand the implications of their actions, both on small and large scales.
Work Cited
Javdani, Marie. “Plata o Plomo: Silver or Lead.” The Bedford Reader, edited by X. J. Kennedy et al., Bedford, Freeman & Worth, 2014, pp. 448-451.