GRGR (14): Death, Drugs & Life

[Lorentzen / Nicklaus]

 "Where the poppy, and cannabis and coca grow full and green, and not to the  
 colors and style of death, as do ergot and agaric, the blight and fungus native 
 to Europe. Christian Europe was always death, Karl, death and repression".
 (p. 317) 

 Obviously (- "full and green") the non-European drugs are placed on the side of 
 life. Nevertheless, the sarcastic anti-colonialist context brings in a deep  
 ambivalence. These drugs became very important export goods, that structure  
 local economies in a way which can rarely be called "progressive". And of  
 course there were the opium wars. Furthermore, coca and the poppy got 
 transformed from their traditional forms into semi-synthetic substances like  
 cocaine and heroin. Though this has also advantages for users (- ever chewed on 
 that leaves? Takes hours & a mouth full of chlorophyl ...), it also is more  
 difficult to handle. And it brings the whole thing on a much higher  
 economic level. By this moral questions come in. Questions, on which few people 
 like to think about longer. This goes especially for cocaine. Though 
 Pablo Escobar, with all those narco dollars, did also build schools, hospitals 
 and football fields, that otherwise wouldn't exist, we can assume, that one  
 finances pain & death when one buys cocaine. Sad but true... With the other two 
 substances it's - Thanks to God! - not that bad. Buying heroin on German 
 markets you support the freedom fight of the Kurdish people against the Turkish 
 government. That's OK with me. And since the "hydro-revolution" in the early 
 90s most of that "useful substance" is produced in or around the city you buy 
 it. Very strong weed with names like "Schneewittchen", "Northern Light" (sic!) 
 or "Top 44". But don't worry:  That pretty fine Moroccan stuff, by which  
 US-Americans, who rarely smoke hasheesh, are always blown away, is still  
 around. "...so we can get high/ I promise I'll smoke 'chronic' 'til the day 
 that I die ..." 
                                                   Coughin', KFL
 PS: Since ergot is the organic base of LSD, the novel's modelling of acid as 
 "death affirming" seems to be confirmed by the quoted passage.