The Podcast : Episode 38 a/b
Episode 38 a/b – Current Events, Blackwater Case, Bullshitatarianism Abounds. In this new episode I touch on Tweet with care, US HIV ban ends, dolphin smart, new airline hoopage, condoms cancel rapture reservations, imprecatory prayers, Praying for Obama’s death, Gitmo scare tactics, CIA hired Blackwater for assassinations, Vanity Fair?, sexist journalism, Michael Leiter’s timing faux pas, cognitive infiltration, Obama Admin ball droppage, Haitian earthquake, compassion takes a holiday, Blackwater case dismissed in US, Iraq government says bye bye Blackwater, Mollie Katzen, more bullshitatarians, the flexitarian falacy, music, e-mail and more. The show ran long and had to be divided up once again. You can listen to the show via the player to your right or click the links to download 38 and to download 38b. Please get involved in the 1 Million Mad March. For more to come, visit 1 Million Mad, see our site.
Scientists say Dolphins too smart to mistreat!
Why does this Vanity Fair article hate the women of Twitter?
White House Defends Absentee Terror Head
Obama Staffer Called for Government infiltration of Conspiracy groups.
January 30th, 2010 at 2:37 pm
Hi Robert!
I really enjoy your podcast and I think you’re doing a great job with it. We seem to share the same values on many things and I very much respect your way of reasoning.
However, there’s one thing in this last episode that I really can’t support, namely the legalization of lighter drugs such as marijuana. Before I start, I should point out that I neither drink alcohol nor smoke tobacco. To me all “persona-altering” – or in any other way harmful – drugs are the same. Also, I’m not American and can’t really speak for the general public in America.
Now to my point. Although I understand where you’re coming from, your argument that marijuana should be moved from law enforcement to health care just doesn’t hold up. Just like the animal “welfarism” movement keep failing miserably at dealing with animal exploitation (and has done so for the past 100 years or so), governments and anti-alcohol organizations have also failed in terms of keeping alcohol-related violence and other problems off the streets (and homes). The problem is not that regulation is too lax – it’s quite the opposite. And I really can’t see how allowing and regulating lighter drugs could help accomplish anything. While I do believe that stricter alcohol legislation might initially lead to the increased use of other forms of drugs instead, the main problem lies on the society as a whole. That kids turn to marijuana instead of alcohol (as you point out in the show) only speaks of resources being put in the wrong places. Resources that should have been aimed at recreation and development for an increasingly troubled youth.
Another problem I have with this is the notion that a legalization would help battling the drug cartels. While “black market” drug trade would most likely decrease, the drug cartels might actually benefit from this and move out into the light instead. And as with all “free” markets, intrusion of the private space is close at hand – promotion, ads, life-style, whatever. The tobacco companies have done this successfully for years and years.
So, although I believe you’re right in that the “war on drugs” has not been altogether successful, I really don’t buy into the logic that adding more poison to the system would clean it up. The problem obviously lies somewhere else.
Thanks,
Jon
Ps. Chime in people, raise your thoughts on the matter! Ds.