Reefer madness

The author explores three of the most prominent and least understood features of globalization; drugs, pornography and migrant labour. "Reefer Madness" traces the history of the contemporary "war on drugs" from its origins in Reagan's social conservatism through to its profound impact on America's civil society and on the country's relations with the wider world. "An Empire of the Obscene" tells the story of Reuben Sturman, who most effectively exploited economies of scale to create a business that now saturates America and the world with graphic sexual imagery. "In the Strawberry Fields" shows how public demand for a soft red fruit is causing mass migration from Central America and changing California's political economy forever.