The greatest swimmer of all time (or a stoned, addled addict?)

Michael Phelps beat Milorad Cavic again, and this time there was no doubt about it. With a defiant performance in a supposedly inferior suit, Phelps stayed close over the outward lap and rallied on the return to become the first swimmer to break 50 seconds in the 100-meter butterfly. More here. I cannot resist the [...]

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Vice policy predictions

To add to the list of depressing news for the day, have a look at the sorry fate that the medical marijuana bill in Minnesota suffered. Nonetheless, I think the wind is blowing in one direction in the US; and that is towards legalization. These are not the wishful words of an optimist but a [...]

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Charlie Lynch sentencing postponed again

Passing on the release by the Friends of CCL group. It is rather interesting. On Thursday April 23 in Federal Court the Sentencing of Charles C. Lynch was again postponed until Monday June 11, 2009. The court filled with supporters from across the state and across the nation. Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Reason.tv [...]

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Obama’s medical marijuana lies

In response to questions from the court about how to proceed with the Lynch case given that government policy on this issue seems to have reversed, this is what the US Department of Justice wrote in a letter sent earlier today by Marshall Jarrett, Director. Not only does the DoJ has no intention of intervening in the [...]

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Smoking in Netherlands

The following piece of news seems relevant in the context of my earlier post on tobacco and the illusion of liberty caused by unprincipled value judgements. From the incomparable Reason Brickbats: Dutch police cited a 27-year-old man for smoking a joint in one of Amsterdam’s famous coffee shops. Smoking pot is legal there, but the [...]

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Assorted links

 While GM and Chrysler are in their last throes, Ford is trudging on. Obama may have fired GM’s CEO and told Chrysler exactly what to do but he has had no such luck controlling Ford. The company has refused offers of taxpayer life support and believes it can not only survive this recession but in [...]

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DEA to end medical marijuana raids?

So says Eric Holder. As I wrote in this post, ending the raids was one of Obama’s campaign promises, so one would reasonably expect him to reverse Bush policy on this issue.  Politicians though, have lied on such matters before and political appointees even more so; thus I will wait to see actual change on [...]

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Washington Post decides to make the war on drugs its cover story

Here’s the link. It’s a long poignant piece that points out the folly of the drug war by focussing on the outrageous case of Cheye Calvo. The fact that pieces like these do appear in the mainstream media (Washington Post is regarded as one of the three most important US newspapers, along with NYT and [...]

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The Agitator pens a letter on behalf of the greatest swimmer ever

Wow. Dear America, I take it back. I don’t apologize. Because you know what? It’s none of your goddamned business. I work my ass off 10 months per year. It’s that hard work that gave you all those gooey feelings of patriotism last summer. If during my brief window of down time I want to [...]

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The war on drugs takes a different shape

Three New York policemen gang-rape a man with a walkie-talkie antenna, for, you guessed it, smoking some pot. (Hat Tip: The Agitator)

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Milton Friedman on the war on drugs

Milton Friedman, Nobel prize winning economist  — and one of my personal idols — was among the most influential libertarian thinkers of the last century. Friedman was primarily a consequentialist, meaning he advocated libertarian policies based on the fact that they work better. Such an approach has the great advantage of political effectiveness. If you [...]

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Charlie Lynch update

Here’s a video of the October 6 protest: Lynch appears in court for sentencing on November 24. He could theoretically be sent to prison for 100 years. If you are new to my blog, or unfamiliar with the story of Charlie Lynch, please go through my old posts on the subject. Or better still, watch [...]

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Drug war truths

Radley Balko points out the moral and intellectual bankruptcy of the war on drugs: We’re told that drug war is a moral imperative because, in the words of Walters himself, “dangerous drugs damage [children's] lives and limit their futures.”  But like most temperance zealots, Walters measures success not by actual lives wrecked or ended prematurely, [...]

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Helping Charlie Lynch

If you were disturbed by the Charlie Lynch story, here are some ways you can help. Supporters of Charlie are planning a protest for October 6, 2008 which is the next day Charlie will be in the Federal Courthouse in Downtown LA. Court support will start at 8am and the rally will begin at 11am. [...]

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Video about Charlie Lynch verdict

Check out the Reason TV video clip below about medical marijuana dispenser Charlie Lynch and his recent guilty verdict. (I had earlier blogged about this sad case here and here.) I found the clip deeply disturbing. I hope you do too.

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