Frank Rich, writer-at-large for New York Magazine
Neill Franklin, former Maryland narcotics police officer, executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
And here's executive producer Bill Wolff, with a look at tonight's show:
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Video: Media not unscathed by week's scandal frenzy
Video: Russian spy games conducted with theatrical flourish
Video: New conditions open possible move of Yemenis from Guantanamo
Video: Series of heists sets the mood for mystery
Video: Word nerds issue call for etymological help
Video: What tonight’s show is all about
Video: American ingenuity sometimes the best steward of freedom
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Someone's been drinking Krazy Koch Koolaid.
Republican political behavior was so bad this year that even republicans refused to vote for any republican candidates.
What are the odds that 100% of people in areas with voter suppression remained totally sane throughout this election?
In re Frank Rich interview, a draft is needed. If we have a draft (turn 18, automatic 2-year commitment), we'll see how long the war, or any war, lasts.
John Kerry stated years ago, “I am convinced a volunteer army would be an army of the poor and the black and the brown...."
However he meant it, it's accurate of today's volunteer force. There are very few pols whose children are invested in the military. This war would have been ended with a swiftness had many of the monied and privileged people had skin in the game.
Having spent 11 years in the air force, none of my fellow airmen came from privilege. We all came from a variety of cultural, educational, religious backgrounds for disparate reasons. Mine was to "see the world," not because I had any special desire to "serve my country" although that was the byproduct of my enlistment.
When the likes of the chickenhawks have relatives serving and dying, only then will we see the war's conclusion.
BTW, I believe the current Selective Service Law takes 20 year old men first, then 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 year old men before drafting 19 and finally 18 year old men.
And the criteria to serve should be (and likely will be) if you could manage to drive to the draft board meeting, you are fit to serve and drive an ammunition truck for Uncle Sam. No student deferments and no exclusive National Guard units for the prep school crowd.
oops
I want someone to show how much revenue this would bring and I feel it's a butt load and as mentioned it would remove the black market element of this issue that does make it violent. Its not the substace, its the illegal money to be gained by gangs that make it violent, and legalizatiojn would most likely remove that. On top of that the revenue generated could go to the state and help infrastucture and serve to help fund treatment for those on truely distructive druge ie;crystle ,ice or heroin. Bottom line is the possiblities for so much good is there if we do allow this to be enacted.
Drug war costs:
And #1: the active ingredient in cannabis can cure cancer.
Those Cotton Pickin' Drug Wars - Drug Games !
“Chick, Chick ! Come quick !” Ma Mockingbird squawked at her eldest
son, Chick Mockingbird.
“What is it, Ma ?”
“It’s Pa ! It’s your Pa
! Someone threw him on a smoker or he’s goin’ up in flames by spontaneous
combustion !”
Pa Mockingbird coughed on thick smoke swirling from his
wide open beak. “Hold onto your tail-feathers, Ma. I am not spontaneously
combustin’, and I am the smoker. I’m smoking’ grapevine.”
“What
?” Ma Mockingbird exclaimed. “Grapevine ?! And just where did you get the fire
to light that dad burn grapevine with, Pa ?”
“Why from some human
young’uns down below. They were smokin’ grapevine and got caught by some older
human. Sounded like their Pa. The older human yelled at the young’uns, and told
them to get straight home, and go to their rooms. He grounded ’em. Those
young’uns won’t be flyin’ out of the Nest any time soon,” Pa Mockingbird
chuckled and choked.
“If the Pa human told the young’uns that smokin’
grapevine’s no good for ‘em, then why are you smoking’ that vine ?” Ma
Mockingbird demanded. “Why are you behaving’ like a bird-brain ?”
“I’m no
run of the mill bird-brain, Ma. I’m experimentin’. I wanna know what all the
fuss is about. (wheeze, cough) I wanna know why the Humans are so willin’ to get
into so much trouble over somethin’ everyone says is so bad for ’em. (cough,
wheeze) Where’s that hollowed out pecan shell I was drinkin’ water out of ? It’s
getting’ so smokey my eyes are tearin’ up. I can barely see a
thing.”
“You old Fool,” Ma Mockingbird sputtered, as she winged Pa’s
water over to him. “What are you teachin’ your son ?”
“Curiosity is a
good thing, Ma,” Pa Mockingbird retorted. “I’m teachin’ Chick not to fear his
Curiosity or his adventurous thirst for Knowledge. (cough, wheeze)”
“I
agree with those Life Lessons, but willingly fillin’ your lungs with smoke is
not a Life‘s Lesson I would choose to teach him. We’ve been caught in wild fires
before, Pa. I didn’t notice you stickin’ around to inhale your Curiosity then,”
Ma Mockingbird said sarcastically. “Why are you so Curious about what Humans
smoke anyway ?”
Chick Mockingbird was wisely keeping his beak shut. He
knew better than to get between his Ma and Pa’s arguing.
Pa Mockingbird,
coughed out his last puff of smoke. “Alright, alright, Ma. I’m done smokin’ that
stinkin’ weed anyway. As for why I was Curious about it, you can blame the
Humans.
“Are you gonna blame the Humans for everything, Pa ?’ Ma
Mockingbird harrumphed.
“No, not everything. Anyhow, I overheard the
Human Dominoes Gang talkin’ about the Drug Wars. They were arguin’ about all of
the Cotton Pickin’ Drugs that Humans consume, and the Drug Games all of the
Humans play with one another so that they can ‘get high‘ on Drugs, Money and
Power.”
“How do Humans consume these things called Drugs, Money and
Power, Pa? Other than smokin’ and chokin’ themselves silly, “ Ma Mockingbird
queried.
“Well, Ma, I recollect that the Humans drink a Drug they call
Alcohol, they smoke somethin’ called Tobacco, Mary Jane, and Crack, they inject
Horse, snort Coke, and oh yeah, they even eat some of their Drugs. They eat Mary
Jane in chocolate brownies and munch on Cow Patty Mushrooms.”
“Cow Patty
Mushrooms ?” Ma Mockingbird wrinkled her beak in distaste.
“Yep, you
heard me right, Ma.”
“Why do these strange Drugs cause War
?”
“Well, it appears that the folks along the southern border states of
America are at War with somethin’ they call Drug Cartels from different
countries down further South. The Human Dominoes Gang is really upset about
these Drug Cartels sneakin’ Drugs illegally into some place they called ‘the
rest of America and the World’.”
“Pa, what’s wrong with you ? Your eyes
just crossed and your wobblin’ all around on your limb. If you’re not careful
you’ll fall right off of your perch.” Chick interjected.
“Why Chick, I
think I’m experiencin’ what the Humans call “a high”.
“Well, Pa, yes, we
are high up in this old pecan tree, but we’re Mockingbirds. We’re almost always
perched high,” Chick offered.
No, son, I mean high off of this grapevine
I’ve been huffin’ and puffin’ on. Lord knows, I’ll never do that again. I feel
downright dizzy and queasy. In fact, I feel those grub worms I ate for breakfast
this mornin’ crawlin’ back up my craw.”
“I think I’ll just lean against
the bark of this ‘ole pecan tree while we chew the fat.” Pa Mockingbird stumbled
from his perch, and staggered into the trunk of the tree landing soundly on his
bottom with his legs straddled wide.
“Why are the Drug Cartels so bad, Pa
?” Ma Mockingbird persisted.
“Because according to the Human Dominoes
Gang they’re violent, Ma. Mean, violent and greedy. Hungry for somethin’ they
call Power. Power they buy with little pieces of paper called Money. And they’ll
do whatever they feel they have to, to get it and hang onto it.” Pa Mockingbird
got up onto his feet and leaned against the pecan tree. “There, that’s
better.”
“The Human Dominoes Gang said that the Drug Cartels shoot and
blow other Humans to smithereens. They even chop Human heads off of their
corpses to scare the feathers off of other Humans. Just like the Hunters do to
the coyotes in these parts to send a message.”
“Humans don’t have
feathers, Pa.” Ma Mockingbird sighed. “They’re mammals. They’re covered with
hair.”
“Well, excuse me.” Pa quipped querulously. “I stand corrected.
They chop the heads, and other body parts, off of Humans to scare the hair right
off of the hide of other Humans who might want to tattle on ’em or stand against
them.”
“Let’s get back to this Drug Cartel War thing you heard the Human
Dominoes Gang talkin’ about, Pa.”
“Oh there’s more than just Drug
Cartels, Ma. There’s Drug Pushers and Drug Users as well. Human Society is at
War with all of ‘em.” Pa Mockingbird declared.
“But I see lots of Humans
drinkin’ somethin’ they call Beer and smokin’ fire sticks they call Cigarettes
all of the time, Pa.”
“Well, now, Ma, Alcohol and Cigarettes are called
Legal Drugs. It appears that Humans have decided that some Drugs are Legal and
others are not.”
“Why, that’s just ridiculous ! What’s the difference
between them and all of the other Drugs you mentioned ? They’re all Drugs that
can do harm to Others aren’t they ?”
“Got me, Ma. But that’s the way the
Humans look at it.”
“Humans certainly are a peculiar species of animal.
They are truly some very strange and perplexin’ creatures,“ Ma Mockingbird shook
her head in questioning disbelief.
“That’s a Fact Exactual, Ma,” Pa
Mockingbird agreed.
“From what I’ve observed, Pa, all of the Drugs used
by the Humans can do harm Physically, Psychologically and Socially when they’re
not used in Moderation.”
“Moderation is the Key. Why, if I flew around
eatin’ big, fat, earthworms all day long, I’d be so fat I couldn’t get my rear
off of the ground. I’d be grounded. I’d be fair game for every Predator in these
woods. Drug Cartels sound like Predators to me.”
“Yes, Moderation or
Abstinence are the Keys to everything we Do in Life - Bird and Human alike.
That’s just plain Common Sense.”
“Why, it’s just pure hypocrisy to
declare one Drug Legal over another one. They’re all potentially very dangerous
and destructive.”
“Why do Humans say that one Drug is more Legal than
another Drug, Pa ?”
Well, Ma, once again it’s all about that thing they
call EmPowerment and the Money that they think buys it. The Humans in Power
decide where the Money is going to be spent. They tell other Humans in Power
which Drugs are Legal and which are not, and pay them off in different ways in
order to make sure that they see things their way.”
“The Human Dominoes
Gang said that the Alcohol and Cigarette Empowered and Monied Humans lobby other
Humans who work in a Big White House to make sure that their Drugs are the only
Legal Drugs, because they don‘t like something called Competition with the other
Drugs.”
“The Alcohol and Cigarette Drug Humans don’t want the other Drugs
to be made Legal, because they’ll have to share and lose Money and
Power.”
“The Alcohol and Cigarette Drug Humans Tax and Sell the Legal
Drugs in Legal Stores all over America. But the Drug Cartels and Pushers sell
Illegal Drugs on the sly creatin’ something called a Black Market or a’
Underground Market.”
“Inside this Black Market that‘s Underground, that
all of the Humans are aware of and agree exists, the Humans make, move, push,
sell and use all of their Illegal Drugs to their Hearts and Pocketbooks
delight.”
“And the Court Systems, Legal Systems and Prison Systems get
rich and profit off of the poor Drug Users who get caught, because the Drug
Usin’ Humans are transformed into Criminals the minute they smoke, sniff, snort,
inject or eat the Illegal Drugs that everyone knows exist and move in and out of
the country like ticks on the back of a’ ole’ hound dog.”
“Are you sure
you heard the Humans right, Pa ?”
“Sure am, Ma.”
“Then it appears
to me that the most common sensical thing to do is for the Humans to do a better
job of teaching their young Fledglings about the dangers and realities of
Drugs.”
“The Human Parents, Schools, Churches and Leaders need to teach
their Children better Self Control and Self Worth. Teach them about Moderation
Self Restraint and Self and Social Responsibility.”
“Then take the
things they call Power and Money out of the Drug Cartels and Drug Business by
Legalizing all Drugs. Sell all Drugs in the Legal Stores. Tax all of the Drugs
so that the Money and Power from Drug Use and Drug Users benefits Society at
large, pays for all of the Healthcare issues the Drugs will probably create for
some of the Humans, and makes Money for and EmPowers all of Human Society as a
Whole.”
“Instead of Making Drug Users Social Outcasts and Failures, and
the Drug Makers and Drug Pushers wealthy and powerful Businessmen, they should
EmPower all Humans by allowing them to have the Freedom and Liberty to make
their own decisions about what they do with their Minds, Bodies and
Lives.”
“After a while the mean and violent Drug Cartels will just fizzle
out, and have to figure out how to do Decent Work for a Decent
Wage.”
“Yep, just Legalize them all and Hope for the best. Teach their
Human Children Morals and Ethics. Give their Human Children the Gift of Strength
of Character and Sound Decision Making. Give ‘em an Ethical Compass and
Backbone. Then Hope for Good Choices, and the Use of just Good Common Sense and
Self Discipline.”
“And Chick, if I ever catch you smokin’ grapevine like
your Pa just did, I’ll pluck your tail feathers. Understand me, young Fledgling
?”
“Understood, Ma. I Choose to keep my tail feathers and my Dignity,”
Chick acknowledged.
“Well, I don’t know about y’all, but I’m ready to get
high,” declared Pa Mockingbird.
“What do you mean ‘get high’, Pa ? Didn’t
you hear a word I just said about those cotton pickin’ Drug Wars and Drug Games
?”
“Sure did, Ma. That’s why I suggest we settle for a natural high.
Let’s spread our wings and fly high into that bright blue Texas sky sparklin’
before our very eyes !”
With that said, the Mockingbird Family burst
happily from the top of the ole’ pecan tree singing “Off we go over the wide,
blue yonder…”
The democrats gained seats in the senate. The house remained virtually unchanged. Why was that? Try this on for size. Senate seats aren't in districts. They are two per state. House seats are subject to re-districting. That re-districting is subject to gerrymandering. There are computer programs that will "professionally gerrymander" for you. Do you think that there aren't state houses that haven't bought and used them?
It is no longer true that the voters pick their politicians. It is now true that the politicians pick their voters. That can't happen in the senate. It does happen in the House. The republican advantage is the house is stolen.
If I am wrong I will apologize.
i'm from massachusetts, the home of representative gerry's district, the one that gave the process it's name.
fortunately that hardly happens here anymore. don't need to as there's essentially no republicans left. but when one gets too popular, look out, they haven't forgotten how to do it.
I love TRMS. It is the finest news/info show on the air. It is very, very rare when I question anything about the show. But I think you guys dropped the ball on the segment re: Petraeus. There is no brighter or more insightful commentator today than Frank Rich. He is terrific. But why was he selected to offer analysis in a military vein? That is not his area of expertise. There are so many others who would have been far more appropriate (e.g. Chuck Hagel, Bob Kerrey, Sam Nunn, etc etc) And while it is good that the epidemic of divorce among veterans was alluded to, how on earth could the much more critical and tragic matter of military suicides have been overlooked?
Personally, I wish the media would drop the Patraeus thing altogether.
Sex, lies and e-mails..so <bleep> what? It's worse than the National Enquirer drivel..please get back to the news.
Those secession petitions are making us a laughing stock of the world. Some folks are seriously butthurt over the election, and we're going to pay attention to them, via the media.
Let's talk about the impact of folks smoking doobies while driving on the crowded freeway at 80 miles an hour. That seems more entertaining than Oliver North's visage in a video game.
And I could care less what Utah picks for folks to drink.
GAWD!
I'm not happy.
Actually, the stoners are MUCH more likely to be traveling 40mph - it's the drunks and coffeeholics traveling 80mph.
I'm amazed that, while addressing what might be the Federal response to legalization, absolutely NO mention was made of the influence of the private prison cartel (CCA, et.al.), who provided much of the impetus for minimum sentencing laws. They have a profit motive for continuing the status quo, and will be lobbying, opposing any relaxation of drug prohibition.