Get Off My Goddamn Internet

I'm not saying that you can't make a good argument for our continued War on Drugs, but this article by Mary Grabar has got to be a freaking joke. In a no-good, terrible waste of internet space, she first asserts: "In abandoning the duty to enforce social order, today’s libertarians have made a devil’s pact with the pro-drug forces of George Soros and company". Then says something about marijuana wasn't in the bible, so it's counter-cultural and should be illegal. I thought setting policy on whether or not something was in the bible went out of vogue during the Renaissance, but perhaps I'm mistaken. She also talks about how smoking weed will eventually turn you into a gay porn star. No...really, it's on the bottom of page 1 near the fistgate reference.

The normally "Amen" comments at Pajamas Media are quite unforgiving, and #18 calls her a "little Taliban". I wouldn't go that far, but I wish people like this could mind their own damn business about something as lame as getting high and watching Lost reruns.

CNN Uses Graphic of Heavy-Caliber Machine Gun To Discuss "Assault Weapons Ban"

Cache Find in Mexico That an Assault Weapons Ban Would Have Little Effect On

Obama's trip to Mexico has ignited debate about how to curb drug cartel violence. Along with tanks and nuclear warheads, the above pictured weaponry is not legally allowed to be possessed by your average U.S. citizen. However, it was the featured graphic on an article discussing the pros and cons of Obama reinstituting the Assault Weapons Ban to halt trafficking South of the Border. It goes to show how we're failing to address the root problems of the violence in Mexico. From CNN:

Obama still supports reinstating the ban, as he did during the presidential campaign, but there are no plans to reintroduce it anytime soon, according to an administration official. Obama thinks more can be done to stop the illegal flow of weapons to Mexico within existing laws, the official said, noting that the president has taken steps to deploy more law enforcement to curb the illegal flows of drugs, weapons and cash in both directions across the border.

The Mexican drug cartels are often utilizing heavy weaponry that is only available to the military, and only about 17% of weapons seized in Mexico are being traced back to the states, but President Calderon of Mexico has been on a media blitz on American TV trying to drum up support for an Assault Weapons Ban in America. Certainly, we should take measures to assist Mexico in their war against the cartel thugs, but seeing how an AWB would have an effect on the violence is unclear. Mostly because the cartels could get and have gotten their weapons elsewhere and bringing weapons from the U.S. to Mexico is already illegal. Why not just enforce that law? The fact that the media continues to saturate this debate with little knowledge of already existing restrictions on firearms makes things more frustrating.

Also, another piece of disinformation is the DEA saying that the higher the bodycount in Mexico, the more successful the Drug War is being conducted. From NY Daily News:

The body count shows that Calderon's crackdown is "shrinking" the drug trade, and doesn't mean Mexico is becoming a failed state, another official said.

"It's not the harbinger of imminent failure, it's the signpost of success," said DEA intelligence chief Tony Placido.

Weird. If the purpose of the drug war is to protect people from self-destructive behavior, why is rampant cartel violence from people using corruption and murder to get an edge on the black-market beneficial to society? Obama doesn't strike me as a total numbskull on foreign policy, perhaps he'll finally realize that it's best to throw in the towel on the utopian promise of a drug-free America.

Sullivan Smokin' Mad Over Obama Blowing Off Pot Legalization

The Obama wing of the internet is trying to castigate their usual right-wing suspects (Faux News, Sarah Palin's kids, uh Israel) for daring to criticize Obama's ill-timed laughter. This guy has been in office less than 100 days and the sycophantic chorus of Obama worship to defend against any criticism on some of the bigger liberal blogs is growing absurd. That's why it's nice to point out some well-deserved shots at the President from a guy who once called him JFK II. From Sullivan:

The chuckle suggests a man of his generation. The dismissiveness toward the question of ending Prohibition as both a good in itself and a form of tax revenue is, however, depressing. His answer was a non-answer. I'm tired of having the Prohibition issue treated as if it's trivial or a joke. It is neither. It is about freedom and it's deadly serious. As for your online audience, Mr president, have you forgotten who got you elected?

Indeed, Obama blew off the marijuana legalization issue when drug policy reform might be the best way to halt the rapid collapse of Mexico. Not saying it might be the best possible scenario, but it should at least be discussed. Every American has come of age with anti-drug PSAs being cranked out by the bushel, from Reefer Madness to McGruff the Crime Dog to more recent Ad Council concoctions. So, it's going to take some political capital in the first place to challenge conventional thinking on the Drug War. Seeing how Obama appointed a bunch of serious drug-warriors from the get-go and brushed off the online audience by implying they were typing and doing bong rips, I wouldn't expect anything in the way of drug policy reform until the bums get thrown out.

Three Former El Presidentes Blast US Drug Policy

The former presidents of Colombia, Brazil, and Mexico write a chilling Op-Ed in the WSJ about how the worldwide crusade to eradicate drug cultivation is wreaking havoc, despite billions of dollars and large amounts of military resources devoted to the "drug war". From WSJ:

Over the last 30 years, Colombia implemented all conceivable measures to fight the drug trade in a massive effort where the benefits were not proportional to the resources invested. Despite the country's achievements in lowering levels of violence and crime, the areas of illegal cultivation are again expanding. In Mexico -- another epicenter of drug trafficking -- narcotics-related violence has claimed more than 5,000 lives in the past year alone.

The revision of U.S.-inspired drug policies is urgent in light of the rising levels of violence and corruption associated with narcotics. The alarming power of the drug cartels is leading to a criminalization of politics and a politicization of crime. And the corruption of the judicial and political system is undermining the foundations of democracy in several Latin American countries.

The state of affairs is truly catastrophic. About the same number of people were killed in Mexico due to drug cartel violence (5,300) last year than all of Iraq's casualties in 2008 (~6,000). If there is a huge refugee crisis and Mexicans are forced to flee the violence along the border, we will have to offer them sanctuary. Who else will? Tiny Belize to the south of Mexico? With a struggling economy, this could be incredibly problematic, much like Thailand with Cambodian refugees in the late 70s or Jordan today with Iraqi refugees. That's not to say we shouldn't be promoting foreign policy in the first place that prevents such brutal bloodshed.

Sam Quinones [Foreign Policy] outlines the rampant violence that has gripped Mexico in the last few years, and notes that the cartels aren't just using your run-of-the-mill assault rifles and 45s anymore. It's RPGs, Night Vision goggles, anti-aircraft weaponry, and other hardware normally reserved for a combat zone. Scary shit, especially since it's right next door.

The WSJ editorial advocates a public health campaign to prevent drug abuse rather than the incarceration method, which has led to a massive prison population in our own country:

If we want to effectively curb drug use, we should look to the campaign against tobacco consumption. The success of this campaign illustrates the effectiveness of prevention campaigns based on clear language and arguments consistent with individual experience. Likewise, statements by former addicts about the dangers of drugs will be far more compelling to current users than threats of repression or virtuous exhortations against drug use.

Such educational campaigns must be targeted at youth, by far the largest contingent of users and of those killed in the drug wars.

Tobacco is less used because it is much more stigmatized these days. You don't see Rod Sterling chain-smoking on prime-time and Dentists doing commercials for Chesterfields anymore. But narcotics have always been stigmatized, so the effect of an awareness campaign will probably be a dud. Also, America's youth was bombarded with anti-drug PSAs during the 80s (remember Pee-Wee's PSA against crack) and that didn't really slow down drug use among that generation. So, with all due respect to the former heads of state, I don't understand what they're getting at. As long as people are disillusioned with society and looking for an escape from reality, there will be folks getting high. Unless we can create a utopian society where this angst doesn't exist, the best we can hope for is making narcotics available in a way that doesn't allow the rise of black markets, cartels, failed states, urban decay, and all those other unintended consequences.

Media Coverage of Phelps Smoking Weed Reveals They Are Complete Squares

Judging by some of these media bylines, you'd think that the only exposure to stoner culture these people had was watching Reefer Madness while attending an anti-drug symposium at Oral Roberts University. CNN writes that "Phelps Admits Bad Judgment After Marijuana-Pipe Photo", and the AP writes that "Phelps Acknowledges Pot Pipe". Regardless of whether or not you get high, referring to a bong as a "Pot Pipe" will make you a pariah at the house party faster than dropping a toilet-clogging deuce.

Like it or not, weed has been an important part of our cultural landscape that has spanned at least three generations. From Scooby-Doo to the famous stoned Mac user chick to Harold and Kumar, it's hazy outreach is undeiable. And, ignorance of the proper terminology in inexcusable. So here's a brief tutorial:

That's Phelps smoking a bong, and possibly carbing to get that monster rip.

That's a pipe, often referred to as a "bowl" (at least when I grew up).

That's a hallowed-out apple, which can be used in a pinch if your snooping folks stole all your zig-zags, but isn't for the novice.

And that's the stoned pizza guy who'll be delivering your Super Bowl double pepperoni special. Best to give him an understanding nod of approval of his wake-n-bake activities lest you be labeled "uncool" by the staff at Dominos.

Radley Balko On the Drug War

Pretty informative and no further comment necessary. Just read it at Culture11. Get up to speed on the issue the media and politicians refuse to talk about even while our Mexican neighbors might be heading towards failed state status.

Don't Bogart That Joint, Obama!

Puff Puff, Give!

Sir Smoke-a-Lot pic From the Obama College Years (h/t Gateway Pundit)

Drug Warriors Holder and Rambo: Fighting the Wrong War At the Wrong Time

Obama's top pick for Attorney General, Eric Holder, has been going through the wringer for the Marc Rich pardon and the Elian Gonzalez debacle during his Clinton daze. But, the only major media publication that has been grilling him on his failed drug policies are those pesky libertarians at Reason. How far did he go with national drug policy? He coerced the city of Washington D.C. to "get tough" on that great scourge of our society, marijuana. From a 1996 Washington Post article (h/t Eric):

In addition, U.S. Attorney Eric H. Holder Jr. said in an interview that he is considering not only prosecuting more marijuana cases but also asking the D.C. Council to enact stiffer penalties for the sale and use of marijuana.

"We have too long taken the view that what we would term to be minor crimes are not important," Holder said, referring to current attitudes toward marijuana use and other offenses such as panhandling.

Ever since Richard Nixon declared the War on Drugs, we have seen the explosion of meth and crack, continuous erosion of our civil liberties, and a string of lousy federally-funded PSAs of McGruff jamming out to 80s music. Our War on Drugs goal has even hampered the fight against terrorism as President Bush actually gave the Taliban federal aid to halt heroin traffic prior to 9/11. Don't expect Obama's pick for Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, to distinguish between the high-priority War on Terror as opposed to the War on Pink Floyd as evidenced to a press release he issued back in 2006:

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Representative Rahm Emanuel released the following statement in response to reports that Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez’ called the war on terror a real war, not like the war on drugs.

“Thanks for the white flag. From the United States’ most senior law enforcement official, the man who should be leading the war on drugs, this white flag of surrender will not be reassuring to the millions of parents trying to protect their kids.”

To help out Obama's Chief of Staff, here's a couple of photos to emphasize the priorities based on the current threats to our democratic society.

Islamic Terrorists, seeks to wipe out Western civilization, a high-priority

Marijuana Users, seek to eat a whole bag of Doritos while watching Scooby-Doo, a low-priority

Quick Pick-Me-Up Turns into Loss of All VA Benefits For Wounded Soldier

A wounded veteran out of Ft. Lewis, PFC Mark Siegel, is being administratively separated (ad-sep'd in military parlance) for one night of blow. In-depth story at Seattle Weekly:

Less than a month later, Siegel was escorted off the same Army base and instructed to sign a document stipulating that he could not return. He had been kicked out—or in military parlance, "administratively separated"—due to a urinalysis that revealed the presence of cocaine. As a result, he lost a host of benefits he might have otherwise received, including military-provided health care, disability pay, and eligibility for the GI Bill.

I understand the DoD's zero tolerance towards drug use, since heroin and weed were somewhat prevalent during the Vietnam days, but this seems a little harsh. Couldn't they have sent this kid somewhere to get cleaned up before pulling the rug out from under hiim? When a sailor gets drunk and wrecks his car, he'll generally get sent to mast (disciplinary action in the Navy) and then the command sends him to SARP (Substance Abuse Rehabilitation Program) to dry out. But, to go for drugs, you have to go voluntarily, and if you get caught in urinalysis, you're pretty much fucked. Seems a bit draconian.

Before There Was the Drug War, There Was Temperance PSAs

The gorgeous babes of the Temperance movement should probably be excused, as marketing wasn't a maturely developed industry back then (h/t Sisu). Of course looking at drug war Public Service Announcements (PSAs) through the ages such as Pee Wee telling us not to smoke crack (of course whackin it on PCP in a movie theater is kosher):



And on to today with war against people making whoopee.

Maybe PSAs still don't understand the targeted demographic. Some things never change.

Future Employment for Submariners in Narco-Trafficking

Submariner types who get out before the 20 rough years required for retirement have some options available to them. Big nuke energy conglomerates like GE and Westinghouse are a good transition from military life to the real world, but tough economic times could limit opportunity. Luckily, drug traffickers are turning to makeshift subs to schlepp cocaine from South America. From CNN (based on Coast Guard press release):

The U.S. Coast Guard seized seven tons of cocaine with an estimated street value of $8.4 million in what one officer called "the most dangerous operation of my career."

The U.S. Coast Guard said it found seven tons of cocaine aboard this vessel Saturday in the eastern Pacific Ocean.

A Coast Guard team seized the drugs and arrested four suspected smugglers after boarding the stateless vessel in the eastern Pacific Ocean, about 350 miles west of Guatemala, on Saturday.

The vessel, a submarine-like ship known as a self-propelled semi-submersible, moves beneath the surface of the water but cannot submerge completely like a true submarine.

Seven tons of blow is enough to put Ted Kennedy's yacht to shame, and the white gold has enough street value to provide the average employee a decent health plan, wage, and the fringe benefit of hanging out with celebrities looking to party. Unfortunately, these drug cartel guys don't have a place to submit your resume, but the cocaine submarine YouTube video seems to be their company jingle.

Seattle Hemp Fest Lights Off

The Seattle Hempfest is currently ongoing, and there are reports that many of the baked revelers are railing against our cougaresque Gov. Gregoire for applying limits to the amount of marijuana medicinal users can possess. Currently, state law vaguely states a "60-day" supply, but new legislation would rule for a more definitive amount of 24 ounces and 6 plants. The Seattle Times reports from Hempfest the opposition to this law:

"Every single patient I know will not be in compliance with the 60-day rule. It's not going to work. It's driven by law enforcement, not science," said Douglas Hiatt, a lawyer who represents medical-marijuana users.

While 24 ounces (1.5 lbs or ~0.7kg) seems like enough for a Cypress Hill backstage pass, the root of the problem is that law enforcement should have no business fighting victimless crimes such as marijuana usage. For anyone who grew up in a town with a prevalent drug culture, you are well aware that the worst thing a stoned person could ever do is talk philosophically about the infusion of communism inherent with living in Smurf village while eating a bunch of Cheetos. Reason TV has an interview with a 34-year veteran of Seattle's Finest, where he discusses how draconian drug laws can lead to heavy-handed police work that include raiding the wrong house and jailing non-violent offenders. Our police need to devote their resources to prosecuting real crime in the Puget Sound area, and when society clamors for arbitrary laws to criminalize citizens who use a plant that grows naturally, it overburdens law enforcement assets.

This is not to say that being stoned on the job should be condoned, in the same vein that being drunk on the job should not be accepted by society. Recently, I had trouble getting some dinner at KFC because most of the teenaged staff was obviously high as a kite (bloodshot eyes, paranoia setting in that "someone would know", initial fear to help me at the register because I was in uniform, etc.), but that really is just a humorous example of routine life such as this classic article found in The Onion, and I was hardly about to call the cops.

Marines Allow Poppy Fields in Afghanistan

Instead of torching the poppy fields of Afghan farmers, thereby pissing them off and making them more likely to work with the Muj, or giving the Taliban money to eradicate poppy fields, like Bush did in 2001, the Marines are taking the smarter route and letting Afghans conduct business. From the San Diego Tribune:

Staff Sgt. Jeremy Stover, whose platoon is sleeping beside a poppy crop planted in the interior courtyard of a mud-walled compound, said the Marines' mission is to get rid of the “bad guys,” and “the locals aren't the bad guys.” “Poppy fields in Afghanistan are the cornfields of Ohio,” said Stover, 28, of Marion, Ohio. “When we got here they were asking us if it's OK to harvest poppy and we said, 'Yeah, just don't use an AK-47.'”

So instead of forcing the poppy farmers to pledge allegiance to a band of illegitmate thugs like the Taliban, the Marines (the good guys, unless you are in Code Pink) are enabling moderate Afghans to take part in economic production. This is a key part of COIN doctrine to quell an insurgency, so kudos to the Marine Corps. Also, the poppy can be used to extract opiates for legitmate medical uses and reap huge money in exports for the poor country.

Of course, I'm sure it won't be long until the alarmist nanny squadron at Partnership for a Drug Free America starts making PSAs for the Marines, because they think that they're all strung out on smack or some such nonsense. Another case of our dumb drug war hamstringing the goals of our justified war on Islamic extremism in Afghanistan.

Marines Employing Smart COIN Techniques (photo from San Diego Tribune)

Soccer Mom Gets Tossed in the Clink, Again!

Susan LeFevre, at 19 years old, was sentenced to 10-20 years on a trumped-up drug charge in the 70s. This was during the time that Richard Nixon got "tough" on victimless crimes and coined the phrase "The War on Drugs". Apparently, sentencing 19-year old women to harsh prison sentences benefitted society at one time. Ms. LeFevre busted out of prison in Michigan and has been captured in California after being on the lam for 30+ years. Her status as a danger to society is questionable at best, and this is another sad case in the criminalization of vice. It would be pretty easy to forgive someone for drug use in the 70s. I wasn't alive then, but it seems like narcotics played a large part of mainstream culture. How else would a band like BeeGees achieve such popularity? I figure most people were under the influence of something or another.

Caution: People who thought these guys were cool may have been on something

More Swell News From Our Neverending Drug War

And you thought the war against Islamic Extremism would never end, at least it is justified (uh, we got attacked, remember). The Drug War has been fought ever since the days of Reefer Madness to control the "public health" of the American population and to prevent vice. Unfortunately, it has had horrendous unintended consequences such as creating availability for dangerous drugs that can actually kill you (e.g. crack, meth), and it has allowed gang-bangers and thugs from around the world to compete for the lucrative piece of the black market in America. These goons include the FARC, the Taliban, and these asshole drug cartels in Tijuana (from the San Diego Tribune):

A confrontation between rival criminal gangs left 13 dead and nine injured early yesterday in gunbattles that started along a major thoroughfare and continued near a private clinic where police exchanged gunfire with injured suspects. The shootouts were among the fiercest the city has seen in recent years. They come amid a spike in violence along Mexico's northern border as drug gangs battle one another and face off against law enforcement agencies that have stepped up efforts against organized crime. The dead appeared to be members of criminal cells linked to organized crime, but their identities were not revealed, nor would officials name any specific criminal organization, saying the investigation was continuing.

Despite what faux-populist Lou Dobbs of CNN says, America has longstanding cultural and economic ties with our friends to the south. The drug war in America has not only resulted in the destruction of our inner cities, it's caused the destruction of border cities in Mexico too. What's it all for? So Hollywood actors can buy coke from their buddy Hugo Chavez instead of down at the liquor store. What a waste...

All this is okay, because the drug war is "for our children"

Youngsters Smokin' Reefer Threatens Civilization

One issue that prevents me from being allowed to trumpet the "conservative" credentials is that I don't care if other people choose to engage in the victimless crime of drug use. Sure, Uncle Sam has a zero drug-use policy in the military as evidenced by frequent urinalysis tests, so I don't advocate for anyone in uniform to get high. But really, the Jawa report usually has insightful posts about the international terrorist threat, and this post about UC Santa Cruz students smokin' the doober on 420 day struck me as a little off from the normal context of their postings. To summarize my logic:

• Islamic extremists plotting attacks to murder civilians on a worldwide stage = threat to civilization
• College kids getting stoned on 420 day = a bunch of youngsters with the munchies playing bongos for 3 hours

The distinction is not subtle.

After one hit of the demon marijuana, Mary wanted to travel to Afghanistan to wage jihad