Yes, even non-godbots have to have faith in some things, like, elevator inspections.
I don't use it but I agree pot should be legal for numerous reasons. Obama should not have dismissed it outright.
Of course it is counter productive for a society to treat drug addiction/use as a criminal matter. But at this time, with prisons being privatized, there is an economic incentive to keep citizens behind bars. It has been reported that Cheney has significant financial intersts in this "industry". A couple of Texas judges have been recently indicted for getting kick backs to find juveniles guilty in order to keep the prisons filled.
How long will it be before those serving time will be billed for the costs involved? I fear it's just around the corner.
Posted by brisa at March 30, 2009 09:17 AMparadox:
I do not understand all this hoopla about marijuana. The question asked was whether decrimilizing mirjuana will help improve economy? Obama's answer was it will not. He did not say if he is for or against marijuana decrimilization.
I think this is an example of how 24 hour news cycle invents topics to make news out of it.
Posted by suresh at March 30, 2009 09:19 AMSuresh, I think it's extremely unfortunate legalization was framed in that particular instance as a way to help the economy, which is the poorest rationale possible for legalizing pot.
Even with such an oblique glance on the issue the matter touched a hot nerve in the community. Why? Because pot smokers are furious about it and want change, humans are not entirely rational, and given just the slightest chance the great will for change just rushed out here.
I hope that answers your question. Please have a great day, and thanks for reading.
Posted by paradox at March 30, 2009 09:27 AMThe question was about LEAGALIZING pot, not decriminalizing it.
“…we took votes about which questions were going to be asked, and I think 3 million people voted or 3.5 million people voted,” he said. “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.”
This would surely help the economy and Obama is wrong if he thinks otherwise.
suresh, it was the condescending, "I don't know what this says about the internet community", and dismissing the idea outright to pander to the godbots for future votes.
It reminded me of when bushco pushed Laura out there to trash stem cell research.
IMHO it was a self inflicted error.
Posted by TIKI AL at March 30, 2009 09:42 AMHow long will it be before those serving time will be billed for the costs involved? I fear it's just around the corner.
It's been happening for many years.
The ACLU is fighting a case over debtor's prison and was successful in defending a guy who kept having his probation extended because he couldn't pay his supervision fees.
The private prisons in my little red state are allowed to outsource prisoners for labor at going labor rates and keep their income and pay them .53 cents an hour. Our legislators recently (couple of years ago), with declining incarceration rates, had a debate over how to keep private prison populations up. It's the perfect CONservative dream. Incarcerated labor and really wealthy wealthy people feeding off cheap labor.
Posted by phidipides at March 30, 2009 10:19 AMMissed the link between the pot story and faith
Posted by at March 30, 2009 03:03 PMYou can't go to the barricades about pot in the middle of recession, which is why I thought Obama's comment was pretty good. Gratuitous, but good.
Most non-wingnut, ordinary Americans can be persuaded to be reasonable about our absurd drug laws. Humor is always a good tactic. Save your serious face for serious matters.
Paradox, I had to read your post twice to understand whose side you're on. "Obama’s mildly disdainful reaction" and "the issue of Obama’s presser disdain" are weirdly muted phrases. Why can't you just say that Obama's a hypocrite whose dismissal of a legitimate and very relevant question is unacceptable? The continued criminalization of hemp and marihuana bears directly on a number of crucial issues: energy (viz., the viability of cellulosic ethanol), medicine (viz., the value of pharmaceutical alternatives to pain management and blood sugar regulation); domestic industry (viz., green and un-outsourceable manufactures); criminal justice (viz., the unconscionable incarceration of tens of thousands of young men and women every year); and national security (viz., exposing ourselves to the criminality of the Mexican drug cartels thats business depends on smuggling pot into a country that can grow it just fine on its own and without all of the concomitatant violence and waste).
It isn't enough to piss and moan about Obama's ridiculous ignorance. People need to stay mad about it because it's only a matter of him not wanting to give his fistheaded detractors any ammunition. That's right: he chickened out because he doesn't want to be called a pothead by the Far Right. Imagine a tobacco abuser afraid of being called that!
Good post, anyway.
Posted by Toby Petzold at March 30, 2009 04:32 PMSuresh:
Obama's answer was it will not.
And he's wrong! We waste billions every year trying to fight a plant! That's almost as stupid as the market for buying and selling the rights to pollute.
Oops. Sorry, comrades. I know how much religious faith y'all have invested in cap and trade.
Posted by Toby Petzold at March 30, 2009 04:36 PMconcomitatant
I looked at her. She looked at me. We flinched not, though she bore a paring.
Posted by Toby Petzold at March 30, 2009 04:40 PMsnark, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, dabnammit!
Posted by TIKI AL at March 30, 2009 07:18 PMI agree with you on the issue of faith. And I was ticked off with Obama's light hearted response because he chose to ridicule this question, he chose to speak this way about a much bigger issue.
Then today, he chooses to disrespect auto workers while giving a free ride to Wall Street?
I think they may be breaking with the good faith we put in the new administration. Wake up people! Paradox, how can we keep the faith when we such UTTER HYPOCRISY from the Obama administration??? Admittedly McCain would have been worse, but this is elitist crap, and when will the whole thing just collapse?
And with the torture stuff out now, our government is protecting war criminals, and they will not be honest with the American people about it. America may be over!
We are in such deep shit
Posted by kcbill13 at March 30, 2009 10:03 PM