Posts Tagged ‘America’
Pakistan. The Uncomfortable Truth
This may be a very uncomfortable truth but I think the world has made its moral judgement on Pakistan. In a sense it is wonderful that the world has a collective moral conscience but it is a tragedy for the innocent Pakistanis.
Disaster
The professional aid givers, campaigners and do gooders will do their best but the simple truth is that there is a complete inertia, an ambivalence about Pakistan because of the treason that it has committed against the human race. Sympathy for individual suffering will continue but Pakistan is reaping what it has sown.
This may lead to even bigger problems. There are thousands yet to die as a result of the floods. Extremist Islamists, as the psychopaths that they are, will seek to exploit this and they may succeed. Nevertheless, it will not alter, in fact it will probably reinforce the world’s antipathy for Pakistan.
As in all such crises what is needed is leadership. Obama emerged from nowhere to rescue America from its descent into shame. Let us pray that a real leader comes forward for Pakistan.
Proposition 19. Just Say Now!
It looks as if, on 2nd November 2010, a small but very significant part of the world will at last come to its senses and legalise cannabis.
On that date, California voters look likely to approve Proposition 19 on the state-wide ballot that legalizes various marijuana-related activities, allows local governments to regulate these activities, permits local governments to impose and collect marijuana-related fees and taxes, and authorizes various criminal and civil penalties. Currently the polls show that about two-thirds of voters are in favour.
Over the age of 21 it will be legal to possess up to an ounce of marijuana and to cultivate an area of up to 25 sq ft on private property. The state estimates it will collect about £1.4 billion pa in new tax revenue. save $200 million pa in law enforcement costs and generate an additional $12 – $18 billion pa for California’s economy, with 60,000 to 110,000 new jobs. As the Americans say, with one of their most unpleasant expressions, “It’s a no brainer”.
In America they finally seem to have got past listening to the stupid scare stories and propaganda about the cannabis plant. The misinformation has ranged from the idea that marijuana makes white women promiscuous with black men to the suggestion that it causes psychosis in adolescents. Both of these ideas are as impossible to prove as each other. America also recognises the huge medicinal benefits of cannabis with medical marijuana legal in 14 states and planned in 15 more. As a recreational drug, cannabis use is almost never associated with the sort of anti-social behaviour that alcohol causes. It produces an essentially peaceful, happy and soporific effect.
Instead of insulting and ignoring their scientific experts as we do in the UK, Americans are now more interested in the facts and a pragmatic approach to drugs policy. The “war on drugs” is now universally recognised as having been an abject failure. We should, of course, have learned from the experience of alcohol prohibition in the early 20th century. That created the whole idea of gangsters and organised crime. We managed to repeat the same mistakes all over again with drugs.
In ironic appreciation of Nancy Reagan’s “Just Say Nc” campaign, those in favour of Proposition 19 have adopted the slogan “Just Say Now”. In addition to the direct financial benefits, the state expects to be able to focus police priorities on violent crime, cut off funding to violent drug cartels and better protect children, road users, workers and patients from illegal, unregulated use.
The UK will eventually follow down this inevitable path. The only questions are how many lives will we ruin and how much time and money will we waste before we finally get there?
See here for the latest updates and news on Proposition 19.
Obama From Britain
After Bush, to my knowledge, the worst US President ever, I was excited about the prospect of Hilary Clinton in the White House. The election of Barack Obama was simply stunning. For me, it rejuvenated the whole idea of America – the noble principles of the Constitution, the idea that anyone can rise to the very top based on merit alone. It updated that dream by transcending race, prejudice and history.
Ordinary And Extraordinary
As it happened, I watched his inauguration with my parents. I wept at Obama’s words, at the huge symbolism of his achievement, at Jesse Jackson’s overwhelming moment. My Mum & Dad said that it was like Kennedy was for their generation – the sense of new hope and optimism. The same idea that makes me think of Churchill’s “broad sunlit uplands”.
So what’s going on now? I ‘m sure I don’t understand a lot about American politics. I can only see it from my perspective. That means I get most of my news from the BBC. I balance that with a daily trawl through the blogs and online newspapers on the issues that interest me.
In some ways I think the BBC is more British than Britain. In fact, I trust the BBC more than I trust any politician. Its standards and independence preserve our national integrity better than any political leader.
Going online gives me a broader view, often composed of ridiculous extremes as well as mainstream media. There are so many highly literate, super clever bloggers who are completely deluded and beyond any reason. Going online provides an overall summary of all different points of view and sources of information.
I think Obama is a fundamentally decent man. There is a coterie of bloggers who believe he is a Chicago politician just the same as when Al Capone was in town. I think he is bigger than that.
There is also a sisterhood (men and women) of Democrats, bitter supporters of Hilary, who are determined to undermine him. Republicans say he is un-American and claim that he won the election through fraud.
I still have faith in the man. In the horribly murky world of American politics I don’t think he would have risen to the top unless he was very special. I detect authenticity.
The oil spill has been his greatest challenge. I feel that when he speaks for himself, from his heart, he speaks the truth. When he is confused and manipulated by those around him he fails. Many will say I am naive but how can anyone triumph without support? We need leaders who can inspire, who can make us believe in them.
From the very beginning Obama has “extended the hand of friendship” towards Iran but it becomes clearer every day now that the current regime must be condemned without reservation. He has stood up against Israel better than his predecessors and in the overall moral balance that was well overdue. I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt on the attempted kidnapping of Gary Mckinnon It’s probably not high enough in his priorities to have had his proper consideration yet.
No one was more critical of Gordon Brown and his foolhardy, self-serving government than me but the way that some Americans criticise their leader horrifies me. Some of the conspiracy theories and charges levelled against Obama are worse than those against Hitler or Mengele. There are are so many complete nutters in America I really do wonder what they put in the water.
After re-consideration, from my British perspective, I still have faith in this extraordinary man. I urge him to continue to have the courage of his convictions. I wish he could put aside short term political considerations. I think, almost whatever happens, he will win a second term so he can afford to look at least six years in advance and ignore his critics. I still believe in him.
It’s Not Drugs, It’s Drug Laws That Killed the Bradford Girls
Forced Here By The Law
If heroin was legally available on prescription the three Bradford prostitutes would be alive today. It is our discredited, ludicrous policy of prohibition that has led these women to their terrible deaths. Cowardly, self-serving politicians who will not address the real issues about drugs policy have blood on their hands.
Today we also learned that the sensationalist, exploitative treatment of the death of two young men in Humberside “linked with mephedrone” was nothing but hysteria. See the story here. Humberside Police shares responsiblity with the media for leaping on a bandwagon, seeking kudos or some unknown advantage through lies, propaganda and misinformation. Trying to look tough.
It’s not a good idea to use heroin or mephedrone but criminalising users and creating a lucrative black market for criminals to exploit is an absurd idea. It’s exactly what America did with alcohol in the prohibition era when, in fact, it created organised crime.
Created By The Law
For those who become addicted to illegal drugs there is very little help available. Almost all street crime is related to feeding a drug habit. If, instead of the unwinnable “war on drugs” we put our money into a regulated supply and treatment facilities we would massively reduce the harm that current laws cause.
The girls in Bradford, the poor people of Jamaica, our young heroes who are dying in Afghanistan, the young man who is selling his body right this minute in Manchester, Baltimore, Hamburg or Singapore, the downtrodden people of Columbia. They are all victims of our absurd, self-defeating drug laws. When will our politicians and leaders stop chasing cheap political points (and expensive bribes) and face the facts?
Fighting For The Law
Legalise, regulate, tax – you pull the rug from under organised crime, you eliminate the need for most street crime, you have the resources to address the issue as a public health problem.
Transform Drug Policy Foundation has the answer.
UK Ministers Surrender Mckinnon To US Kidnap
It’s said that when Gordon Brown offered Alan Johnson the Home Office he rejected it as a poisoned chalice. He’s probably right. It seems to be destroying his reputation just as it has so many others.
Abandoned
Nevertheless, the shameful and deeply treacherous conduct of this disgraced government towards Gary McKinnon cannot be excused. There is no greater duty on any government than to protect its citizens, particularly those who are vulnerable. There can be no basis in any system of justice for allowing a foreign power to abduct an accused person away from the scene of their alleged crime. This is not extradition. It is illegal rendition, as extraordinary as any. It is kidnapping.
Alan Johnson, Gordon Brown and the rest are kowtowing to big bully USA. British justice is in tatters as they offer up another sacrifice to America. Believe me, they’d do the same to any of us: you, me, your grandmother, your starving babies and our injured soldiers if it suited them. If they wanted to take Gary Mckinnon to Guantanamo Bay I don’t believe our government would have the courage to stop them.
Spineless Cowards
I call for the entire cabinet to be indicted on charges of dereliction of duty. Will not even one of these excuses for men or women have the courage and decency to resign over this issue?
These people who call themselves our leaders are a disgrace to each and every one of us. They are cowardly and spineless charlatans who are dragging our great country through the mire of ignominy and shame. Gary Mckinnon is a victim of their cowardice. Nothing can excuse what they have already put him through, let alone what is to come.
Truth, Justice And The Scottish Way
Braveheart
Kenny MacAskill, the Scottish Justice Minister, can hold his head high. I believe he will go down in history with William Wallace, Robert the Bruce and other great Scottish heroes.
Brave Scot
As for the putrid, small-minded contribution from Robert Mueller, the Director of the FBI, I say get back to Hicksville with Jethro and your cousins and take your thuggish, corrupt opinions with you. Since it lost its way under George Bush, America is in no position to lecture anyone about justice. The proud and wonderful principles expressed in its constitution have been besmirched by Bush, Guantanamo Bay, illegal rendition and, as far as the FBI is concerned, we can go all the way back to the 50s and McCarthyism to see how much justice matters to it.
Mad Mullah
America has many uncomfortable questions to answer about its own complicity in the story of Pan Am flight 103. Scotland has behaved with honour and courage.
Peter Reynolds 
Censors And Abusers Of The Blogosphere
with 11 comments
By comment on this post I will record all those bloggers and website publishers who have chosen to bar me from their sites.
Book Burners
You might think for a gentle if opinionated Brit like me that’s unlikely to happen but it already has – several times. I am profoundly distressed that most of the censors are from the US. In fact I have learned a lot about America recently that I don’t like very much at all. I’m disillusioned by the sheer nastiness and level of abuse that has been directed at me just for expressing my opinions.
I NEVER descend to abuse when commenting on other people’s words. I NEVER censor comments that other people post about what I have written.
What amazes me is that so many of these people just can’t take the debate. They descend into abuse and then they bar me. If I did as they do I’d be so embarrassed and ashamed of my behaviour I don’t think I could carry on writing. That’s how important integrity is to me and how irrelevant it seems to be to these people.
Some of the craftier censors don’t bar me completely. It’s almost unbelieveable isn’t it (?) but what they do is edit my posts or allow some while deleting others! It’s incredible isn’t it that people can stoop so low?
So I do intend to embarrass these cowards here. At least by posting links to their sites they will learn that they’ve been placed, deservingly, into the same category as book burners and censors the world over and throughout history.
Of course, anyone who wishes to explain, argue or defend their actions has only to post here. All comments will be published in full.
Welcome to my hall of shame.
Written by Peter Reynolds
June 10, 2010 at 7:27 pm
Posted in Politics, The Media, What is this blog about?
Tagged with abuse, America, ashamed, bar, bloggers, book burners, Brit, censors, commenting, comments, cowards, craftier, debate, deleting, disillusioned, distressed, edit, embarassed, embarrass, gentle, hall of shame, history, incredible, integrity, nastiness, opinionated, opinions, publishers, stoop so low, unbelievable, US, website, writing