Reviews for The Trial of Lieutenant Charles Bourne: Upon the Prosecution of Sir James Wallace, Knt., for...

The average rating for The Trial of Lieutenant Charles Bourne: Upon the Prosecution of Sir James Wallace, Knt., for... based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2009-08-19 00:00:00 Timothy Hanely Brilliantly written book with a chronological listing of events in Gandhi's life . Truly a fast and effective book

Review # 2 was written on 2014-10-25 00:00:00 Robert Pace Excellent book. Streatfield has done his homework and really gives you the full picture. He gives you the coca plants history all the way back to the Incas and explains how enmeshed it is in South American culture. He then explains the difference between coca and it's refined cousins cocaine and eventually crack. Streatfield sets the scene for the cocaine battle between South America and US drug enforcement agencies and explains why we will never eradicate this drug. He offers different opinions on how to curtail it's use and harvest. I have always had an issue with the US coming into another country and demanding they end a major economy. In fact unrefined coca in it's natural form has many health benefits and is highly nutritious. True, cocaine is a terrible drug to get involved with. In it's processed forms, it is highly addictive and is detrimental to ones health in large doses. However, coca plants grow very easily, even in nutrient poor soil. The coca farmers Streatfield interviews all say the same thing, growing coca has feed their families and provided an income for them. Asking a family to stop producing something that provides their sole income is a ridiculous proposal. I can see a parallel between cocaine and let's say McDonald's. Both are highly processed materials that have serious health effects on a regular user. America exports McDonald's and all it's health problems to other countries every year, and we make a ton of income off this export. You could argue McDonald's is propelling the obesity epidemic into a global issue. True McDonald's isn't the sole factor in obesity, however, cocaine is not the sole factor on the global drug market. Or for that matter we could look at another product the US grows, distributes and profits from, tobacco. Highly addictive, terrible health effects, it is also highly profitable to the US. I would argue that if any other country attempted to force the US to eradicate this plant we would be outraged and screaming to the heavens. Lobbyist and politicians would begin the sad song of tobacco providing our poor farmers a livable income. Well, that's true for the coca farmers. The UN has tried several replacement crops in hopes farmers would cultivate those instead. Unfortunately so far, no other crop has provided the farmers with a livable wage. We aren't giving these farmers any alternative. We can't ask someone to give up something that is feeding their family. I think Streatfield put it best when he states that South America is being punished in the "war on drugs" because the US is unable to enforce it's own drug laws. In my opinion the US has no right to expect citizens of other countries stop growing a plant they have grown for centuries, is part of their culture and heritage, provides a sustainable living all because we are unable to control it's use in our own country.