Considering the involvement of leftist guerrillas in south america in the drug trade got me thinking. How does that consolidate with the idea that the communist revolution is supposed to be for the betterment of the people while drugs have a documented bad effect on peoples well being.
That brings the question: What was Karl Marxs view on drug use? Is organisations like FARC operating contrary to their ideological fathers teachings in this matter?
Our modern attitude towards opiates is vastly different from that of 19th century. E.g., addiction was not really a well known problem.
When Marx famously said that religion is the opiate of the masses he was comparing it to a powerful painkiller rather than an addictive substance that destroys lives.
More generally, while Marx was not very clear on the revolutionary methods he would support or oppose, it is unlikely that there are possible crimes against humanity he would have condemned, provided that they have been committed to further the proletarian revolution. Just read The Communist Manifesto: if he wants to put us all in "industrial armies" after he won, why would he abstain from something before?
