"The thing with the war on drugs is, and the question we have to ask, is not why is it a failure, but why, given that it seems to be a failure, why it’s persisting? And I’m beginning to think maybe it’s a success. What if it’s a success by keeping police forces busy? What if it’s a success by keeping private jails thriving? What if it’s a success keeping a legal establishment justified in its self-generated activity? Maybe it’s a success on different terms than the publicly stated ones."

Dr. Gabor Mate, speaking in The House I Live In, a new film about the so-called “war on drugs” that won the 2012 Grand Jury Prize for U.S. Documentary at the Sundance Film Festival. (via squintyoureyes)

Can I give a quote a standing ovation?