Comments on: Drug Policy by Amy Winehouse’s dad

By: Jesper Kristensen

Jesper Kristensen — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:30:56 +0000

@R.O.E.: humans are remarkably alike in my experience if you’re able to see past the obvious differences in actual policy. I mean that there may easily be differences in the ultimate shape of the policy, but the process of getting there is similar – and plagued by the same shortcomings. Robert B. Cialdina, the world famous psychologist on influence, have codified those into the following:

1. Reciprocity
2. Social proof
3. Authority
4. Consistency/loyalty
5. Scarcity
6. Liking/likeness

Those six are GREAT for furthering cooperation between people and for economical rules of thumb that works most of the time.

However, these wonderfully human beacons can misfire. It’s misfires we should be concerned about in a democratic society.

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By: R.O.E.

R.O.E. — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:53:12 +0000

seems to me our political process has/is falling the same way UK’s has. Lie ,stupidity and more lies.

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By: Steve Rolles

Steve Rolles — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:35:54 +0000

I gave evidence just before Amy’s dad which attracted little attention, overshadowed as it was by the glow of celebrity

http://transform-drugs.blogspot.com/2009/10/transform-give-oral-evidence-to-home.html

its all available to watch on video online (see above link). I actually mentioned Amy Winehouse at the end of my evidence – worth a look (as is the evidence in the session immediately afterwards.

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By: Jesper Kristensen

Jesper Kristensen — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:40:59 +0000

Yeah, we’re so lucky, because today they’ve cut it down to one animal, the dog. Though, by all accounts our canine friend can and will put people behind bars and ruin their lives.

Good thing we’ve come so far …

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By: kaptinemo

kaptinemo — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 12:00:17 +0000

In the Middle Ages, during the Inquisition, farm animals were interrogated as to whether their masters were witches. Their reactions would determine if their owners would be executed. Needless to say, millions were…because some hen cackled or a dog barked.

Substituting ignorance for expertise, irrationality for rationality, cloud-cuckooland fantasy for logic, etc. has been a hallmark of drug prohibition from the beginning. This isn’t anything new…

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By: Jesper Kristensen

Jesper Kristensen — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:16:20 +0000

The really sad part is that experimental psychology knows almost exactly what’s going on here. It’s such a shame that terms like “halo effect”, “availability bias” and (misplaced) “consistency” isn’t part of every single human being’s vocabulary.

Good books on the subject:

Robert B. Cialdini: “Influence: science and practice”
Stuart Sutherland: “Irrationality”

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