University of Denver Digital Commons @ DU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Graduate Studies 1-1-2018 Discourses of Deception: (Re)Examining America's War on Drugs Benjamin Steven Boyce University of Denver Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd Part of the Criminology Commons, and the Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons Recommended Citation Boyce, Benjamin Steven, "Discourses of Deception: (Re)Examining America's War on Drugs" (2018). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 1462. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1462 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Studies at Digital Commons @ DU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ DU. For more information, please contact
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[email protected]. Discourses of Deception: (Re)Examining America’s War on Drugs ____________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities University of Denver __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy ____________________ by Benjamin S. Boyce June 2018 Advisor: Joshua Hanan Author: Benjamin S. Boyce Title: Discourses of Deception: (Re)Examining America’s War on Drugs Advisor: Joshua Hanan Degree Date: June 2018 Abstract America’s war on drugs is a failed experiment that has caused more damage than it will ever prevent. From its original design to its contemporary manifestations, the war on drugs is a conflict that remains firmly rooted in white supremacy. In contemporary Western societies, the rhetoric of both political leaders and mass-mediated narratives becomes the raw material of subjective reality.