Daily Topics - Wednesday August 4th, 2010
By shawnt56
Quote of the Day: "Domestic spying initiatives never die, they just get new acronyms." -- Blogger Frank Sennet
Hour One: How do we rescue the American middle class?
Hour Two: Could regulating/taxing pot save states from financial ruin? Thom has a rumble with Paul Chabot of the Coalition for a Drug Free California http://drugfreecalifornia.org; Plus, legalization proponent, Jeff Wilcox will be here http://taxcannabis.org
Hour Three: Has the government really become big brother? Thom debates Paul Rosenzweig of the Heritage Foundation www.heritage.org; Plus Kevin Bankston of the Electronic Frontier Foundation will be here www.eff.org
Comments
#2
How Do We Rescue the Middle Class?
1. Regulate ALL employers (especially high tech) to pay overtime for hours worked over 40 hours per week. Virtually all middle class high tech workers work 50 - 70 hours a week regularly for 40 hours of pay.
2. End H1B and all Visa programs that allow foreign workers (including Canadians) from taking American jobs. Phase out slowly (and humanely) the Visa's for guest workers currently residing in America.
3. Fine companies that outsource any jobs.
4. End all government contracts today whose companies (or subsidiaries) are based in the Caymen Islands or Dubai.
5. Add Tariffs to all imported manufactured goods, and use those tariff revenues to jump start our own Manufacturing Businesses.
It's not so hard, our elected officials just lack political will to do the correct thing for America's citizens!
#3
War, war, war!!! The glory of killing and the glory of murdering God's children that is the American way and the way of the United States of Damned Souls!!!!!
I have dropped America from the United States and replaced it with either Hell, Numb Nuts, Sodom and Gomorrah, Where Shit Rises to the Top, Devil's Disciples, or Damned Souls, such as the United States of DAMNED SOULS.
The destiny of the United States of Hell is the eternal abyss of hell. Now, that is the American way!!!!!
Obama has found his true calling in life and calling is to play with expensive toys, like drone missiles. He seems also to enjoy war games. The only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys. The most expensive toys are in war games. Obama’s DNA is closely linked to Bush’s DNA. Birds of a feather flock together.
When we hear Obama Care, we linked these words with health care. Obama Care is more than health care. As president, Obama Care is also the continuation of wars and war games, deceptive rhetoric, a solidified police state, the protecting of banks and its gangsters, and the protecting of Wall Street and its crooks and thieves. There is more but why belabor the point. Obama Care is also the continuation of BOHICA Days, such as bend over here it comes again.
**Reflection of the Week**
"A good motivation is what is needed: compassion without dogmatism, without complicated philosophy; just understanding that others are human brothers and sisters and respecting their human rights and dignities. That we humans can help each other is one of our unique human capacities."
- Tenzin Gyatso, 14th Dalai Lama
#5
@gerald, why don't you try to make at least a sensible acronym substitution? Like how about the United States of Anguish, the United States of Assholes, the United States of Anger, the United States of the Apocalypse, the United States of Ashes, the United States of Animosity, the United States of Antipathy, the United States of Antagonism, the United States of Abusiveness, the United States of Abhorrence, the United States of Abominations... heck you were so close in your line, the United States of the Abyss, so close, so close.
Just saying, pick up a thesaurus, you can express your (would be) zingers with more poignancy.
N
#7
@Maxrot, you make a good point. My aim is to offer operant conditioning for the masses. The masses must be conditioned that the United States of Numb Nuts is not a good, holy, and saintly nation. Americans must come to grips with the fact that the United States of Where Shit Rises to the Top is an evil, vile, and wicked nation.
#8
I look at our jobs being outsourced to a foreign country as evil. That is right. Our government is screwing Americans.
#9
What about the other side of the coin. What's going to happen when the citizens of these industrializing countries want their share too. History repeats itself. How long will the down trodden masses of China, India, etc... are going to be content when the world around them is improving. (How are you going to keep them down on the farm when they've seen Paris?) Listening to a Pacifica Radio show yesterday, they were talking about citizens in these industrializing countries commiting suicide in increasing numbers. There is are Maoist movements growing over there. Western Civilizations went through a lot of internal wars as it industrialized, will we see the same kind of civil wars and wars with industrializing neighbors as these countries grow? I don't see why not.
America hasn't been able to keep itself out of such wars since the Spanish American War either. :-(
N
#10
Years ago I heard Noam Chompsky refer to the U.S.A. as the United States of Amnesia -
#11
To the Libertarian who paradoxically sees no harm in the loss of our individual privacy, I am reminded of John Lennon singing "You don't know whatcha got until ya lose it." I think comedian Steven Wright said it this way..."They say you don't know what you have until you lose it. So I got rid of everything!"
#12
The basis of foreign aid is to produce goods in the USA, pay the workers in the USA, and then ship the goods to other countries. Over 70% of foreign aid is spent in the USA.
A serious problem with this operation is that weapons are given to countries whose governments use the weapons against their own people. This is illegal in the USA, but it's not illegal to send weapons to a "favorable" country and then have the "favorable" country slap a hand on the shipment and then send the weapons to the "sanctioned" countries to use against their own population.
#13
Speilberg/Kubrick's 2002 film 'Minority Report' explores the concept of personal scanning in an interesting way.
Initially, John Atherton (Tom Cruise) walks through a mall and is assailed on all sides by automated pitchfolk who have identified him via retinal scan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oBaiKsYUdvg
Later, in order to elude The Authorities, he has an eye transplant and as he walks into a GAP store is greeted by a hologram as "Mr. Yakamoto" and asked "How did those assorted tank tops work out for you?":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITjsb22-EwQ
Of course the film riffs on a number of more serious privacy issues. The basis of the film was a 1956 short story by Philip K. Dick.
#14
So, Chabot thinks we can "control" people who want drugs by cutting off the supply?
The idea of prohibition is fantasy. Prohibition is the best way to turn criminals into billionaires.
#15
Ron White commented that he needed marijuana because he got really depressed every time he ran out.
#16
When my wife was dying of cancer, I demanded that the doctors give her marihuana for her pain, hyperemisis, and other symptoms. The doctors prescribed Marinol and then she was able to keep down a drink of water.
I had to find the stuff in hospital pharmacies, and it sometimes took an entire day to find because of the federal hurdles. Marihuana is is defined as a dangerous narcotic because Harry Anslinger needed to find another gig when it was obvious that the prohibition of alcohol was going to be repealed.
#17
Why do pro-prohibition freaks want to screw with my religion? My people sign praises to our deity for making holy the drinking of the fruit of the vine.
#18
Someone save me from the people trying to save me.
Did Chabot have any reasonable argument as to why marijuana is bad for you? So bad you shouldn't smoke it at all? I didn't hear one, all I heard is that people are abusing the medical marijuana laws... if it become legal though, wouldn't the abuse stop by default? Seemed to me that he was caught the endless death spiral of a circular argument.
N
#19
"You may see me tonight with an illegal smile; it don't cost a whole lot, and it lasts a long while.
Won't you please tell the man I didn't kill anyone; I'm just trying to have me some fun." - John Prine
#20
Well that's an impressive number of people held in prison for drug offenses Thom, but Chabot said that their was less than 1% of the people in prison for distributing pot (so their aren't many convicted pot dealers in prison). Of course if that's the argument he want to put forward, that their aren't many pot related prisoners, then fine, why not legalize, I can only assume by his numbers, not very many people participate in using it.
N
#21
The only problem with an "endless death spiral of a circular argument" is that it is recursive and is useful in procuring money and attention for the prohibitionists.
Lots of money to be made. See: Harry Anslinger for a very succinct and self-serving history.
#22
It's not like the Fed haven't taxed pot before — consider this image of a Marijhuana Tax Revenue Stamp:
http://www.siegelauctions.com/zoom/imageviewer.php?url=http://www.siegel...
#23
Asset forfeiture laws, which allow the state to confiscate autos, bank funds, and homes, do not need any real proof. Police departments thrive on their easily gotten property. Seems like the confiscations are a real morale booster for at least some people. Those who have been on the losing side are not compensated in any way.
Even getting a DUI in a car that does not belong to you can cause that automobile to be taken away from it's owner.
Such a deal!
#24
@nathnlee: The marihuana tax act was declared unconstitutional because it required those possessing weed to buy a tax stamp and therefore admit to the governemnt that they were committing a crime.
#25
Marijuana was the Loco Weed that Latinos smoked and therefore cut into tobacco taxes and the choice of Africa American musicians due it being cheaper and caused less disability than alcohol when they were playing in Jazz Clubs. Gallo Wine was pissed off that the Demon Weed was hacking into the sales of tallboys (which were designed to fit into the breast pocket of those poor folk who were ‘homeward bound” and the poor alcoholic hiding their – Hoboes). This was never more a “problem” than when the non-white folk dressed up in their Zoot-Suits and went dancing . . . Sometimes (oh horror of horrors) with Caucasian girls.
Damn, I have gotta dig out my copy of Reefer Madness and watch it tonight.
#26
@Gene Savory: Not my point.
My point is that the Feds HAVE taxed Pot in the past — and if you notice, that was a Tufts Dental School.
Here's another: http://www.siegelauctions.com/zoom/imageviewer.php?url=http://www.siegelauctions.com/2007/934/2751.jpg
So it's not like there isn't a precident (sp?) for this, at one point they recognized a whole pot industry.
#27
@nathnlee: The intent of the tax act was to have a pretext for prosecuting people who could not comply with the law without self-incrimination.
Timothy Leary was involved in the court cases.
Taxing drugs in a manner that does not cause self-incrimination only requires that the tax is not tied to prohibition.
If we want to have sane policies, then decriminalize consumption of things that may lead to medical problems.
#28
I've got a novel idea...why doesn't Mr. Reid make the republiCONS actually FILIBUSTER??!!! He hasn't tried that yet!!
#29
The rules of the Senate had been changed to allow a "gentleman's" filibuster that doesn't require the senator to command the floor and speak forever.
#30
If it was perfectly ok for George W Bush to spy on Americans for any reason he saw fit (i.e. for "terrorism", loosely defined), it is also perfectly ok for Barack Obama to do so as well.
Conservatives cannot have it both ways.
I remember so many callers to this and other shows insisting that they had nothing to hide, so what was the big deal? I wonder if they still feel the same way if the Obama administration is the one wanting to track them.
#31
@Jeanie the concept is one of power relationships. The "if you don't have anything to hide ..." crowd ignores the idea of relationships between the government and the goverend. The "if you don't have anything to hide" gambit is to assert power over you. I.E. "Prove to me that you are not committing a crime."
#32
The WSJ on Corporate Tracking Transgressions:
http://online.wsj.com/article/NA_WSJ_PUB:SB10001424052748703977004575393121635952084.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703977004575393173432219064.html
I am not Windows 7 and this is not my idea . . .
#33
the Obama admin DOES want to track us too. Thom's been talking about it all day. I'M AGAINST THAT TOO!!
My BIGGEST disappointment in this admin is that it has not undone any of the "backdoor" broken rules that W, dick & other war criminals of the previous admin are guilty of breaking.
this admin has helped the cons push their agenda (inadvertently? or not) since they took office WAY MORE then the progressive agenda.
I cry for my country every day.
#34
@Thom: All foods are chemicals. That doesn't mean they work for us as nutrition. We're not smart enough and just too smart for our own good.
#35
anyone who take that "I have nothing to hide" attitude, like the woman on Thom's show yesterday. "a little surprise in my soap wouldn't bother me" to paraphrase; my jaw dropped when I heard that bit of ignorance.
Olbermann's words of Palin came to mind - "that woman is an idiot"
#36
#33 Nancy: I know that the Obama administration wants to spy on us more, not less. I'm just saying that I hope conservatives don't feign outrage since most of them supported George W Bush's spying. Because it would be hypocritical and I know they don't want to be hypocritical.
#37
the senate should work on changing filibuster rules then, along w/the 14th amendment...the senate ought to do SOMETHING!!
#38
@nacygm the I assure you the Senate will do something... however, they'll make it worse not better.
Careful what you wish for... you may just get it.
N
#39
In studying the American mind a person will forever be discombobulated.
#40
#41
Hey Thom!
Just a quick follow up to a comment you made yesterday. Your friend Jerry's life was not destroyed by pot - it was destroyed by PROHIBITION!!! My condolences to Jerry, and the millions of others like him who are being persecuted for the love of a plant. If there's any war we need to end, it's the war on drugs, because it's a war that we are waging against our own citizens.
I'd also like to make a suggestion: please invite someone from NORML on your show to discuss the upcoming referendums in Oregon and California, such as Russ Belleville or Paul Armentano. They'll make quick work of debunking the deceitful propoganda that people like Paul Chabot are propogating about cannabis and help get the truth out about this herb that is so beneficial to mankind. Thanks and keep up the great work!
Bagel
Thom's Blog Is On the Move
By webmaster
Hello All
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The god complex is alive and well. The only problem is who gets to be god? Who gets to be Santa checking his list?