Addiction in Free Markets - Essay Example

?Addiction – More Than Just an Attitude In comparing the two essays, “Addiction in Free Markets” by Bruce K. Alexander, and “Embraced by the Needle”,by Dr. Gabor Mate, one finds that, first and foremost, they are similar in that they are both discussing the topic of addiction throughout. Addiction, or the dependence upon something that the body craves, is not taken lightly in either essay, or by either author. Issues of addiction other than drug use are also mentioned in “Addiction in Free Markets”, describing with historical references not only drugs but alcohol and other addictions. Both papers agree that addictions are “rooted in unhappiness”, though Dr. Mate in his essay states this from the onset and Mr. Alexander takes two pages through various information in history to bring this point across. Nevertheless, they are agreed that one does not become addicted simply because one “wants” to be addicted to something; there must be some underlying cause within a person’s life to quite literally “force” them into addiction, whether it be drugs, alcohol, or anything else. Both essays state clearly that there must be some unhappiness or something on the whole that the person is lacking, that is then filled when the addiction is discovered. However, in reading both papers, while they present differing viewpoints on the issue of addiction, it is my belief that the more fair, just, and realistic attitude is expressed by Dr. Gabor Mate in his essay, “Embraced by the Needle”, because unlike Mr. Alexander, Dr. Mate endeavors to approach the issue of addiction by individual example with firsthand information, and not blaming society as a whole. The issue of addiction is thoroughly and repeatedly discussed from different viewpoints in both papers. Mr. Alexander tries to make the point that free-market societies are to blame for society’s ills and addictions, by treating them badly and displacing them, while Dr. Mate takes a more firsthand approach to the issue. Though Mr. Alexander cites many case histories throughout his essay, “Addiction in Free Markets”, they are always in the third person, and not one is backed by data or facts outside of his observations of the early 21st century and the historical nature of his work. Specifically discussed in “Addictions in Free Markets” are the plights of Native Americans to become easily addicted to alcohol, citing that society is to blame because it ‘dislocated’ them by making them leave their original tribal land. Mr. Alexander also states that before this “forced dislocation” had occurred, alcohol was rarely used or consumed by Native Americans, sometimes only in ceremonial purposes; therefore, the blame is on the free-market society that pushed the Native Americans from their land. In presenting this issue, Mr. Alexander does not quote one Native American, nor does he use scientific studies to back up his claims, thereby only presenting one issue and only one side of that issue. Though history sometimes speaks for itself, the voices of those living with the dislocation (even generations later) would have presented a more fair, and just, approach to the topic, as Dr. Mate presents in his paper by using firsthand quotes and case studies with his patients. Mr. Alexander also makes the point that “free-market societies universally dislocate their members, leading to mass addiction.” Can one action really doom a set of people? The answer is no. Each and every person is an individual, and therefore it is up to them how they deal with a set of circumstances. No two people are alike, and therefore cannot be expected to react or deal with a situation the same way. Much of Mr. Alexander’s essay focuses on the fact that because a certain group of people were dislocated or displaced, they were doomed from the outset, no matter what happened. While Dr. Mate agrees that there must be some underlying cause or issue in addiction, he prefers to present each person as a unique individual. While it is true that Dr. Mate uses group examples in the setting of his essay (e.g. describing that he is a staff physician in a methadone clinic in what is considered Canada’s “drug capital”) he still refers to each case that he presents individually. He may discuss certain things that are in common, such as foster care, history of abuse, childhood neglect, and/or life stories, but each person in his essay shines through as an individual example, not a number in a herd of people that was forgotten. In “Embraced by the Needle”, Dr. Mate takes a very objective approach, almost clinical, which is not hard to understand simply because he is a doctor, and therefore trained to be objective. Dr. Mate tries throughout the essay to make the reader not only understand addictions, the causes behind them, and what people deal with during addictions, but to make the reader understand that behind every addiction, there is a person. In contrast, Mr. Alexander has nothing positive to say about the benefits of a free-market society; rather, he makes a pointed mention of how they have ignored warnings that they would become intimidating, and end up governing those in legislature, rather than the other way around, as they were intended to do. He seems to take a great deal of pride and relish in explaining, often in detail, how a free-market society has repeatedly and without regret failed its people, dislocated or displaced them, and caused them to become addicted to drugs, alcohol, or other substances. In contrast, Dr. Mate presents case histories quickly, focusing again on the individual and not on society’s evils. He takes care to describe addiction itself, focusing on not the addiction (or any mass groups of people dealing with it) but the reasons behind it with concern and hope. While Mr. Alexander goes so far as to say that “it is only polite to overlook the relationships between dislocation and addiction”, Dr. Mate does not project any strong feelings of disappointment or blame to be working day in and day out with those addicted to drugs and those that might one day become addicted. Mr. Alexander’s rage, scorn, and disdain for free-market societies and the ills they have caused people are felt quite realistically and wholeheartedly throughout his essay. In reading both of these essays, overall, the essay “Embraced by the Needle” by Dr. Mate takes a more realistic, just, and fair approach to the issue of addiction, focusing on the addictions as well as the people dealing with them, while the essay by Mr. Alexander, “Addiction in Free Markets”, simply blames society and its failures for the cause and fate of those suffering from any addictions, in a very negative and scornful way. Read More