Drug WarRant

Via TalkLeft comes this article at the BBC.
The Institute of Psychiatry has identified a gene variant that may increase the likelihood of dependence on cocaine.
This is not a particular surprise to me. There’s always been some evidence that susceptibility to abuse of various substances (alcohol and other drugs) has been linked to genetics. It’s important to note, however, that genetic predisposition seems not to be automatic, but may rather influence a person to lean a particular way.

On Thursday, Congress reauthorized the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
These are the principled members of Congress who voted against:

• Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA)
• Rep. Jim McDermott (D-WA)
• Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)
• Rep. Pete Stark (D-CA)
• Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA)

The rest of Congress likes spending taxpayers’ money on ineffective, racist, un-American, and wasteful government agencies.

Mike Krause, veteran of the Coast Guard, and director of the Justice Policy Initiative, writes in the Denver Post: Drug war trumps port safety

The top objective of the U.S. Coast Guard’s anti-terrorism strategy is to protect what’s called the “U.S. Maritime Domain,” including American ports.
But it is hard to take seriously the idea that ports are being effectively protected when the Coast Guard spent more tax dollars last year fighting the war on drugs than has been spent in total on port security since Sept. 11, 2001.

So the Coast Guard spends its time and our money on headline-grabbing drug seizures that don’t make a dent in supply, while leaving the ports alone.

So not only does cocaine interdiction distract the Coast Guard from its port security mission, cocaine interdiction itself is failing.
Most disturbing is that Congress, the Coast Guard and the drug czar all seem fine with this – and, in fact, want even more of the same.

Link
Condoleezza Rice and Bolivian President Evo Morales met to discuss the drug war.
Now, you might think that this would be a big thing — after all, there are huge differences in policy. U.S. pushes for complete eradictaion, Morales wants to preserve coca growing, etc., and there have been significant tensions between the two countries.

On the plane en route to Chile Rice had stressed the importance of meeting with Morales.
“President Morales has said that he is also concerned about the security issues associated with the drug trade and so I think that gives us a good starting point for discussion,” Rice said.

So the two of them had this important discussion. So I’m wondering… was this a three-day summit? A packed full-day meeting?

Rice and Morales talked for about 15 minutes, discussing a shared problem: the illegal drugs trade. […]
Rice and Morales did not immediately comment publicly on their discussion.

15 minutes? You can’t have a discussion in 15 minutes. All you can do in 15 minutes is issue an ultimatum, or say “Hi.”
So what was the purpose? A photo-op? If so, Evo Morales won that one big time, with a skillful move that demonstrated that the United States’ drug policy is ridiculous, and that the U.S. government has no understanding of the cultural background of the countries with which it deals.

Morales, dressed in black leather embroidered with traditional motifs, presented Rice with an unusual gift that set the US delegation aback: a small, traditional guitar decorated with lacquered coca leaves.
Rice, an accomplished pianist, graciously accepted the five-string “charango” and strummed it for a few seconds.
But a member of the chief US diplomat’s delegation indicated the guitar may not pass through US Customs. Though the coca leaves are legal in Bolivia, they are forbidden in the US.

Makes the U.S. delegation look downright stupid.

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In Williamsburg, Vermont, a random drug testing proposal had almost been passed by the school board and was held up when it was discovered that some people opposed the idea.
So they had a spirited discussion from people on both sides of the issue, and came up with a compromise. School sponsored voluntary drug testing (parents could sign up for it). Now, to me, it’s still a waste of school funds that could be used in much better ways, and I feel sorry for the kids whose parents fall for it, but still, it’s a compromise that should please those who want testing, right?
Wrong. Those supporting random testing for all students were outraged at the compromise.

Proponent Ginger Crapse promised after the meeting to begin a petition drive to make the two School Board representatives from Williamsburg into elected positions, instead of appointed posts.

And this gets to the heart of it. They don’t want to drug test their kids. They want to drug test your kids. And they don’t want you to have any say in the matter.

I mentioned Willis’ idotic comments earlier.
Colombia’s ambassador in Washington has responded and also:

President Alvaro Uribe, whose hot temper is famous in Colombia, last week called the actor arrogant and ignorant and said his comments were “a shock to Colombia’s dignity”.

Ecstasy causes depression in laboratory pigs
As if being a laboratory pig wasn’t depressing.
So I had a chat with Porky, recently released, about his experiments with ecstasy.

“It’s not that the E was so bad,” he said. “It was the bloody awful Kenny G music they played. You couldn’t dance to it at all. Give me a patch of mud, some good dance music and glow sticks, and I’ll be a lot less depressed.”

I thought about it, and decided on roast pork instead.

At the Huffington Post, Maia Szalavitz writes In defense of John Tierney

This week’s New Republic Online trashes John Tierney for being “boring” and “utterly predictable” because of his libertarian politics. It bemoans the fact that he has done seven recent columns “lamenting” the war on drugs.
[…]
But liberals should be ashamed that the only people who consistently cover the pain story are libertarians — and liberal magazines should be covering it themselves, not attacking those who do for being “boring.”

Exactly.

… Even when their lips aren’t moving.
In Nevada, where there is an initiative to legalize marijuana, people are getting push poll automated phone calls with the following message:

There is a proposal to legalize marijuana. This proposal will make marijuana available in grocery stores and convenience stores similar to buying a pack of cigarettes. Do you support the proposal to legalize marijuana? Please press 1 for yes, press 2 for no, and if you’re undecided, please press 3.

So what does the initiative say? Could it perhaps be vague?

Sec. 21. 1. The Department may not issue a license as a retailer or wholesaler to an establishment: […]
(b) That is engaged in business as a gas station, convenience store, grocery store, night club, dance hall or licensed gaming establishment; […]

Nope. An outright, intentional lie. Despicable. Hope they find out who’s behind the calls.