Must get a few things done this morning, then will return to the “musings” I began the other day. Meantime, here’s some linkage …
- Never thought I’d see it, but here’s one pot-legalization initiative I hope falls on its corrupt, crony-capitalist face.
- What goes around comes around. Amazon is opening its first physical book store.
- The best cities for surviving the zombie apocalypse. Feel free to disagree.
- Is the USDA silencing scientists?
- Love (in a not-so-loving way) Conquest’s third law of politics.
- A happy (though also mysterious) dog tale via Shel in comments.
I’m in Ohio, and yes, the legalization initiative is flawed and profit-driven, but on the whole I think it’s better than the total prohibition we have now. It will mean no more throwing people in jail for possession of small amounts. Yes, total drug legalization would be better, but, as with concealed carry, I think these victories are won incrementally. This is the first step for drug freedom in Ohio, and I hope it passes.
I’m torn on any “drug legalization”, because I don’t believe anyone has the right to criminalize or legalize anything, and I hate making anything “taxable”.
Of course, I don’t ever want to see anyone caged over a substance or plant (OK, not over anything, actually). The belief that anyone, or any group of nobodies, can decide to criminalize anything is just bizarre to me. And it leads to no-win situations like this.
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I tend to believe the best cities for surviving a zombie apocalypse are not cities at all.
Well, Felinenation, good luck to you. The initiative seems more than flawed from my outside perspective. It seems like private law (private constitutional amendment, yet!) passed for the benefit of politically connected millionaires at the expense of genuine cannabis entrepreneurs. It seems a shameful thing and one that might set creepy precedents.
BUT … in your shoes I could understand why you’d want even this. Total prohibition and busting people for pot is insane, I agree. I was surprised to learn that Ohio didn’t even have medical.
So yeah, good luck. Then let some court case rip those would-be oligarchs into pieces.
[the next iteration of pro-legalization activists could be motivated by an entirely different kind of green: Cash.]
Hmmm, what’s wrong with that?
I know, I know, it’s not the cash that is the problem, but corruption, rent-seeking, etc. It’s funny that WaPo would make cash the goblin, though. Bunch of socialists…
On that USDA thing, I commented:
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I’m shocked, shocked…
No shit, Sherlock. How could it be any other way? Serious scientists don’t work for government agencies.
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I see the Ohio initiative failed by a huge margin. I hope this inspires a better initiative in the next election, Felinenation. Looks as if your fellow Ohioans want legal pot, just didn’t want oligarchs.
http://www.businessinsider.com/marijuana-legalization-initiative-fails-in-ohio-2015-11
So, if kicking some undead butt is your preferred zombie apocalypse survival strategy, the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area is the city for you, mostly thanks to its huge U.S. Navy presence.
Navy? Lots of big boats with big guns out in the ocean. Onshore small arms, notsomuch. El Paso (Fort Bliss) or Killeen (Fort Hood) if you believe the Army will actually be deployed to protect civilians instead of politicians.
People in San Diego, Boston, and Baltimore are virtually disarmed by their gun laws, they’d stand no chance.
D.C? How would you tell the difference?