Ashley Biden is young. Most young people experiment with different drugs and don't become addicted to them. I would also imagine that being the daughter of the Vice President would make her welcome at just about any party. At most parties there's drugs available for all to use.
I say leave the little girl alone and let her family deal with any possible problems she may or may not have.
Ashley Biden Apparent Participant in Cocaine Video
Ashley Biden who is the vice-president's youngest daughter was caught on video allegedly snorting cocaine and the White House as you might imagine is in a tizzy.
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1605712/ashley_biden_apparent_participant_in.html
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Ashley Biden Apparent Participant in Cocaine Video
Commentary: War on drugs is insane
By Jack Cafferty - Jack Cafferty is the author of a new book, "Now or Never: Getting Down to the Business of Saving Our American Dream." He provides commentary on CNN's "The Situation Room" daily from 4 to 7 p.m. ET. You can also visit Jack's Cafferty File blog.
Here's something to think about:
How many police officers and sheriff's deputies are involved in investigating and solving crimes involving illegal drugs? And arresting and transporting and interrogating and jailing the suspects?
How many prosecutors and their staffs spend time prosecuting drug cases? How many defense lawyers spend their time defending drug suspects?
How many hours of courtroom time are devoted to drug trials? How many judges, bailiffs, courtroom security officers, stenographers, etc., spend their time on drug trials?
How many prison cells are filled with drug offenders? And how many corrections officers does it take to guard them? How much food do these convicts consume?
And when they get out, how many parole and probation officers does it take to supervise their release? And how many ex-offenders turn right around and do it again?
So how's this war on drugs going?
Someone described insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time. That's a perfect description of the war on drugs.
read more digg story
Here's something to think about:
How many police officers and sheriff's deputies are involved in investigating and solving crimes involving illegal drugs? And arresting and transporting and interrogating and jailing the suspects?
How many prosecutors and their staffs spend time prosecuting drug cases? How many defense lawyers spend their time defending drug suspects?
How many hours of courtroom time are devoted to drug trials? How many judges, bailiffs, courtroom security officers, stenographers, etc., spend their time on drug trials?
How many prison cells are filled with drug offenders? And how many corrections officers does it take to guard them? How much food do these convicts consume?
And when they get out, how many parole and probation officers does it take to supervise their release? And how many ex-offenders turn right around and do it again?
So how's this war on drugs going?
Someone described insanity as doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result each time. That's a perfect description of the war on drugs.
read more digg story
Medical Pot Advocates Fear Raid Signals Obama Backslide
Medical marijuana advocates are hoping that a raid on a San Francisco club last week doesn't indicate a return to the Bush days and that President Obama plans to stand by his word to let such clubs operate as long as they are in compliance with state laws. But they've been burned too many times to be overly optimistic.
"This has a deeply suspicious feel to it, as if they're conducting business as usual with new rhetoric," says Kris Hermes, a spokesman for American for Safe Access, medical marijuana industry trade group and advocacy organization.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided a San Francisco cannabis club last week without the cooperation of local authorities, making no arrests but hauling out computers and club products. During the campaign, Obama pledged to end federal raids and Attorney General Eric Holder declared that promise to be law, but with the caveat that if clubs violated state law, the feds might intervene. Advocates note that the club in question, Emmalyn's California Cannabis Clinic, had a provisional permit from the city.
"We're concerned that the policy change that has been stated by the Obama administration has not actually gone into effect, because it appears that raids are continuing," says Hermes. "If there were state law violations - and that's certainly questionable - they should be the purview of local and state officials and not the federal government."
read more digg story
"This has a deeply suspicious feel to it, as if they're conducting business as usual with new rhetoric," says Kris Hermes, a spokesman for American for Safe Access, medical marijuana industry trade group and advocacy organization.
Drug Enforcement Administration agents raided a San Francisco cannabis club last week without the cooperation of local authorities, making no arrests but hauling out computers and club products. During the campaign, Obama pledged to end federal raids and Attorney General Eric Holder declared that promise to be law, but with the caveat that if clubs violated state law, the feds might intervene. Advocates note that the club in question, Emmalyn's California Cannabis Clinic, had a provisional permit from the city.
"We're concerned that the policy change that has been stated by the Obama administration has not actually gone into effect, because it appears that raids are continuing," says Hermes. "If there were state law violations - and that's certainly questionable - they should be the purview of local and state officials and not the federal government."
read more digg story
Monday, March 30, 2009
Ron Paul's Newest Letter - End Prohibition 2.0
By Ron Paul - Ron enumerates the reasons to legalize drugs in his latest letter posted to his Campaign For Liberty site.
We have recently heard many shocking stories of brutal killings and ruthless violence related to drug cartels warring with Mexican and US officials. It is approaching the fever pitch of a full blown crisis. Unfortunately, the administration is not likely to waste this opportunity to further expand government. Hopefully, we can take a deep breath and look at history for the optimal way to deal with this dangerous situation, which is not unprecedented.
Alcohol prohibition in the 1920's brought similar violence, gangs, lawlessness, corruption and brutality. The reason for the violence was not that making and selling alcohol was inherently dangerous. The violence came about because of the creation of a brutal black market which also drove profits through the roof. These profits enabled criminals like Al Capone to become incredibly wealthy, and militantly defensive of that wealth. Al Capone saw the repeal of Prohibition as a great threat, and indeed smuggling operations and gangland violence fell apart after repeal. Today, picking up a bottle of wine for dinner is a relatively benign transaction, and beer trucks travel openly and peacefully along their distribution routes.
read more digg story
We have recently heard many shocking stories of brutal killings and ruthless violence related to drug cartels warring with Mexican and US officials. It is approaching the fever pitch of a full blown crisis. Unfortunately, the administration is not likely to waste this opportunity to further expand government. Hopefully, we can take a deep breath and look at history for the optimal way to deal with this dangerous situation, which is not unprecedented.
Alcohol prohibition in the 1920's brought similar violence, gangs, lawlessness, corruption and brutality. The reason for the violence was not that making and selling alcohol was inherently dangerous. The violence came about because of the creation of a brutal black market which also drove profits through the roof. These profits enabled criminals like Al Capone to become incredibly wealthy, and militantly defensive of that wealth. Al Capone saw the repeal of Prohibition as a great threat, and indeed smuggling operations and gangland violence fell apart after repeal. Today, picking up a bottle of wine for dinner is a relatively benign transaction, and beer trucks travel openly and peacefully along their distribution routes.
read more digg story
Nearly 4 In 10 Admitted To 'Marijuana Rehab' Don't Smoke Pot
Rockville, MD: Nearly four in ten individuals admitted to substance abuse treatment programs for cannabis have not used the drug in the month prior to their admission, according to data provided by the US Department of Health and Human Services.
According to federal figures, over 37 percent of the estimated 288,000 thousand people who entered drug treatment for pot in 2007 had not reported using it in the 30 days previous to their admission. Another 16 percent of those admitted said that they'd used marijuana three times or fewer in the month prior to their admission.
Commenting on the statistics, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "These statistics make it clear that it is not marijuana use per se that is driving these treatment admission rates; it is marijuana prohibition that is primarily responsible. These people for the most part are not 'addicts' in any true sense of the word. Rather, they are ordinary Americans who have experienced the misfortune of being busted for marijuana who are forced to choose between rehab or jail."
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According to federal figures, over 37 percent of the estimated 288,000 thousand people who entered drug treatment for pot in 2007 had not reported using it in the 30 days previous to their admission. Another 16 percent of those admitted said that they'd used marijuana three times or fewer in the month prior to their admission.
Commenting on the statistics, NORML Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: "These statistics make it clear that it is not marijuana use per se that is driving these treatment admission rates; it is marijuana prohibition that is primarily responsible. These people for the most part are not 'addicts' in any true sense of the word. Rather, they are ordinary Americans who have experienced the misfortune of being busted for marijuana who are forced to choose between rehab or jail."
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DEA Raids Emmalyn's California Cannabis Clinic 3/25/09
Why do they continue to raid legal dispensaries when our president promised they would stop?
By Free Weed - On March 25th, 2009 a legal cannabis dispensary was raided and shutdown by the DEA (drug enforcement agency). They raided the dispensary despite the fact that what their doing is legal in their state. According to the U.S. Constitution, the supreme law of the land, the federal government isn't allowed to enforce anything except the Constitution. If any other laws want to be enforced then it's up to the individual state's to decide on whether or not to do so.
read more digg story
By Free Weed - On March 25th, 2009 a legal cannabis dispensary was raided and shutdown by the DEA (drug enforcement agency). They raided the dispensary despite the fact that what their doing is legal in their state. According to the U.S. Constitution, the supreme law of the land, the federal government isn't allowed to enforce anything except the Constitution. If any other laws want to be enforced then it's up to the individual state's to decide on whether or not to do so.
read more digg story
Iraqi Government Jailing and Killing Awakening Militias
Leila Fadel, Baghdad Bureau Chief of McClatchy Newspapers speaks to Paul Jay about the recent escalation in violence in Iraq's capital. She says the former fighters termed the "Sons of Iraq" who have turned on Al Qaeda and joined the U.S. are now being persecuted by the Iraq government. She says the Maliki government is afraid of the power they've accumulated in the neighborhoods they were put to protect by the U.S. and many are now in exile or in hiding.
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Drug War Videos
DrugWarRant.com by Pete Guither - Here are some recommended and some fun videos on the drug war and related issues.
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I happened to like this one alot...
Mommy's Funny Medicine - the first children's book about medical marijuana
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I happened to like this one alot...
Mommy's Funny Medicine - the first children's book about medical marijuana
Why is Marijuana Illegal?
A brief history of the criminalization of cannabis
Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings; that it was to protect the citizens from what was determined to be a dangerous drug.
The actual story shows a much different picture. Those who voted on the legal fate of this plant never had the facts, but were dependent on information supplied by those who had a specific agenda to deceive lawmakers. You'll see below that the very first federal vote to prohibit marijuana was based entirely on a documented lie on the floor of the Senate.
You'll also see that the history of marijuana's criminalization is filled with:
Racism
Fear
Protection of Corporate Profits
Yellow Journalism
Ignorant, Incompetent, and/or Corrupt Legislators
Personal Career Advancement and Greed
These are the actual reasons marijuana is illegal.
read more digg story
This account only scratches the surface of the story. If you want to know more about the history of marijuana, Harry Anslinger, and the saga of criminalization in the United States and elsewhere, visit some of the excellent links below. (All data and quotes for this piece came from these sources as well).
The History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the United States by Charles Whitebread, Professor of Law, USC Law School. A Speech to the California Judges Association 1995 annual conference.
THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT AND THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE: AN INQUIRY INTO THE LEGAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN MARIJUANA PROHIBITION by Richard J. Bonnie & Charles H. Whitebread, II. VIRGINIA LAW REVIEW. VOLUME 56 OCTOBER 1970 NUMBER 6
The Consumers Union Report - Licit and Illicit Drugs by Edward M. Brecher and the Editors of Consumer Reports Magazine
The History of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 By David F. Musto, M.D., New Haven, Conn. Originally published in Arch. Gen. Psychiat. Volume 26, February, 1972
The Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse I. Control of Marihuana, Alcohol and Tobacco. History of Marihuana Legislation
The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. The history of how the Marihuana Tax Act came to be the law of the land.
Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years by Ernest L. Abel, 1980
Many people assume that marijuana was made illegal through some kind of process involving scientific, medical, and government hearings; that it was to protect the citizens from what was determined to be a dangerous drug.
The actual story shows a much different picture. Those who voted on the legal fate of this plant never had the facts, but were dependent on information supplied by those who had a specific agenda to deceive lawmakers. You'll see below that the very first federal vote to prohibit marijuana was based entirely on a documented lie on the floor of the Senate.
You'll also see that the history of marijuana's criminalization is filled with:
Racism
Fear
Protection of Corporate Profits
Yellow Journalism
Ignorant, Incompetent, and/or Corrupt Legislators
Personal Career Advancement and Greed
These are the actual reasons marijuana is illegal.
read more digg story
This account only scratches the surface of the story. If you want to know more about the history of marijuana, Harry Anslinger, and the saga of criminalization in the United States and elsewhere, visit some of the excellent links below. (All data and quotes for this piece came from these sources as well).
The History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the United States by Charles Whitebread, Professor of Law, USC Law School. A Speech to the California Judges Association 1995 annual conference.
THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT AND THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE: AN INQUIRY INTO THE LEGAL HISTORY OF AMERICAN MARIJUANA PROHIBITION by Richard J. Bonnie & Charles H. Whitebread, II. VIRGINIA LAW REVIEW. VOLUME 56 OCTOBER 1970 NUMBER 6
The Consumers Union Report - Licit and Illicit Drugs by Edward M. Brecher and the Editors of Consumer Reports Magazine
The History of the Marihuana Tax Act of 1937 By David F. Musto, M.D., New Haven, Conn. Originally published in Arch. Gen. Psychiat. Volume 26, February, 1972
The Report of the National Commission on Marihuana and Drug Abuse I. Control of Marihuana, Alcohol and Tobacco. History of Marihuana Legislation
The Marihuana Tax Act of 1937. The history of how the Marihuana Tax Act came to be the law of the land.
Marijuana - The First Twelve Thousand Years by Ernest L. Abel, 1980
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Arguments for the Legalization of Marijuana
By Chris Scott - Lately there has been a great deal of buzz on the Internet about the possibility of legalizing marijuana in the United States.
I must admit that my initial reaction as a conservative Christian was reflexive; legalizing marijuana would be a very bad thing. It’s clear with the continual use of any sort of addictive drug, that harmful bodily consequences inevitably ensue. We see that apparent in the lives of our Hollywood idols, rock stars, and musicians, who have, in many cases, lost their very lives because of drug addictions.
However, after much research, careful thought and consideration, my standpoint has significantly changed.
Looking back at the prohibition years in the United States and the unmistakable failure that was, a few sociological truths arise. When the United States government banned alcohol in 1920, the consequences were dramatic. The Mafia were known for little more than gambling and thievery before the prohibition era. During that time, organized crime and racketeering flourished; the Mafia wouldn’t be what it is today were it not for the prohibition laws of the 20s. Bootlegging and other attempts to circumvent prohibition led only to more crime. John D. Rockefeller stated:
I must admit that my initial reaction as a conservative Christian was reflexive; legalizing marijuana would be a very bad thing. It’s clear with the continual use of any sort of addictive drug, that harmful bodily consequences inevitably ensue. We see that apparent in the lives of our Hollywood idols, rock stars, and musicians, who have, in many cases, lost their very lives because of drug addictions.
However, after much research, careful thought and consideration, my standpoint has significantly changed.
Looking back at the prohibition years in the United States and the unmistakable failure that was, a few sociological truths arise. When the United States government banned alcohol in 1920, the consequences were dramatic. The Mafia were known for little more than gambling and thievery before the prohibition era. During that time, organized crime and racketeering flourished; the Mafia wouldn’t be what it is today were it not for the prohibition laws of the 20s. Bootlegging and other attempts to circumvent prohibition led only to more crime. John D. Rockefeller stated:
When Prohibition was introduced, I hoped that it would be widely supported by
public opinion and the day would soon come when the evil effects of alcohol would be recognized. I have slowly and reluctantly come to believe that this has not been the result. Instead, drinking has generally increased; the speakeasy has replaced the saloon; a vast army of lawbreakers has appeared; many of our best citizens have openly ignored Prohibition; respect for the law has been greatly lessened; and crime has increased to a level never seen before.
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American Civil Liberties Union: Sign the ACLU's Petition to stop the abuse of "State Secrets"
It’s Time to Learn the Truth
It’s been six years since the first reports of detainee abuse and nearly five years since Abu Ghraib. A recent confidential report from the International Committee of the Red Cross provided undeniable documentation of torture at Guantánamo. Yet the Justice Department has failed to prosecute any civilians for crimes related to interrogation, except a single contractor in June 2004.
These stunning revelations only underscore the need for an independent prosecutor. With mounting evidence of deliberate and widespread use of torture and abuse, we deserve to have the assurance that torture will stop and never happen again.
Stand with the ACLU. Ask Attorney General Eric Holder to appoint an independent prosecutor to investigate the interrogation of detainees in the war on terror.
American Civil Liberties Union: Sign the ACLU's Petition to stop the abuse of "State Secrets"
CIA: Torture Gave No Leads, Foils No Plots, Led Goose Chases
By Peter Finn and Joby Warrick
Washington Post Staff Writers
The Feds are finally releasing more & more information that was hidden under the Republican administration that reveals that torture was not just totally unreliable, but is a waste of valuable resources, sending the CIA on global wild goose chases over & over with little to zero results. In fact other techniques have proven much more reliable.
When CIA officials subjected their first high-value captive, Abu Zubaida, to waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods, they were convinced that they had in their custody an al-Qaeda leader who knew details of operations yet to be unleashed, and they were facing increasing pressure from the White House to get those secrets out of him.
The methods succeeded in breaking him, and the stories he told of al-Qaeda terrorism plots sent CIA officers around the globe chasing leads.
In the end, though, not a single significant plot was foiled as a result of Abu Zubaida's tortured confessions, according to former senior government officials who closely followed the interrogations. Nearly all of the leads attained through the harsh measures quickly evaporated, while most of the useful information from Abu Zubaida -- chiefly names of al-Qaeda members and associates -- was obtained before waterboarding was introduced, they said.
Moreover, within weeks of his capture, U.S. officials had gained evidence that made clear they had misjudged Abu Zubaida. President George W. Bush had publicly described him as "al-Qaeda's chief of operations," and other top officials called him a "trusted associate" of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and a major figure in the planning of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. None of that was accurate, the new evidence showed.
Abu Zubaida was not even an official member of al-Qaeda, according to a portrait of the man that emerges from court documents and interviews with current and former intelligence, law enforcement and military sources. Rather, he was a "fixer" for radical Muslim ideologues, and he ended up working directly with al-Qaeda only after Sept. 11 -- and that was because the United States stood ready to invade Afghanistan.
read more | digg story
Washington Post Staff Writers
The Feds are finally releasing more & more information that was hidden under the Republican administration that reveals that torture was not just totally unreliable, but is a waste of valuable resources, sending the CIA on global wild goose chases over & over with little to zero results. In fact other techniques have proven much more reliable.
When CIA officials subjected their first high-value captive, Abu Zubaida, to waterboarding and other harsh interrogation methods, they were convinced that they had in their custody an al-Qaeda leader who knew details of operations yet to be unleashed, and they were facing increasing pressure from the White House to get those secrets out of him.
The methods succeeded in breaking him, and the stories he told of al-Qaeda terrorism plots sent CIA officers around the globe chasing leads.
In the end, though, not a single significant plot was foiled as a result of Abu Zubaida's tortured confessions, according to former senior government officials who closely followed the interrogations. Nearly all of the leads attained through the harsh measures quickly evaporated, while most of the useful information from Abu Zubaida -- chiefly names of al-Qaeda members and associates -- was obtained before waterboarding was introduced, they said.
Moreover, within weeks of his capture, U.S. officials had gained evidence that made clear they had misjudged Abu Zubaida. President George W. Bush had publicly described him as "al-Qaeda's chief of operations," and other top officials called him a "trusted associate" of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and a major figure in the planning of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. None of that was accurate, the new evidence showed.
Abu Zubaida was not even an official member of al-Qaeda, according to a portrait of the man that emerges from court documents and interviews with current and former intelligence, law enforcement and military sources. Rather, he was a "fixer" for radical Muslim ideologues, and he ended up working directly with al-Qaeda only after Sept. 11 -- and that was because the United States stood ready to invade Afghanistan.
read more | digg story
Barack Obama Makes It Official: We Are At War In Pakistan
Claiming that "the safety of people around the world is at stake", Barack Obama has laid out his strategy for Afghanistan that includes dramatically increased military operations inside of Pakistan.
On Friday, Obama called the mountainous Pakistani side of the Afghan border "the most dangerous place in the world" and reaffirmed the U.S. view that in order for the war in Afghanistan to be successful, the U.S. military would have to go after al-Qaeda forces in Pakistan.
Obama also added the following during his Friday speech: "Let me be clear: al-Qaeda and its allies -- the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks -- are in Pakistan and Afghanistan."
This comes on the heels of the announcement that 4,000 more U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan, in addition to the 17,000 increase that had already been announced.
Obama's plan also includes a goal of boosting the Afghan army from 80,000 to 134,000 troops by 2011.
The U.K. is also now offering its full backing for a comprehensive military campaign inside of Pakistan.
In fact, U.K. defense secretary John Hutton says that there must now be “an equal focus on both countries”. Current government plans call for the U.K. to send an additional 2,000 British troops to Afghanistan.
read more | digg story
On Friday, Obama called the mountainous Pakistani side of the Afghan border "the most dangerous place in the world" and reaffirmed the U.S. view that in order for the war in Afghanistan to be successful, the U.S. military would have to go after al-Qaeda forces in Pakistan.
Obama also added the following during his Friday speech: "Let me be clear: al-Qaeda and its allies -- the terrorists who planned and supported the 9/11 attacks -- are in Pakistan and Afghanistan."
This comes on the heels of the announcement that 4,000 more U.S. troops will be sent to Afghanistan, in addition to the 17,000 increase that had already been announced.
Obama's plan also includes a goal of boosting the Afghan army from 80,000 to 134,000 troops by 2011.
The U.K. is also now offering its full backing for a comprehensive military campaign inside of Pakistan.
In fact, U.K. defense secretary John Hutton says that there must now be “an equal focus on both countries”. Current government plans call for the U.K. to send an additional 2,000 British troops to Afghanistan.
read more | digg story
Marijuana is illegal because, uh, uh...
By Pete Guither - One member of the press corps, however, brought up the fact that marijuana legalization is a serious subject to many people, particularly with Mexico right now, and when Gibbs didn't really respond, the reporter asked him to explain "Why?" "Why he feels that way about legalizing marijuana?"
Here was Gibbs' response:
"Uh, he, he does not think that, uh, uh, that that is uh, uh, [pause] he opposes it, he doesn't think that that's the, the right plan for America."
Apparently that is the new U.S. Government position on why marijuana should be illegal.
Wow.
It's fascinating that he couldn't come up with anything other than the equivalent of... "because."
If we can't have an Administration that can have an honest dialogue about marijuana legalization, I guess the next best thing is to have one that can't talk about it at all.
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Here was Gibbs' response:
"Uh, he, he does not think that, uh, uh, that that is uh, uh, [pause] he opposes it, he doesn't think that that's the, the right plan for America."
Apparently that is the new U.S. Government position on why marijuana should be illegal.
Wow.
It's fascinating that he couldn't come up with anything other than the equivalent of... "because."
If we can't have an Administration that can have an honest dialogue about marijuana legalization, I guess the next best thing is to have one that can't talk about it at all.
read more digg story
Video:Bill Maher Talks about Ending the American Empire.
America has 500,000 troops all over the world, from Germany to South Korea.
Bill Maher argument is that the US has no business policing the planet.
He is right....
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Bill Maher argument is that the US has no business policing the planet.
He is right....
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Drew Carey Responds to Obama About Marijuana
By Jimboland Jots - Recently, President Obama was asked by an audience member about legalizing marijuana, so that it could be regulated and taxed. The President’s response was unsupportive of marijuana legalization, although the Obama administration’s Attorney General Holder has signaled an end to DEA raids on medical marijuana dispensaries.
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Marijuana issue suddenly smoking hot - Jeremy D. Mayer
By JEREMY D. MAYER - Smoking pot doesn’t cause schizophrenia, but marijuana as an issue sure gives our political system the symptoms. We have just elected our third president in a row who at least tried marijuana in early adulthood, yet it remains illegal..
As we discovered again this week, President Obama, like his two predecessors, supports imprisoning people for making the same choices he made.
Beyond imprisonment, one of my policy students, who was honest on a security clearance about her one time use of pot, could lose her job for doing what Clinton, Bush and Obama did. On television, leading comedian Jon Stewart and America’s sweetheart, Sandra Bullock, swap pot smoking stories with lighthearted abandon, laughing along with their audience, who, like most Americans, end up voting for politicians who support draconian punishments for pot users and dealers. Year after year, major Hollywood films like Pineapple Express show potsmoking in a positive light, yet legalization remains unmentionable to both our political parties. And America’s most popular Olympian, Michael Phelps, like the majority of people his age, has tried pot, but loses millions in sponsorship when it is revealed that he has done what most of his fans have done.
read more digg story
As we discovered again this week, President Obama, like his two predecessors, supports imprisoning people for making the same choices he made.
Beyond imprisonment, one of my policy students, who was honest on a security clearance about her one time use of pot, could lose her job for doing what Clinton, Bush and Obama did. On television, leading comedian Jon Stewart and America’s sweetheart, Sandra Bullock, swap pot smoking stories with lighthearted abandon, laughing along with their audience, who, like most Americans, end up voting for politicians who support draconian punishments for pot users and dealers. Year after year, major Hollywood films like Pineapple Express show potsmoking in a positive light, yet legalization remains unmentionable to both our political parties. And America’s most popular Olympian, Michael Phelps, like the majority of people his age, has tried pot, but loses millions in sponsorship when it is revealed that he has done what most of his fans have done.
read more digg story
Mexican Drug Lord Thanks American Lawmakers for War On Drugs
By David Henry Sterry - Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera reported head of the Sinaloa cartel in Mexico, ranked 701st on Forbes' yearly report of the wealthiest men alive, and worth an estimated $1 billion, today officially thanked United States politicians for making sure that drugs remain illegal. According to one of his closest confidants, he said, "I couldn't have gotten so stinking rich without George Bush, George Bush Jr., Ronald Reagan, even El Presidente Obama, none of them have the cajones to stand up to all the big money that wants to keep this stuff illegal. From the bottom of my heart, I want to say, Gracias amigos, I owe my whole empire to you."
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Saturday, March 28, 2009
Earth Hour - 2009
Earth Hour 2009! - Kat and I played gin rummy by tealight candles that form a peace sign!
Tell The Senate to Treat Drugs As Health, Not Crime, Issue
By Law Enforcement Against Prohibition - Soon the U.S. Senate will hold a hearing to confirm President Obama's nominee for White House "drug czar." Since everyone - the president included - knows that addiction is a health, and not a crime problem, let's ask the Senate to move the hearing from the Judiciary Committee to the committee that handles health issues. Let's send a message!
Please click on 'read more' to send a message to your senator!
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When asked last July by Rolling Stone magazine if he would continue the "war on
drugs" or make significant changes in course, then-candidate Barack Obama said,
“I believe in shifting the paradigm, shifting the model, so that we focus more on a public-health approach.”Right now we have an opportunity to make this well-founded position a reality by sending a strong message to the U.S. Senate, which will soon be holding a confirmation hearing for the new White House "drug czar."
Please take one minute to send the message below, asking that the hearing be held by the committee that oversees operation of our country’s health care, instead of by the Judiciary Committee, which handles crime and which has historically handled the confirmations.
Treating drug use as a criminal justice issue hasn’t deterred drug use, but it has filled our prisons and clogged our courts. We know the Obama administration agrees, at least rhetorically. Let’s ask our senators to make this needed shift a reality.
Please click on 'read more' to send a message to your senator!
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Friday, March 27, 2009
Obama Mocks Marijuana Question
In an unusual Town Hall format, Pres. Obama fielded the most popular questions sent to the White House website. Marijuana was No. 1 on the list.
“I have to say that there was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high, and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation... I don't know what that says about the online audience," he joked.
“We want to make sure that it was answered. The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy.”
One of the first activist reponses comes from Jack Cole, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). He tells CelebStoner: "Despite the president's flippant comments today, the grievous harms of marijuana prohibition are no laughing matter. Certainly, the 800,000 people arrested last year on marijuana charges find nothing funny about it, nor do the millions of Americans struggling in this sluggish economy. It would be an enormous economic stimulus if we stopped wasting so much money arresting and locking people up for non-violent drug offenses and instead brought in new tax revenue from legal sales, just as we did when we ended alcohol prohibition 75 years ago during the Great Depression."
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“I have to say that there was one question that was voted on that ranked fairly high, and that was whether legalizing marijuana would improve the economy and job creation... I don't know what that says about the online audience," he joked.
“We want to make sure that it was answered. The answer is, no, I don't think that is a good strategy to grow our economy.”
One of the first activist reponses comes from Jack Cole, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP). He tells CelebStoner: "Despite the president's flippant comments today, the grievous harms of marijuana prohibition are no laughing matter. Certainly, the 800,000 people arrested last year on marijuana charges find nothing funny about it, nor do the millions of Americans struggling in this sluggish economy. It would be an enormous economic stimulus if we stopped wasting so much money arresting and locking people up for non-violent drug offenses and instead brought in new tax revenue from legal sales, just as we did when we ended alcohol prohibition 75 years ago during the Great Depression."
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Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Rage Is Good
Demonstrations April 4 calling Wall Street to account could help progressive populism come alive in America. Obama and Congress need the pressure.
By Tom Hayden - Hopefully, the demonstrations planned on Wall Street April 4 by United for Peace and Justice and other groups will contribute to the global uprising. Our president and Congress need the pressure.
The world has turned against American hegemony before: against the Vietnam war, against the World Trade Organization and against the invasion of Iraq. On all three occasions, the world was right and Washington was wrong.
On this occasion, the global economy is being devastated by the Wall Street crash. Hundreds of millions are are hurtling into extreme poverty, export industries are collapsing, currencies being destabilized.
As the conservative French president Nicolas Sarkozy says, "Laissez-faire, c'est fini." (Laissez-faire is finished.)
As nations blame Wall Street and move to protect their people, the protests need not be anti-American nor anti-Obama. Sarkozy cannot be accused of being anti-US. Neither are Iceland nor Ukraine. The global opposition might just may be what we need, an organized populist counterforce to the business and banking lobbies entrenched in Washington.
Obama's stimulus package and proposed budget are not the problem. They represent the most progressive government initiatives in a half-century. But as Franch Rich noted in the New York Times March 1, Obama "was fuzzy when it came to what he wanted to do about" more bailouts.
The Obama administration is in trouble on the question of what to do about the financial system and the credit crisis. But Rich is wrong, for once, in suggesting that it's "bad news" for Obama that "the genuine populist rage in the country...cannot be ignored or finessed."
The "bad news" is really an opportunity for progressives, unions and Democrats to build a bottom-up populist alternative to the "greed is good" politics of Wall Street, which has infested both parties. Obama should privately welcome "populist rage" as a stimulus to reform. If he does not, he may see right-wing populism making a comeback as soon as 2010.
Some progressives, including even Warren Beatty, think it's time to introduce a discussion of socialism, if only to point out that our present course is one of socialism for the banks and corporations. Obama himself says good things about Sweden's nationalization of banks, but quickly demurs that Americans are not "culturally" ready for such an option. At the Washington Post, Harold Meyerson, a democratic socialist in the tradition of Michael Harrington, prefers re-regulation to either nationalization or socialism at this point: "To avoid socialism (to whatever extent throwing public money at banks is socialism) you need liberalism (that is, the willingness to restrain capitalism from its periodic self-destruction.)
My sense is that we are moving too rapidly towards economic hell for a socialist ideology to catch up. While efforts to dust off and legitimize the term will go on, Meyerson is right that the battlefield just ahead is over reregulation, which may evolve into a contentious, awkward, bureaucratic nationalization out of necessity. That is why the sturdier and heavily regulated Canadian and Swedish banking systems already are being closely examined.
read more digg story
By Tom Hayden - Hopefully, the demonstrations planned on Wall Street April 4 by United for Peace and Justice and other groups will contribute to the global uprising. Our president and Congress need the pressure.
The world has turned against American hegemony before: against the Vietnam war, against the World Trade Organization and against the invasion of Iraq. On all three occasions, the world was right and Washington was wrong.
On this occasion, the global economy is being devastated by the Wall Street crash. Hundreds of millions are are hurtling into extreme poverty, export industries are collapsing, currencies being destabilized.
As the conservative French president Nicolas Sarkozy says, "Laissez-faire, c'est fini." (Laissez-faire is finished.)
As nations blame Wall Street and move to protect their people, the protests need not be anti-American nor anti-Obama. Sarkozy cannot be accused of being anti-US. Neither are Iceland nor Ukraine. The global opposition might just may be what we need, an organized populist counterforce to the business and banking lobbies entrenched in Washington.
Obama's stimulus package and proposed budget are not the problem. They represent the most progressive government initiatives in a half-century. But as Franch Rich noted in the New York Times March 1, Obama "was fuzzy when it came to what he wanted to do about" more bailouts.
The Obama administration is in trouble on the question of what to do about the financial system and the credit crisis. But Rich is wrong, for once, in suggesting that it's "bad news" for Obama that "the genuine populist rage in the country...cannot be ignored or finessed."
The "bad news" is really an opportunity for progressives, unions and Democrats to build a bottom-up populist alternative to the "greed is good" politics of Wall Street, which has infested both parties. Obama should privately welcome "populist rage" as a stimulus to reform. If he does not, he may see right-wing populism making a comeback as soon as 2010.
Some progressives, including even Warren Beatty, think it's time to introduce a discussion of socialism, if only to point out that our present course is one of socialism for the banks and corporations. Obama himself says good things about Sweden's nationalization of banks, but quickly demurs that Americans are not "culturally" ready for such an option. At the Washington Post, Harold Meyerson, a democratic socialist in the tradition of Michael Harrington, prefers re-regulation to either nationalization or socialism at this point: "To avoid socialism (to whatever extent throwing public money at banks is socialism) you need liberalism (that is, the willingness to restrain capitalism from its periodic self-destruction.)
My sense is that we are moving too rapidly towards economic hell for a socialist ideology to catch up. While efforts to dust off and legitimize the term will go on, Meyerson is right that the battlefield just ahead is over reregulation, which may evolve into a contentious, awkward, bureaucratic nationalization out of necessity. That is why the sturdier and heavily regulated Canadian and Swedish banking systems already are being closely examined.
read more digg story
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Growing marijuana for patients in Hidden Valley, Ca
By Ernest Alford - Lake County is a county located in the north central portion of the U.S. state of California, north of the San Francisco Bay Area. Lake County was formed in 1861 from parts of Napa and Mendocino counties. Lake County has long been known as a farming community. Vineyards were planted in the 1870s; by the early 1900’s the area was earning a reputation for producing some of the world's greatest wines. It is also in an area known for producing high quality marijuana. Hidden Valley is part of Lake county.
Growing marijuana for medicinal use will not be banned or policed by the Hidden Valley homeowners association's safety and security division. Last month, during a Hidden Valley Lake Association board meeting, the issue of growing medical marijuana in the community was raised. Board members discussed the legal ramifications if individuals decided to grow it medical marijuana indoors and outside as well.
read more digg story
Growing marijuana for medicinal use will not be banned or policed by the Hidden Valley homeowners association's safety and security division. Last month, during a Hidden Valley Lake Association board meeting, the issue of growing medical marijuana in the community was raised. Board members discussed the legal ramifications if individuals decided to grow it medical marijuana indoors and outside as well.
read more digg story
Making Congress READ the Laws They Pass
Everyone is wrong about the AIG bonuses.
By counterspinyc- Democratic Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut inserted language into the scam-stimulus bill permitting the AIG bonuses that everyone is now bloviating about. He did so at the request of the Treasury Department. A Congressional majority then voted for the Dodd proposal, and President Obama signed it into law. Those upset about the AIG bonuses should focus on the fact that Congress authorized them.
All the Congressional grand-standing about how bad the bonuses are is rank hypocrisy. One of two things is true . . . Either those who voted for the scam-stimulus bill knew about the bonus provision, in which case they ought to be "falling on their own swords," instead of castigating the government-appointed CEO of AIG, or . . .
They didn't know about the bonus provision, in which case they ought to introduce DownsizeDC.org's "Read the Bills Act," so they'll know what they're passing before they cast their votes.
But, the politicians aren't the only guilty parties in this stupid controversy. The American people are also at fault. Here's why:
read more digg story
By counterspinyc- Democratic Senator Chris Dodd of Connecticut inserted language into the scam-stimulus bill permitting the AIG bonuses that everyone is now bloviating about. He did so at the request of the Treasury Department. A Congressional majority then voted for the Dodd proposal, and President Obama signed it into law. Those upset about the AIG bonuses should focus on the fact that Congress authorized them.
All the Congressional grand-standing about how bad the bonuses are is rank hypocrisy. One of two things is true . . . Either those who voted for the scam-stimulus bill knew about the bonus provision, in which case they ought to be "falling on their own swords," instead of castigating the government-appointed CEO of AIG, or . . .
They didn't know about the bonus provision, in which case they ought to introduce DownsizeDC.org's "Read the Bills Act," so they'll know what they're passing before they cast their votes.
But, the politicians aren't the only guilty parties in this stupid controversy. The American people are also at fault. Here's why:
We're constantly told that Congress doesn't respond to public pressure and that,
therefore, what DownsizeDC.org is trying to do won't work. And yet, we see
Congress respond to public pressure repeatedly. The only problem is that it's
always pressure about the wrong things! The way to prevent problems like the
bonus-authorization provision is to pass the "Read the Bills Act" (RTBA).
read more digg story
CT Moves to legalize Medical Marijuana
Connecticut Legislature Considers Medical Marijuana Reform Ask your representative to support HB 5175 and HB 6156
NORML is pleased to announce that House Bill 5175, an act to exempt qualified medical cannabis patients from state arrest and prosecution, has been referred to the Joint Committee on Judiciary. A second bill, House Bill 6156, has also been referred to the Joint Committee on Judiciary. The medical marijuana debate is a familiar one Connecticut. The Connecticut State Nurses Association has gone on record supporting patients' "safe access to therapeutic marijuana," and in 2007 the Connecticut legislature also backed the medical use of marijuana under appropriate supervision -- only to have this measure vetoed by the Governor. With your assistance, we hope to make 2009 the year Connecticut becomes the fourteenth state to legalize the medical use of cannabis.
Please take a moment today to contact your elected officials and urge them to support HB 5175 and HB 6156. You can also contact the Judiciary Committee here. For your convenience, a pre-written letter will be e-mailed to your state representative when you enter your contact information below.
Thank you for supporting NORML's marijuana law reform efforts in Connecticut.
read more digg story
NORML is pleased to announce that House Bill 5175, an act to exempt qualified medical cannabis patients from state arrest and prosecution, has been referred to the Joint Committee on Judiciary. A second bill, House Bill 6156, has also been referred to the Joint Committee on Judiciary. The medical marijuana debate is a familiar one Connecticut. The Connecticut State Nurses Association has gone on record supporting patients' "safe access to therapeutic marijuana," and in 2007 the Connecticut legislature also backed the medical use of marijuana under appropriate supervision -- only to have this measure vetoed by the Governor. With your assistance, we hope to make 2009 the year Connecticut becomes the fourteenth state to legalize the medical use of cannabis.
Please take a moment today to contact your elected officials and urge them to support HB 5175 and HB 6156. You can also contact the Judiciary Committee here. For your convenience, a pre-written letter will be e-mailed to your state representative when you enter your contact information below.
Thank you for supporting NORML's marijuana law reform efforts in Connecticut.
read more digg story
Today’s quote…
Quote of the Day: "The legal tender quality [of money] is only valuable for the purposes of dishonesty." -- Justice Salmon Chase Chief Justice, formerly Secretary of Treasury in President Lincoln’s administration Source: in dissent of Knox vs. Lee (The Legal Tender Cases, 1871)
Judge Rules: "It's OK To Give Police The Finger"
By Torsten Ove, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Memo to cops everywhere: You can't cite someone for giving you the finger.
That's essentially what a federal judge ruled yesterday when he said a city police sergeant was wrong to cite a Regent Square man for flipping him off in traffic three years ago.
U.S. District Judge David Cercone granted summary judgment to David Hackbart, who said in a federal suit that Sgt. Brian Elledge violated his constitutional rights by issuing him a citation in 2006.
"Elledge's response to Hackbart's exercise of his First Amendment right was to initiate a traffic stop and issue a citation for disorderly conduct," the judge wrote. "Clearly, Elledge's conduct was an adverse action in response to Hackbart flipping him off."
The case will now proceed to trial in U.S. District Court on the underlying claim that the city doesn't adequately train its officers to know when they're violating someone's rights.
The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that giving someone the finger, even a police officer, is protected free speech.
read more digg story
Memo to cops everywhere: You can't cite someone for giving you the finger.
That's essentially what a federal judge ruled yesterday when he said a city police sergeant was wrong to cite a Regent Square man for flipping him off in traffic three years ago.
U.S. District Judge David Cercone granted summary judgment to David Hackbart, who said in a federal suit that Sgt. Brian Elledge violated his constitutional rights by issuing him a citation in 2006.
"Elledge's response to Hackbart's exercise of his First Amendment right was to initiate a traffic stop and issue a citation for disorderly conduct," the judge wrote. "Clearly, Elledge's conduct was an adverse action in response to Hackbart flipping him off."
The case will now proceed to trial in U.S. District Court on the underlying claim that the city doesn't adequately train its officers to know when they're violating someone's rights.
The Supreme Court has consistently ruled that giving someone the finger, even a police officer, is protected free speech.
read more digg story
Marijuana Legalization Bills Introduced In Massachusetts
By Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director - A pair of bills — House Bill 2929 and Senate Bill 1801 — seeking to “tax and regulate the cannabis industry” have just been introduced in the Massachusetts legislature.
California’s highly publicized effort to legalize the commercial cultivation and sale of cannabis is getting some well-deserved company!
A pair of bills — House Bill 2929 and Senate Bill 1801 — seeking to “tax and regulate the cannabis industry” have just been introduced in the Massachusetts legislature.
These proposals seek to legally regulate the commercial production and distribution of marijuana for adults over 21 years of age. Like California’s proposal, they would impose licensing requirements and excise taxes on the retail sale of cannabis. By some estimates, these taxes could raise nearly $100 million in annual state revenue.
Adults who possess or grow marijuana for personal use, or who engage in the non-profit transfer of cannabis, would not be subject to taxation under the law.
You can read more about these bills at the new website: http://www.cantaxreg.com. If you live in Massachusetts, we urge you to write your elected officials in support of H. 2929 and S. 1801 by going here.
read more digg story
California’s highly publicized effort to legalize the commercial cultivation and sale of cannabis is getting some well-deserved company!
A pair of bills — House Bill 2929 and Senate Bill 1801 — seeking to “tax and regulate the cannabis industry” have just been introduced in the Massachusetts legislature.
These proposals seek to legally regulate the commercial production and distribution of marijuana for adults over 21 years of age. Like California’s proposal, they would impose licensing requirements and excise taxes on the retail sale of cannabis. By some estimates, these taxes could raise nearly $100 million in annual state revenue.
Adults who possess or grow marijuana for personal use, or who engage in the non-profit transfer of cannabis, would not be subject to taxation under the law.
You can read more about these bills at the new website: http://www.cantaxreg.com. If you live in Massachusetts, we urge you to write your elected officials in support of H. 2929 and S. 1801 by going here.
read more digg story
Sunday, March 22, 2009
AP:Protests in Washington & California Call for War's End
Iraq war protesters rally in DC and Los Angeles to mark the 6th year anniversary of the Iraq war....
WASHINGTON March 22, 2009, 06:07 am ET · Before war protesters ended their demonstration Saturday afternoon, several placed cardboard coffins in front of the offices of northern Virginia defense contractors such as KBR Inc. and Lockheed Martin Corp. as riot police stood by.
"Lockheed Martin you can't hide, we charge you with genocide!" they chanted as part of a demonstration that began in Washington to mark the sixth anniversary of the invasion of Iraq.
Arlington County, Va., police estimated there were 2,500 to 3,000 protesters and said no arrests were made.
Organizers from the ANSWER Coalition said more than 1,000 groups sponsored the protest to call for an end to the Iraq war, and estimated that about 10,000 people participated. Carrying signs saying "We need jobs and schools, not war" and "Indict Bush," demonstrators beat drums and played trumpets as they marched from near the Lincoln Memorial past the Pentagon into Virginia.
Meanwhile, at a similar protest in San Francisco, tension grew after four or five dozen activists surrounded a group of riot-equipped police, throwing sticks and water bottles. Police responded by regrouping in riot formation and physically detaining several protesters who pushed and shoved with officers.
Protest leaders shouted from the stage, urging police to leave. Barriers were quickly erected between police and protesters as an organizer urged calm and the activists started to disperse.
In Washington, protesters demanded that President Barack Obama immediately withdraw all U.S. troops from Iraq, saying thousands of Iraqis have died and thousands of American troops have been wounded or killed.
"We think it's especially important for this new administration to feel the pressure from people that we don't want more war," said Obama supporter Pat Halle, 59, of Baltimore.
Anti-war activists said even though former President George W. Bush is out of power, they are disappointed with what they see as stalled action from Obama.
"Obama seems to be led somewhat by the bureaucracies. I want him to follow up on his promise to end the war," said 66-year-old Perry Parks of Rockingham, N.C., who said he served in the Army for nearly 30 years, including in Vietnam.
Obama has said he plans to withdraw roughly 100,000 troops by summer 2010. He promises to pull the last of the U.S. troops by the end of 2011, in accordance with a deal Iraqis signed with Bush.
There were about 138,000 troops in Iraq as of March 13.
read more | digg story
Saturday, March 21, 2009
UN: Gaza offensive "a war crime of the greatest magnitude"
...the Geneva Convention required forces at war to be able to distinguish between military targets and civilians. If that is not possible, then "launching the attacks is inherently unlawful".
The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories has said Israel's military offensive on Gaza "would seem to constitute a war crime of the greatest magnitude under international law".
Richard Falk called the 22-day bombardment a "massive assault on a densely populated urbanised setting", with the civilian population subjected to "an inhumane form of warfare that kills, maims and inflicts mental harm".
His findings were written in a report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday.
Islamic and African countries backed by China, Cuba and Russia have a majority in the 47-member forum.
Neither Israel nor US, its principal ally, are members.
Falk said the Geneva Convention required forces at war to be able to distinguish between military targets and civilians.
If that is not possible, then "launching the attacks is inherently unlawful".
Israel launched its offensive on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip in December saying it aimed to stop rocket fire by Hamas into southern Israel.
A ceasefire was declared on January 18 after the offensive left about 1,400 Palestinians dead, many of them women and children.
Three Israeli civilians and 10 soldiers were killed during the offensive.
read more | digg story
The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories has said Israel's military offensive on Gaza "would seem to constitute a war crime of the greatest magnitude under international law".
Richard Falk called the 22-day bombardment a "massive assault on a densely populated urbanised setting", with the civilian population subjected to "an inhumane form of warfare that kills, maims and inflicts mental harm".
His findings were written in a report submitted to the UN Human Rights Council on Thursday.
Islamic and African countries backed by China, Cuba and Russia have a majority in the 47-member forum.
Neither Israel nor US, its principal ally, are members.
Falk said the Geneva Convention required forces at war to be able to distinguish between military targets and civilians.
If that is not possible, then "launching the attacks is inherently unlawful".
Israel launched its offensive on the Hamas-run Gaza Strip in December saying it aimed to stop rocket fire by Hamas into southern Israel.
A ceasefire was declared on January 18 after the offensive left about 1,400 Palestinians dead, many of them women and children.
Three Israeli civilians and 10 soldiers were killed during the offensive.
read more | digg story
Israel bans Palestinian cultural events
Internal security minister instructs police to suppress any attempt to hold PA-sponsored events in framework of festivities marking declaration of Jerusalem as 'capital of Arab culture'; Nazareth mayor: Dichter competing with Lieberman's anti-Arab trend
Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter has signed a number of injunctions banning a series of events titled "Jerusalem, the capital of Arab culture," which were scheduled to be held Saturday in Jerusalem, Nazareth and in other parts of the country under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Dichter instructed Israel Police to "suppress any attempts by the PA to hold events in Jerusalem and throughout the rest of the country." According to the minister, the events would constitute a violation of the interim agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, which includes a clause that forbids the PA from organizing events in Israeli territory.
Mass police and Border Guard forces will be deployed in Jerusalem and Nazareth to enforce Dichter's order.
The festival was organized in the framework of a series of events held throughout the Arab world following the declaration of Jerusalem as the "Arab cultural capital in 2009." The festivities are expected to kick off in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
The festival was supposed to be held two months ago but was delayed due to Israel's military offensive in Gaza.
Nazareth Mayor Ramiz Jeraisi said in response to the ban that "I never thought they (Israeli authorities) would take it this far. After all, this is a cultural event."
read more digg story
Internal Security Minister Avi Dichter has signed a number of injunctions banning a series of events titled "Jerusalem, the capital of Arab culture," which were scheduled to be held Saturday in Jerusalem, Nazareth and in other parts of the country under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority (PA).
Dichter instructed Israel Police to "suppress any attempts by the PA to hold events in Jerusalem and throughout the rest of the country." According to the minister, the events would constitute a violation of the interim agreement between Israel and the Palestinians, which includes a clause that forbids the PA from organizing events in Israeli territory.
Mass police and Border Guard forces will be deployed in Jerusalem and Nazareth to enforce Dichter's order.
The festival was organized in the framework of a series of events held throughout the Arab world following the declaration of Jerusalem as the "Arab cultural capital in 2009." The festivities are expected to kick off in the West Bank city of Bethlehem.
The festival was supposed to be held two months ago but was delayed due to Israel's military offensive in Gaza.
Nazareth Mayor Ramiz Jeraisi said in response to the ban that "I never thought they (Israeli authorities) would take it this far. After all, this is a cultural event."
read more digg story
Israeli Soldier Says Rabbis Framed Gaza Mission as Religious
By Howard Schneider
Washington Post Foreign Service
JERUSALEM, March 20 -- A soldier involved in Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip said in published reports Friday that the military's rabbinical staff distributed material characterizing the operation as a religious mission to "get rid of the gentiles who disturb us from conquering the holy land."
In the second day of published accounts from soldiers critical of the conduct of the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza, the daily Maariv ran excerpts of an interview with a squad commander in Israel's Givati Brigade. He was identified only by his first name, given as Rahm.
The daily quoted him as saying that the Gaza operation from the beginning had "the feeling of almost a religious mission."
While military rabbis provided routine services -- such as distributing books of psalms and leading prayers at the start of the operation -- some religious materials veered in a political direction, he said.
"The military rabbinate brought many magazines and articles with a very clear message: 'We are the Jewish people, a miracle brought us to the land of Israel, God returned us to the land, and now we have to struggle so as to get rid of the gentiles who disturb us from conquering the holy land.' All the feeling throughout all this operation of many of the soldiers was of a war of religions," he said. "As a commander, I tried to explain that the war is not a war of Kiddush Hashem [the sanctification of God's name, including through martyrdom] but over the stopping of the launching of the Qassam rockets."
read more digg story
Washington Post Foreign Service
JERUSALEM, March 20 -- A soldier involved in Israel's recent military offensive in the Gaza Strip said in published reports Friday that the military's rabbinical staff distributed material characterizing the operation as a religious mission to "get rid of the gentiles who disturb us from conquering the holy land."
In the second day of published accounts from soldiers critical of the conduct of the Israel Defense Forces in Gaza, the daily Maariv ran excerpts of an interview with a squad commander in Israel's Givati Brigade. He was identified only by his first name, given as Rahm.
The daily quoted him as saying that the Gaza operation from the beginning had "the feeling of almost a religious mission."
While military rabbis provided routine services -- such as distributing books of psalms and leading prayers at the start of the operation -- some religious materials veered in a political direction, he said.
"The military rabbinate brought many magazines and articles with a very clear message: 'We are the Jewish people, a miracle brought us to the land of Israel, God returned us to the land, and now we have to struggle so as to get rid of the gentiles who disturb us from conquering the holy land.' All the feeling throughout all this operation of many of the soldiers was of a war of religions," he said. "As a commander, I tried to explain that the war is not a war of Kiddush Hashem [the sanctification of God's name, including through martyrdom] but over the stopping of the launching of the Qassam rockets."
read more digg story
Medical Marijuana Trial Draws Activists To Kitsap
The trial of an Washington man accused of exceeding the allowable limit for medical marijuana is finishing its second week, and is drawing attention from throughout the state.
Bruce Olson, 54, is an approved medical marijuana patient who has four ailments that qualify him for such treatment, according to an expert witness for the defense.
Still, Olson was charged with illegal possession of marijuana with the intent to sell when Kitsap County detectives found 48 plants in a growing operation in May 2007.
Both Olson and his wife are medical marijuana patients, but have faced the same distribution charge. The law about acceptable quantities of medical marijuana has been more strictly defined since Pamela Olson’s trial.
Pamela Olson is now serving probation, having pleaded out to avoid jail time. As part of her sentence, she is not using the medical marijuana that she claims is necessary to ease her pain.
The case has become a flashpoint for medical marijuana advocates, or what Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge characterizes as “a well-organized lobby whose purpose is to see the laws changed.”
Approximately two dozen people, mostly advocates or medical marijuana patients, are observing the trial and showing their support.
About 15 of them have taken residency in a local bed-and-breakfast, doubling up on rooms while they attend every minute of the trial.
One attendee, Ellen Van Bockern of Maple Valley, was attending for personal reasons, since she hoped to begin a grow operation for a sick friend.
“I want to grow marijuana legally,” she said. “If they get off, then I can start my own operation and help my friend.”
Attendees maintained the law was wrong, and that Olson was being singled out for special treatment. A common argument is that governments who prosecute these crimes are wasting taxpayer money.
“Kitsap County doesn’t have a lot of money,” said patient Steve Elliott, a Kingston resident.
“This prosecution is wasting money left and right. And if they are prosecuting Bruce, then they can come after me.”
read more digg story
Bruce Olson, 54, is an approved medical marijuana patient who has four ailments that qualify him for such treatment, according to an expert witness for the defense.
Still, Olson was charged with illegal possession of marijuana with the intent to sell when Kitsap County detectives found 48 plants in a growing operation in May 2007.
Both Olson and his wife are medical marijuana patients, but have faced the same distribution charge. The law about acceptable quantities of medical marijuana has been more strictly defined since Pamela Olson’s trial.
Pamela Olson is now serving probation, having pleaded out to avoid jail time. As part of her sentence, she is not using the medical marijuana that she claims is necessary to ease her pain.
The case has become a flashpoint for medical marijuana advocates, or what Kitsap County Prosecutor Russ Hauge characterizes as “a well-organized lobby whose purpose is to see the laws changed.”
Approximately two dozen people, mostly advocates or medical marijuana patients, are observing the trial and showing their support.
About 15 of them have taken residency in a local bed-and-breakfast, doubling up on rooms while they attend every minute of the trial.
One attendee, Ellen Van Bockern of Maple Valley, was attending for personal reasons, since she hoped to begin a grow operation for a sick friend.
“I want to grow marijuana legally,” she said. “If they get off, then I can start my own operation and help my friend.”
Attendees maintained the law was wrong, and that Olson was being singled out for special treatment. A common argument is that governments who prosecute these crimes are wasting taxpayer money.
“Kitsap County doesn’t have a lot of money,” said patient Steve Elliott, a Kingston resident.
“This prosecution is wasting money left and right. And if they are prosecuting Bruce, then they can come after me.”
read more digg story
Medical Marijuana Bill to be Introduced in PA Next Month
PHILADELPHIA. State Rep. Mark Cohen said Wednesday that he will introduce a bill as soon as next month to legalize medical marijuana in Pennsylvania.
Cohen said he decided to have the measure drafted after he was interviewed for a story in Wednesday's Metro about legalizing marijuana to help the city and state overcome budget problems and getting almost all positive responses on Facebook, PhillyBlog and elsewhere.
"It's easier when you have public support to get legislation through," said Cohen, who gave the bill a 50-50 shot of passing in the next few years. "I think it's something that has a good chance of being taken seriously in the Legislature."
Cohen said the bill will be modeled after the New Jersey Compassionate Medical Marijuana Act, which was passed by the New Jersey Senate last month. The state Assembly has yet to begin debating the measure, which Gov. Jon Corzine has said he would sign.
read more digg story
Cohen said he decided to have the measure drafted after he was interviewed for a story in Wednesday's Metro about legalizing marijuana to help the city and state overcome budget problems and getting almost all positive responses on Facebook, PhillyBlog and elsewhere.
"It's easier when you have public support to get legislation through," said Cohen, who gave the bill a 50-50 shot of passing in the next few years. "I think it's something that has a good chance of being taken seriously in the Legislature."
Cohen said the bill will be modeled after the New Jersey Compassionate Medical Marijuana Act, which was passed by the New Jersey Senate last month. The state Assembly has yet to begin debating the measure, which Gov. Jon Corzine has said he would sign.
read more digg story
Friday, March 20, 2009
Rethink Afghanistan (Part 2): Pakistan, the "Most Dangerous Country in the World"
Pakistan is in such a perilous state that Bruce Riedel, a foreign policy expert leading President Obama's Afghanistan review, has called it "the most dangerous country in the world today." Pakistan has nuclear weapons and a government disconnected from the poverty, malnutrition, and lack of healthcare afflicting its people. And though Pakistan remains a U.S. ally, tensions continue to rise as the U.S. considers broadening military strikes within Pakistan's borders. Part two of Rethink Afghanistan focuses on how the Afghanistan crisis affects Pakistan and all of us.
Technorati Tags: Rethink Afghanistan,afghanistan,Pakistan,video,Brave New Foundation,Robert Greenwald
More Troops + Afghanistan = Catastrophe (Full Video) - Rethink Afghanistan Part 1
In the video...
Andrew Bacevich is a professor of International Relations & History at Boston University. He has written several books, including The Limits of Power: The End of Military Exceptionalism and The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War.
Thomas J. Barfield is a professor of Anthropology at Boston University and the President of the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies.
Robert Pape is a professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago specializing in international security affairs. He is the author of Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism.
Carl Conetta is the Co-Director of the Project on Defense Alternatives.
Faiysal Alikhan is the Founder of the Foundation for Integrated Development Action. He chairs Pakistan’s International Chamber of Commerce Commission on Customs and Trade Regulation.
Stephen Kinzer is a foreign correspondent, writer, and the author of several books, including Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change from Hawaii to Iraq.
Shukria Barakzai is a member of the Afghan parliament and helped draft Afghanistan’s constitution. She is the founder and editor-in-chief of Aina–E–Zan (Women’s Mirror), a weekly newspaper for women in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Dr. Ramaza Bashardost is Afghanistan's former Planning Minister, a current member of parliament and an Independent candidate in the upcoming Presidential Election.
Mohammad Osman Tariq is president of the pro-democracy group the National Council for Peace and Democracy in Afghanistan. He was a Mujahid commander and fought against the Russians in the Soviet-Afghan war. His recent publication Tribal Security System in Southeast Afghanistan is available here.
Ruslan Aushev is a retired Lt. General in the Russian Army and is Chief of the Committee of Russian Afghan Veterans. He is a former president of Ingushetia.
Anand Gopal is Afghanistan Correspondent for the Christian Science Monitor.
More Troops + Afghanistan = Catastrophe (Full Video) - Rethink Afghanistan Part 1
Dispensers of Marijuana Find Relief in Policy Shift
LOS ANGELES — The air inside the Los Angeles Patients and Caregivers Group was pungent with the aroma of premium hydroponic marijuana, but the proprietor, Don Duncan, said on Thursday that he was breathing a bit easier.
A day before, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. had said that the federal authorities would no longer take action against medical marijuana dispensaries if they were in compliance with state and local laws.
While 13 states, including California, have laws allowing medical use of marijuana, they had not been recognized by the federal government. One of Mr. Duncan’s two marijuana dispensaries was a target, in 2007, of one of the scores of raids involving medical marijuana that the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted in Los Angeles during the Bush administration.
Mr. Duncan, a founder of Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group, said he was meeting with officials at City Hall at the time of the raid, trying to work out a local ordinance under Proposition 215, which allows the medical use of marijuana.
“I got a call and found out they smashed through our window and pried open the back door,” Mr. Duncan said. Since then, he has operated only one dispensary, fearing he could again be a target of the federal authorities.
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A day before, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. had said that the federal authorities would no longer take action against medical marijuana dispensaries if they were in compliance with state and local laws.
While 13 states, including California, have laws allowing medical use of marijuana, they had not been recognized by the federal government. One of Mr. Duncan’s two marijuana dispensaries was a target, in 2007, of one of the scores of raids involving medical marijuana that the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted in Los Angeles during the Bush administration.
Mr. Duncan, a founder of Americans for Safe Access, a medical marijuana advocacy group, said he was meeting with officials at City Hall at the time of the raid, trying to work out a local ordinance under Proposition 215, which allows the medical use of marijuana.
“I got a call and found out they smashed through our window and pried open the back door,” Mr. Duncan said. Since then, he has operated only one dispensary, fearing he could again be a target of the federal authorities.
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Legal pot debuts in Midwest
As Michigan's medical marijuana law takes full effect next month, sufferers of chronic pain and other ailments cheer while police predict problems
By Tim Jones - PAW PAW, Mich.—At first glance they look like old pals, maybe a bunch from the Rotary Club leisurely gabbing away over the hamburger special, making the waitress work overtime for her tip.
But these guys are different. Their eyes, their fidgeting and their restlessness betray a shared bond of chronic pain, sleepless nights, depression and a reliance on heavy-duty prescription drugs. Around this lunchtime table, they talk about the only thing that gives them a measure of peace, the only thing that, for perhaps a few hours, sets them free: marijuana.
They've been smoking or eating marijuana for years—privately and illegally. And now, because Michigan voters approved marijuana use for the treatment of certain serious maladies, Bob White soon will be able to get himself together in his Three Rivers home "without having to draw the shades."
Legalized medical marijuana is about to make its debut in Michigan, which becomes the 13th state and the first between the Rockies and the East Coast to embrace the controversial pain treatment. In a vote last November that defied the culture war/reefer madness connotation to the illegal drug, 63 percent of the state's voters—and a majority in every county—said yes to medical marijuana. The measure collected 250,000 more votes than Barack Obama, who won the state easily.
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By Tim Jones - PAW PAW, Mich.—At first glance they look like old pals, maybe a bunch from the Rotary Club leisurely gabbing away over the hamburger special, making the waitress work overtime for her tip.
But these guys are different. Their eyes, their fidgeting and their restlessness betray a shared bond of chronic pain, sleepless nights, depression and a reliance on heavy-duty prescription drugs. Around this lunchtime table, they talk about the only thing that gives them a measure of peace, the only thing that, for perhaps a few hours, sets them free: marijuana.
They've been smoking or eating marijuana for years—privately and illegally. And now, because Michigan voters approved marijuana use for the treatment of certain serious maladies, Bob White soon will be able to get himself together in his Three Rivers home "without having to draw the shades."
Legalized medical marijuana is about to make its debut in Michigan, which becomes the 13th state and the first between the Rockies and the East Coast to embrace the controversial pain treatment. In a vote last November that defied the culture war/reefer madness connotation to the illegal drug, 63 percent of the state's voters—and a majority in every county—said yes to medical marijuana. The measure collected 250,000 more votes than Barack Obama, who won the state easily.
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Olberman Special Comment: ENOUGH!
3/19/09 - In a Special Comment, Countdown’s Keith Olbermann expresses outrage at Wall Street over their continuing misuse of federal bailout money. Olbermann calls for the firing of bank executives and more stringent bank regulation.
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Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy
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Thursday, March 19, 2009
Marijuana Treatment: What the Feds Won’t Tell You
by Bruce Mirken
For years federal officials have been trying to scare Americans, especially parents, into believing that marijuana is dangerously addictive. Former drug czar John Walters loved to deploy frightening statistics, as when he told the Cincinnati Post in 2005, “Nationwide, the number of teens seeking treatment for marijuana abuse or dependency was higher than for all illegal drugs combined.”
But the latest federal report on drug treatment admissions, released this week, shows that the majority of those in treatment for alleged marijuana abuse or dependence didn’t seek treatment at all: They were forced into it.
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For years federal officials have been trying to scare Americans, especially parents, into believing that marijuana is dangerously addictive. Former drug czar John Walters loved to deploy frightening statistics, as when he told the Cincinnati Post in 2005, “Nationwide, the number of teens seeking treatment for marijuana abuse or dependency was higher than for all illegal drugs combined.”
But the latest federal report on drug treatment admissions, released this week, shows that the majority of those in treatment for alleged marijuana abuse or dependence didn’t seek treatment at all: They were forced into it.
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'Blame Dodd' Attacks Ignore Facts (Factcheck.org)
Some Republicans have been quick to blame Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd of Connecticut for allowing big bonus payments to AIG executives. They get the facts backward.
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Nation’s major newspapers ignore Iraq war’s 6th anniversary
Today marks six years since former President Bush launched the invasion of Iraq, yet the NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times, Wall Street Journal, & many other major American newspapers are ignoring the anniversary today. Only USA Today printed a story noting the anniversary of the invasion. Over 4,000 U.S. soldiers & 100,000 Iraqis have died.
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Paul Craig Roberts: The War on Terror is a Hoax
By PAUL CRAIG ROBERTS
According to US government propaganda, terrorist cells are spread throughout America, making it necessary for the government to spy on all Americans and violate most other constitutional protections. Among President Bush’s last words as he left office was the warning that America would soon be struck again by Muslim terrorists.
If America were infected with terrorists, we would not need the government to tell us. We would know it from events. As there are no events, the US government substitutes warnings in order to keep alive the fear that causes the public to accept pointless wars, the infringement of civil liberty, national ID cards, and inconveniences and harassments when they fly.
The most obvious indication that there are no terrorist cells is that not a single neocon has been assassinated.
I do not approve of assassinations, and am ashamed of my country’s government for engaging in political assassination. The US and Israel have set a very bad example for al Qaeda to follow.
The US deals with al Qaeda and Taliban by assassinating their leaders, and Israel deals with Hamas by assassinating its leaders. It is reasonable to assume that al Qaeda would deal with the instigators and leaders of America’s wars in the Middle East in the same way.
Today every al Qaeda member is aware of the complicity of neoconservatives in the death and devastation inflicted on Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Gaza. Moreover, neocons are highly visible and are soft targets compared to Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. Neocons have been identified in the media for years, and as everyone knows, multiple listings of their names are available online.
Neocons do not have Secret Service protection. Dreadful to contemplate, but it would be child’s play for al Qaeda to assassinate any and every neocon. Yet, neocons move around freely, a good indication that the US does not have a terrorist problem.
If, as neocons constantly allege, terrorists can smuggle nuclear weapons or dirty bombs into the US with which to wreak havoc upon our cities, terrorists can acquire weapons with which to assassinate any neocon or former government official.
Yet, the neocons, who are the Americans most hated by Muslims, remain unscathed.
The “war on terror” is a hoax that fronts for American control of oil pipelines, the profits of the military-security complex, the assault on civil liberty by fomenters of a police state, and Israel’s territorial expansion.
read more digg story
According to US government propaganda, terrorist cells are spread throughout America, making it necessary for the government to spy on all Americans and violate most other constitutional protections. Among President Bush’s last words as he left office was the warning that America would soon be struck again by Muslim terrorists.
If America were infected with terrorists, we would not need the government to tell us. We would know it from events. As there are no events, the US government substitutes warnings in order to keep alive the fear that causes the public to accept pointless wars, the infringement of civil liberty, national ID cards, and inconveniences and harassments when they fly.
The most obvious indication that there are no terrorist cells is that not a single neocon has been assassinated.
I do not approve of assassinations, and am ashamed of my country’s government for engaging in political assassination. The US and Israel have set a very bad example for al Qaeda to follow.
The US deals with al Qaeda and Taliban by assassinating their leaders, and Israel deals with Hamas by assassinating its leaders. It is reasonable to assume that al Qaeda would deal with the instigators and leaders of America’s wars in the Middle East in the same way.
Today every al Qaeda member is aware of the complicity of neoconservatives in the death and devastation inflicted on Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon and Gaza. Moreover, neocons are highly visible and are soft targets compared to Hamas and Hezbollah leaders. Neocons have been identified in the media for years, and as everyone knows, multiple listings of their names are available online.
Neocons do not have Secret Service protection. Dreadful to contemplate, but it would be child’s play for al Qaeda to assassinate any and every neocon. Yet, neocons move around freely, a good indication that the US does not have a terrorist problem.
If, as neocons constantly allege, terrorists can smuggle nuclear weapons or dirty bombs into the US with which to wreak havoc upon our cities, terrorists can acquire weapons with which to assassinate any neocon or former government official.
Yet, the neocons, who are the Americans most hated by Muslims, remain unscathed.
The “war on terror” is a hoax that fronts for American control of oil pipelines, the profits of the military-security complex, the assault on civil liberty by fomenters of a police state, and Israel’s territorial expansion.
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Soldier suicides skyrocket
But a tepid Senate hearing on Wednesday, with no testimony from lower-ranking combat troops from Iraq or Afghanistan, does little to explain why.
By Mark Benjamin - March 19, 2009 WASHINGTON -- The Senate Armed Services Committee hearings Wednesday on the rising suicide rate among U.S. ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan revealed some frightening new data, but did little to investigate the underlying causes of what is emerging as one of the darkest, most disturbing legacies of the wars.
Last year the Army had its highest suicide rate on record -- 140 soldiers. But new data from the Army on Wednesday showed the number jumping even higher. Forty-eight soldiers have already killed themselves so far this year. If that rate keeps up, nearly 225 Army soldiers will be dead by their own hand by the end of 2009.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., called the latest trends "alarming." Army Vice Chief of Staff Peter Chiarelli admitted, "I, and the other senior leaders of our Army, readily acknowledge that these current figures are unacceptable."
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By Mark Benjamin - March 19, 2009 WASHINGTON -- The Senate Armed Services Committee hearings Wednesday on the rising suicide rate among U.S. ground troops in Iraq and Afghanistan revealed some frightening new data, but did little to investigate the underlying causes of what is emerging as one of the darkest, most disturbing legacies of the wars.
Last year the Army had its highest suicide rate on record -- 140 soldiers. But new data from the Army on Wednesday showed the number jumping even higher. Forty-eight soldiers have already killed themselves so far this year. If that rate keeps up, nearly 225 Army soldiers will be dead by their own hand by the end of 2009.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., called the latest trends "alarming." Army Vice Chief of Staff Peter Chiarelli admitted, "I, and the other senior leaders of our Army, readily acknowledge that these current figures are unacceptable."
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Jon Stewart to Dick Cheney: 'Shut the f**k up'
Still overcome with incredulity over former Vice President Dick Cheney’s interview on Sunday with CNN, The Daily Show’s Jon Stewart couldn’t resist Tuesday night taking a couple of shots at some of the eye-brow raising statements made.
By David Edwards and Rachel Oswald - In his interview with CNN’s John King, Cheney said of President Obama’s national security policies, “He’s making some choices that in my mind, will in fact, raise the risk to the American people of another attack.”
Noting that Cheney no longer can truly know what he is talking about as he no longer receives daily intelligence briefings, Stewart indignantly said, “Maybe I could interest you in a hot cup of shut the f**k up.”
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By David Edwards and Rachel Oswald - In his interview with CNN’s John King, Cheney said of President Obama’s national security policies, “He’s making some choices that in my mind, will in fact, raise the risk to the American people of another attack.”
Noting that Cheney no longer can truly know what he is talking about as he no longer receives daily intelligence briefings, Stewart indignantly said, “Maybe I could interest you in a hot cup of shut the f**k up.”
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Israeli soldiers admit 'murdering' Gazans
"Israeli soldiers have confessed to wanton killing of Palestinian civilians and behaving immorally during the Operation Cast Lead in Gaza."
By Press TV - The soldiers who fought in the Gaza war told a post-operation conference that they had killed Palestinian civilians and intentionally destroyed their property under permissive rules of engagement.
"When we entered a house, we were supposed to bust down the door and start shooting inside and just go up story by story... I call that murder. Each story, if we identify a person, we shoot them. I asked myself - how is this reasonable?", an Israeli soldier said.
The testimonies includes killing of a Palestinian mother and her two children by an Israeli sharpshooter and the case of an elderly Palestinian woman who was killed as she was walking 100 meters (yards) from her home.
"We had taken over the house" and the family was released and told to go right. A mother and two children got confused and went left. "The sniper on the roof wasn't told that this was okay and that he shouldn't shoot", a soldier said.
"I don't know whether she was suspicious, not suspicious, I don't know her story. . . I do know that my officer sent people to the roof in order to take her out" It was cold-blooded murder."
Their testimony contradicts the Israel Defense Forces' claims that its troops had "observed a high level of moral behavior during the operation".
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By Press TV - The soldiers who fought in the Gaza war told a post-operation conference that they had killed Palestinian civilians and intentionally destroyed their property under permissive rules of engagement.
"When we entered a house, we were supposed to bust down the door and start shooting inside and just go up story by story... I call that murder. Each story, if we identify a person, we shoot them. I asked myself - how is this reasonable?", an Israeli soldier said.
The testimonies includes killing of a Palestinian mother and her two children by an Israeli sharpshooter and the case of an elderly Palestinian woman who was killed as she was walking 100 meters (yards) from her home.
"We had taken over the house" and the family was released and told to go right. A mother and two children got confused and went left. "The sniper on the roof wasn't told that this was okay and that he shouldn't shoot", a soldier said.
"I don't know whether she was suspicious, not suspicious, I don't know her story. . . I do know that my officer sent people to the roof in order to take her out" It was cold-blooded murder."
Their testimony contradicts the Israel Defense Forces' claims that its troops had "observed a high level of moral behavior during the operation".
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German 'FDA' permits medicinal marijuana for the first time
From What's up in Deutschland? -
German doctors have fought hard for years to get marijuana legalized as a medicine to help their terminally ill patients, suffering from multiple sclerosis, cancer or HIV to obtain their medicine legally.
After a lot of good news about the U.S. loosening the ties on medicinal marijuana, Germany now slowly recedes from its' conservative attitude towards the medicinal use of marijuana.
For the first time, the German 'Bundesopiumstelle' has given permission to 7 patients enabling them to buy and consume medicinal marijuana.
"We are possibly able to help some patients with Cannabis", Winfried Kleinert, the head of the Bundesopiumstelle, said. "There is a big number of case series that indicate a positive effect."
Franjo Grotenhermen, the chairman of "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Cannabis als Medizin" (Association Medicinal Cannabis) confirmes that. For years he has been committed to help patients who need cannabis as a medicine to get out of illegality and he often has received reports of the beneficial effect of cannabis. "Those people are severely ill and don't respond to conventional treatments."
Grotenhermen and Kleinert see opportunities for application especially for people with chronic pains, multiple sclerosis, tourette syndrom, cancer and HIV.
read more digg story
German doctors have fought hard for years to get marijuana legalized as a medicine to help their terminally ill patients, suffering from multiple sclerosis, cancer or HIV to obtain their medicine legally.
After a lot of good news about the U.S. loosening the ties on medicinal marijuana, Germany now slowly recedes from its' conservative attitude towards the medicinal use of marijuana.
For the first time, the German 'Bundesopiumstelle' has given permission to 7 patients enabling them to buy and consume medicinal marijuana.
"We are possibly able to help some patients with Cannabis", Winfried Kleinert, the head of the Bundesopiumstelle, said. "There is a big number of case series that indicate a positive effect."
Franjo Grotenhermen, the chairman of "Arbeitsgemeinschaft Cannabis als Medizin" (Association Medicinal Cannabis) confirmes that. For years he has been committed to help patients who need cannabis as a medicine to get out of illegality and he often has received reports of the beneficial effect of cannabis. "Those people are severely ill and don't respond to conventional treatments."
Grotenhermen and Kleinert see opportunities for application especially for people with chronic pains, multiple sclerosis, tourette syndrom, cancer and HIV.
read more digg story
Attorney General Signals Shift In Marijuana Policy
Attorney General Eric Holder has signaled a change in policy on medical marijuana.
NPR.org, March 18, 2009 · Attorney General Eric Holder signaled a change in medical marijuana policy Wednesday, saying federal agents will target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state law.
That would be a departure from the Bush administration, which targeted medical marijuana dispensaries in California even if they complied with that state's law.
"The policy is to go after those people who violate both federal and state law," Holder said in a question-and-answer session with reporters at the Justice Department.
California law permits the sale of marijuana for medical purposes, though it still is against federal law.
Holder did not spell out exactly who no longer would face the prospect of raids by the Drug Enforcement Administration. But he was quick to add that law enforcement officers will target anyone who tries to "use medical marijuana laws as a shield" for illegal activity.
"Given the limited resources that we have, our focus will be on people, organizations that are growing, cultivating substantial amounts of marijuana and doing so in a way that's inconsistent with federal and state law," the attorney general said.
Advocates and government officials had been waiting since President Obama was sworn into office for a clear signal on what the new president's drug policy would be toward medical marijuana. As a candidate, he repeatedly promised a change in policy in situations in which state laws allow the use of medical marijuana.
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NPR.org, March 18, 2009 · Attorney General Eric Holder signaled a change in medical marijuana policy Wednesday, saying federal agents will target marijuana distributors only when they violate both federal and state law.
That would be a departure from the Bush administration, which targeted medical marijuana dispensaries in California even if they complied with that state's law.
"The policy is to go after those people who violate both federal and state law," Holder said in a question-and-answer session with reporters at the Justice Department.
California law permits the sale of marijuana for medical purposes, though it still is against federal law.
Holder did not spell out exactly who no longer would face the prospect of raids by the Drug Enforcement Administration. But he was quick to add that law enforcement officers will target anyone who tries to "use medical marijuana laws as a shield" for illegal activity.
"Given the limited resources that we have, our focus will be on people, organizations that are growing, cultivating substantial amounts of marijuana and doing so in a way that's inconsistent with federal and state law," the attorney general said.
Advocates and government officials had been waiting since President Obama was sworn into office for a clear signal on what the new president's drug policy would be toward medical marijuana. As a candidate, he repeatedly promised a change in policy in situations in which state laws allow the use of medical marijuana.
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Obama admin. to reverse Bush stance at UN on gay rights
The Associated Press has learned that the Obama administration will sign a U.N. declaration calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality that President George W. Bush had refused to endorse.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Wednesday formally endorsed a U.N. statement calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, a measure that former President George W. Bush had refused to sign.
The move was the administration's latest in reversing Bush-era decisions that have been heavily criticized by human rights and other groups. The United States was the only western nation not to sign onto the declaration when it came up at the U.N. General Assembly in December."
The United States supports the U.N.'s statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity and is pleased to join the other 66 U.N. member states who have declared their support of the statement," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.
"The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world," Wood told reporters. "As such, we join with other supporters of this statement, and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora."
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WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Wednesday formally endorsed a U.N. statement calling for the worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality, a measure that former President George W. Bush had refused to sign.
The move was the administration's latest in reversing Bush-era decisions that have been heavily criticized by human rights and other groups. The United States was the only western nation not to sign onto the declaration when it came up at the U.N. General Assembly in December."
The United States supports the U.N.'s statement on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity and is pleased to join the other 66 U.N. member states who have declared their support of the statement," said State Department spokesman Robert Wood.
"The United States is an outspoken defender of human rights and critic of human rights abuses around the world," Wood told reporters. "As such, we join with other supporters of this statement, and we will continue to remind countries of the importance of respecting the human rights of all people in all appropriate international fora."
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Colin Powell’s former chief of staff: Cheney is "EVIL"
Wow, people are finally admitting the truth. That's all well and good but I would feel alot better if Dick Cheney and George W. Bush were brought up on war crimes and all other crimes they've committed!
By Ali Frick - Weeks after President Obama was inaugurated, Dick Cheney gave an interview to Politico slamming Obama’s detainee policies and warning that he was making America less safe (charges he repeated again last Sunday). Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell’s former chief of staff who left the Bush administration in protest, wrote an essay on the Washington Note last evening slamming Cheney’s fearmongering. Wilkerson calls Cheney “evil” and says his detainee policies were only “assisting” terrorists:
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Why is medical marijuana still against the law?
By Adriana Stuijt - Paul Armentano, deputy director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, writes that this decade, medical marijuana has gone from the fringe to the mainstream. So why is it still against the law?
He writes: "This is the 10-year anniversary of the publication of the Institute of Medicine’s landmark study on medical cannabis: “Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.” see Also see and also Canada use here
"When the White House commissioned this report in response to the passage of California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996, many in the mainstream media, and many more lawmakers, were skeptical about marijuana’s potential therapeutic value.
"The publication of the Institute of Medicine’s findings — which concluded that cannabis possessed medicinal properties to control pain and nausea, and to stimulate appetite — provided the issue with long-overdue credibility, and began in earnest a political discourse that continues today.
"So what have we learned in the ten years following the release of this groundbreaking study? We’ve affirmed that the use of medical marijuana can be used remarkably safely and effectively. see
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He writes: "This is the 10-year anniversary of the publication of the Institute of Medicine’s landmark study on medical cannabis: “Marijuana and Medicine: Assessing the Science Base.” see Also see and also Canada use here
"When the White House commissioned this report in response to the passage of California’s Compassionate Use Act of 1996, many in the mainstream media, and many more lawmakers, were skeptical about marijuana’s potential therapeutic value.
"The publication of the Institute of Medicine’s findings — which concluded that cannabis possessed medicinal properties to control pain and nausea, and to stimulate appetite — provided the issue with long-overdue credibility, and began in earnest a political discourse that continues today.
"So what have we learned in the ten years following the release of this groundbreaking study? We’ve affirmed that the use of medical marijuana can be used remarkably safely and effectively. see
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Obama To Overturn Major Bush-Era Marijuana Ruling
By Katie Sanders - The White House wants to review Bush's order to shut down a UMass scientist's pot-growing operation. The research, which a DEA judge ruled to allow more than two years ago, would build the medical case for marijuana.
Days before President Bush left office in January, his administration fired a parting shot at Professor Lyle Craker's eight-year quest to cultivate marijuana for medical research by abruptly denying him a federal license despite a nearly two-year old Drug Enforcement Administration law judge's recommendation that he receive one.
But the new administration led by President Obama, who has publicly backed the use of marijuana for medical purposes to stave off pain, might reverse the decision and keep Craker's license application from going up in smoke.
A source familiar with the case said the White House will likely demand that the decision be reviewed.
"Basically they want to do an autopsy of what occurred and have it go through a proper review," the source said.
Craker, who is based at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, is cautiously optimistic Obama will do to the denial of the marijuana license what he has done to other Bush administration decisions on such hot-button cultural issues as embryonic stem-cell research and the abortion "gag rule" affecting overseas family planning groups.
"Obama has indicated that he's for science over politics," Craker said in an interview. "And I certainly feel the situation we have currently is politics over science."
Just last week, Obama called for the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to "develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision making."
"The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions," Obama wrote. "Public officials should not suppress or alter scientific or technological findings and conclusions."
On the issue of medicinal marijuana, Obama said at a November 2007 campaign stop in Iowa that he was open to allowing its use if it is what science and physicians suggest would be the best way to ease suffering.
"There's no difference between that and morphine when it comes to just giving people relief to pain," Obama said then.
read more digg story
Days before President Bush left office in January, his administration fired a parting shot at Professor Lyle Craker's eight-year quest to cultivate marijuana for medical research by abruptly denying him a federal license despite a nearly two-year old Drug Enforcement Administration law judge's recommendation that he receive one.
But the new administration led by President Obama, who has publicly backed the use of marijuana for medical purposes to stave off pain, might reverse the decision and keep Craker's license application from going up in smoke.
A source familiar with the case said the White House will likely demand that the decision be reviewed.
"Basically they want to do an autopsy of what occurred and have it go through a proper review," the source said.
Craker, who is based at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, is cautiously optimistic Obama will do to the denial of the marijuana license what he has done to other Bush administration decisions on such hot-button cultural issues as embryonic stem-cell research and the abortion "gag rule" affecting overseas family planning groups.
"Obama has indicated that he's for science over politics," Craker said in an interview. "And I certainly feel the situation we have currently is politics over science."
Just last week, Obama called for the head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy to "develop a strategy for restoring scientific integrity to government decision making."
"The public must be able to trust the science and scientific process informing public policy decisions," Obama wrote. "Public officials should not suppress or alter scientific or technological findings and conclusions."
On the issue of medicinal marijuana, Obama said at a November 2007 campaign stop in Iowa that he was open to allowing its use if it is what science and physicians suggest would be the best way to ease suffering.
"There's no difference between that and morphine when it comes to just giving people relief to pain," Obama said then.
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The case for a domestic marijuana industry
Like it or not, marijuana is a massive industry. One hundred million Americans admit to government survey-takers that they've used it, with nearly 15 million acknowledging use in the past month. That's a huge market -- exceeding the number of Americans who will buy a new car or truck this year, or who bought one last year.
The only way to stop drug gangs is to end their monopoly on production.
By Aaron Houston
Violence in Mexico is getting worse by the day. There are reports of beheadings, killings in the several thousands, and an environment of fear that makes it impossible for Mexican officials to do their work. The country's very stability may be threatened.
It's time to put an end to U.S. policies that subsidize these murderous drug gangs. The first step, as a growing chorus of voices is arguing, is to end the quixotic policy of prohibition, a proven failure. But the United States can do even better; by empowering a domestic marijuana industry, the United States would squeeze Mexican cartels' profits, cutting off the financial lifeline that sustains organized narcocrime.
According to U.S. and Mexican officials, some 60 percent of the profits that fuel Mexican narcotrafficking come from just one drug: marijuana. Although such estimates are inherently imprecise, there is no doubt that marijuana is the cash cow that makes these gangs the powerful, dangerous force they are -- both in Mexico and in the 230 U.S. cities where cartels are thought to operate. The chief of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Mexico and Central America Section recently told the New York Times that marijuana is the "king crop" for Mexican cartels, because it "consistently sustains its marketability and profitability."
Last November, the U.S. Joint Forces Command warned in its "Joint Operating Environment" report that Mexico "bear[s] consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse" due to drug cartel violence. Some critics saw the report as unduly dire, but at a minimum, as outgoing CIA Director Michael Hayden warned, drug cartels "threaten ... the well-being of the Mexican people and the Mexican state." A further increase in instability would constitute a national security and humanitarian crisis on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. For now, there is no end in sight to the worsening violence and no adequate plan to address it.
This appalling situation is not just happenstance. It is the direct result of prohibitionist U.S. policies.
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The only way to stop drug gangs is to end their monopoly on production.
By Aaron Houston
Violence in Mexico is getting worse by the day. There are reports of beheadings, killings in the several thousands, and an environment of fear that makes it impossible for Mexican officials to do their work. The country's very stability may be threatened.
It's time to put an end to U.S. policies that subsidize these murderous drug gangs. The first step, as a growing chorus of voices is arguing, is to end the quixotic policy of prohibition, a proven failure. But the United States can do even better; by empowering a domestic marijuana industry, the United States would squeeze Mexican cartels' profits, cutting off the financial lifeline that sustains organized narcocrime.
According to U.S. and Mexican officials, some 60 percent of the profits that fuel Mexican narcotrafficking come from just one drug: marijuana. Although such estimates are inherently imprecise, there is no doubt that marijuana is the cash cow that makes these gangs the powerful, dangerous force they are -- both in Mexico and in the 230 U.S. cities where cartels are thought to operate. The chief of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration's Mexico and Central America Section recently told the New York Times that marijuana is the "king crop" for Mexican cartels, because it "consistently sustains its marketability and profitability."
Last November, the U.S. Joint Forces Command warned in its "Joint Operating Environment" report that Mexico "bear[s] consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse" due to drug cartel violence. Some critics saw the report as unduly dire, but at a minimum, as outgoing CIA Director Michael Hayden warned, drug cartels "threaten ... the well-being of the Mexican people and the Mexican state." A further increase in instability would constitute a national security and humanitarian crisis on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border. For now, there is no end in sight to the worsening violence and no adequate plan to address it.
This appalling situation is not just happenstance. It is the direct result of prohibitionist U.S. policies.
read more digg story
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