NO happy birthday: The WOD turns 40

If you're not a political junkie or a civil libertarian, you may not know that "WOD" stands for War on Drugs.

Charles Blow writes an excellent "birthday greeting" that should, but won't be, a requiem for the stupidity, racism, classism and more behind the WOD.

Just as politicians want never to be seen as soft in war, or the War on Terror, or other fake wars, ditto with the WOD.

Kofi Annan and George Schultz can admit it's failed, but not Barack Obama.

As Blow notes:

No need to put a human face on 40 years of folly when you can swaddle its inefficacy in a patchwork quilt of self-serving statistics.

Indeed.

And, while I don't agree with all of Cornel West's tirade, it's certainly understandable this is another reason for many black leaders to be disappointed in Obama.