Abstract
Meth Wars is a thought-provoking, critical commentary on the power of cultural phenomenon, in this case methamphetamine, as a scapegoat for modern social, political, and racial inequalities behind the seemingly never-ending war on drugs. Early on, readers are presented with the main theme, “the methamphetamine imaginary” (p. 5), which is used throughout to illustrate the power of beliefs and belief systems on power and social control. This work examines how such perceptions and thoughts about methamphetamine are embedded in and influence broader cultural, political, and social worlds and the very real and often invisible consequences they produce. The methamphetamine imaginary masks the inequalities of late capitalism.
Linnemann presents a case focused almost solely on the methamphetamine imaginary through a piece of research that is about, and yet at the same time is not at all about, methamphetamine. The book begins with the linking of philosophical concepts and arguments with real-life and pop culture examples to illuminate the methamphetamine imaginary as the force that it is. It ends with a detailed and critical discussion of forces of power and control that have expanded to exert their influences beyond the borders of the United States via the mechanisms of drug wars.
Meth Wars is divided into six chapters, not including the Introduction and Epilogue. Each focuses on a key source of information and presents a central story line as it relates to the methamphetamine imaginary. Chapters are based on primary data and experiences of the author as well as social critiques and commentaries about meth-related representations in the media and pop culture. Chapters are filled with extensive details that in parts read like an exercise in intellectual stimulation for the purposes of provoking thought versus a specific policy analysis. Throughout the book, Linnemann delineates the purpose and focus with the goal of clarifying what the work is and is not about, repeatedly reminding readers of the broader framework for which an argument is being made.
Meth Wars begins with an introduction to the concept and philosophical underpinnings of the methamphetamine imaginary, the framework for all that follows. Chapter 1 delves into and critiques the central foci and theme of the critically acclaimed, popular television series most directly linked to any discussion of methamphetamine, Breaking Bad. Through a complex philosophical analysis, Chapter 2 discusses the relevance and power of visual representations of methamphetamine as forces underlying crime control through a focus on two specific antimeth campaigns: faces of meth and the Montana Meth project (i.e., not even once). Chapter 3 presents a discussion of how the methamphetamine imaginary “operates as a conduit of the police and state power” (p. 87) via production by governing officials and “nonstate meth talkers” (p. 88) through a historical analysis of the problem. Chapter 4 highlights rural law enforcement perspectives about the severity and impact of the methamphetamine problem based on interviews and ethnographic fieldwork by the author himself. In Chapter 5, a critical critique of the popular book Methland is presented through the lens of cultural criminology. Chapter 6 deeply examines the intersection between methamphetamine, the drug war imaginary, and growing efforts to combat terrorism and counterterrorism in the United States and abroad. The Epilogue revisits questions about the need for a drug war within the context of late capitalism, ending with a reminder that alternate possibilities could exist in the socially constructed world in which we live.
Specialist jargon, philosophical terms, and concepts likely to be unfamiliar to those outside the purview of cultural or critical criminology are used throughout. Meth Wars presents a haunting tale of the real consequences of culture, language, beliefs, and symbolism in the pursuit of the drug war. In the end, Meth Wars is a scathing critique of the power of the methamphetamine imaginary and other imaginaries as they influence and impact policies, politics, culture, real lives, and the worlds within which people live. Real or not, the power of such imaginaries that are often hidden and unseen becomes visible through this work.
While Meth Wars makes a significant contribution to the cultural critique of the influence of drugs such as methamphetamine in the social world, by design, this work does not shed light on the very real consequences and harms associated with methamphetamine. Methamphetamine “myths” are at times presented as fact when they may or may not be. The detailed presentation of information on methamphetamine in the absence of a focus on objective realities of the drug and its effects and consequences leave this work subject to misinterpretation in the absence of a close and critical read.
This work represents an intellectual analysis of culture and policy within the context of critical criminology. Although one of the strengths of this book is the interweaving and integration of philosophical concepts with cultural representations and actual cases and policies, at times the narrative is challenging to follow. To some degree, this work serves as a testament to and an example of the reality that what we look for, we find. By focusing on the imaginary surrounding the drug, actual harms are sometimes seemingly discounted and minimized in a manner that they might not have been had the focus been on understanding the methamphetamine problem and its consequences more directly. Without such a focus, the concrete harms and consequences of problems such as methamphetamine risk being reduced to becoming part of the imaginary itself.
Meth Wars makes a thought-provoking contribution to the literature, demonstrating how representations and discourse about drugs such as methamphetamine take on a life of their own with very real and enduring consequences. This work raises critical key questions about capitalism, power, control, and inequality that deserve attention. The power of Meth Wars lies in the broader arguments, critiques, and questions about the ongoing need for the drug war presented through the cultural lens of the methamphetamine imaginary that are essential and worthy of consideration. The end result is a disconcerting and incredible view of the world as it is, at least through the lens of the methamphetamine imaginary.