Portugal or Portland?

Punishment Doesn't Work. Neither Does Compassion.

Here are some recent takes on the American drug crisis and Portland:

The Story of Anthony, a homeless addict in Portland: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/29/us/portland-oregon-fentanyl-homeless.html

A photo-driven essay on the same: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/31/health/portland-oregon-drugs.html

The Atlantic on Portland drug policy: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2023/07/oregon-drug-decriminalization-results-overdoses/674733/

This last one is an attack on Portland drug policy—because it us too liberal and permissive. This is the familiar old moralizing approach: addicts made bad choices, and need to face consequences, so stop giving them free stuff. This idea has failed everywhere, always, and its real motivation is a selfish dislike of anything liberal or compassionate.

The problem is fentanyl, not liberalism. Oregon has merely surfaced problems that other places are hiding.