Source: The Chronicle of Higher Education

Colloquy Live 02/04. A section of the Q&A I liked - Rick is continuing to bring common sense to the dialogue on these chemicals.

Hank Baca, retired US Army Officer:

Since about 1000 people a year die from Aspirin Use and approx 25 died from X use last year, are we focused on the wrong drug?

Rick Doblin:

To be fair, way more people used aspirin than MDMA. We shouldn’t turn our Drug War guns on aspirin but should work to reduce the harms of both aspirin and MDMA though public health and harm reduction measures, not primarily through the criminal justice system. In other areas of life, we accept significant levels of risk. About 5 times as many people went to the emergency room last year from cheerleading than MDMA. About 35 people die on average per year from skiing and about the same number from scuba diving, yet these activities are considered to offer some benefits and are not criminalized.

“All it takes for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.” — Edmund Burke

(From a Harris Interactive poll conducted last week) .. 47% of Americans believe that “clear evidence that Iraq was supporting Al Qaeda has been found in Iraq.”

A group of more than 60 top U.S. scientists, including 20 Nobel laureates and several science advisers to past Republican presidents, on Wednesday accused the Bush administration of manipulating and censoring science for political purposes….

A very cool story about Ibogaine and its ability to help addicts see themselves and heal themselves..

“President Bush is rapidly becoming the permanently surprised president.” — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi

Candidate Kerry talks about his concern for American jobs, American workers, and fair labor standards, yet Senator Kerry voted for NAFTA and voted ten times to give China Most-Favored-Nation status. Candidate Kerry talks about his concern for maintaining civil liberties in America, yet Senator Kerry voted for the PATRIOT Act. Candidate Kerry talks about Bush’s mistake in invading Iraq, yet Senator Kerry voted to give the President nearly unlimited authority to act against Hussein, who presented no clear and present danger to us.

Candidate Kerry rails against the “special interests.” For one, what does this mean? For two, how much “special interest” money has Senator Kerry accepted?

Who is John Kerry?

His politics are about as bold as a glass of water.

Very interesting article at Editor and Publisher about the mounting doubts on Bush from his own base.

Makes a lot of sense - several of my Republican friends are griping - a little about the war, but a lot about the fact that Bush has not been conservative at all. Big spending, new social programs, disregard for civil liberties…. I am hearing anger and frustration from them - I am not sure they’ll end up voting for a Democrat, but I can see them supporting a third party candidate or even sitting it out. Things are not looking good for George Bush et al.

Dear All,

Heh - I owe you an essay, and here’s a good way to kick this baby off:

http://www.citrano.com/politicians.mp3

A week or so ago, a million people showed up at Boston City Hall for the fucking Patriots celebration. Imagine what a different nation we’d live in if a million people showed up on the steps of Congress…. for anything.

I share the concerns voiced about threats to civil liberties and free speech. Granted, the Patriot Act ushered in a new and dramatic era (hopefully short-lived, as most of it is sunsetted) fueled by panic and ignorance. But these assaults have been going on for ages - just look at the Controlled Substances Act and the related forfeiture of fourth amendment protections and imprisonment of the ill - yet Americans just bend over and ask for more. Where is the outrage? Where was everyone when the Patriot Act was being considered? Perhaps out dining or catching a show, just as our great president had instructed them to do in the face of the horror of 9-11 (rather than something bold and sensible like cutting back on the oil consumption that funded the attacks.)

The Bush administration is in serious trouble, and they know it. No way would they have risked putting Bush in front of Russert - perhaps one of television’s most aggressive political reporters - for an hour otherwise. They have alienated their “base,” the moderates are feeling ripped off, and the lefties would never vote for Bush anyway (no matter how many tax dollars are fed to the NEA or to old people for drugs.) I don’t throw this word around frivolously, but am now of the belief that Bush is at least guilty of negligence and at most, possibly treason.

Now that I think about it, he’s probably not smart enough to be guilty of the latter, but Cheney and Rumsfeld and Wolfowitz quite certainly are.

On Meet The Press he sounded like a five year old defending his decision to steal the cookies before they had cooled sufficiently to allow for safe eating. “I was doing it for you, mommy. The cookies would have burned our nice kitchen counter,” he said… or something. He repeated terms like “danger” and “honorable discharge” and evaded the real questions. He was actually, honestly surprised when Russert asked him if it was an “elective or necessary war” - as if that was out of left field and hadn’t occurred to him or his advisors that he might be asked this. “Repeat the question,” he said. I don’t think there
has been a President of more limited intellectual capability in my lifetime, probably much longer.

And the left seems poised to offer us John Kerry, whose “opposition to the war” is shallow and convenient. He voted to give the President nearly unilateral authority to launch a pre-emptive attack on a country that was no threat to us. He checked to see which way the wind was blowing, and voted accordingly.

I don’t know where I’m going with any of this… but I say, tell everyone to stand up and be counted. Make lots of noise. Call and write to members of Congress. Show up at their offices and talk to their policy people. Show up at district meetings and call them on shit. Show up for elections.

I am not as bitter as my tirades make me sound. But I find it sadly ironic that we live in a country where the individual has the most power to affect change, yet we probably take advantage of it the least.