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  We Need an Honest, Rational Drug Policy

Posted by CN Staff on February 02, 2007 at 07:17:09 PT
By Mike Freenor 
Source: Technician 

North Carolina -- Most students are aware of which substances are illegal, but not aware of the federal classifications known as "Schedules." Schedules are used to group together substances by severity; the lower the number of the Schedule, the more severe the punishment is for possession.I argue that the implementation of this system is deeply flawed, and that our government is far from honest in the practice of these policies. The grouping of substances according to these Schedules is not practiced conforming to any measure of rational inquiry or scientific method.
In order to investigate this matter, I will focus on three substances of interest to most students: marijuana, tobacco and alcohol.Marijuana is considered a "Schedule I" substance. Substances classified as Schedule I include those that: (1) have a high potential for abuse, (2) have no acceptable medical use in treatment in the U.S. and (3) are dangerous without medical supervision.Marijuana does not fit into this definition - not by a long shot. It certainly has a potential for abuse, but not in the sense of physical addiction. It's hard to interpret the spirit of that rule, but marijuana can be emotionally addictive. Each time people use marijuana it's their choice - no physical withdrawal is there to tempt them back.In terms of medical use, marijuana does have an acceptable medical use in the U.S. The federal government is issuing medical marijuana to a select few people, for example George McMahon. These people aren't criminals - they're receiving the marijuana directly from the federal government for medical purposes.As far as marijuana's severity is concerned, it is by far one of the least dangerous substances. Nobody in the world literature has ever overdosed on marijuana. While it may impair the ability to operate heavy machinery or perform other dangerous activities, so does everything from allergy medicines to alcohol. The fact is those who use it responsibly (even with copious dosages) are not in danger.It's hard to see why marijuana should be a Schedule I substance, given the definition and the reality of the situation. Given this knowledge, the Schedules might be more aptly named "Agendas," especially when one considers two widely popular unscheduled substances: alcohol and tobacco.Let's run the Schedule I test. Both substances have a high potential for abuse, as they are both physically addictive. Any alcoholic or smoker would tell you that. In terms of medical use, alcohol hasn't had an accepted role in medicine since around the Civil War, and tobacco has a marked negative effect on human health. For the third stipulation, it's clear that alcohol and tobacco are dangerous without medical supervision. No doctors in their right mind would administer tobacco to a patient, and any doctor would tell you the wrong dosage of alcohol can kill you. Extended use of both of these substances can lead to nasty conditions such as cirrhosis of the liver and lung cancer, which are clearly dangerous.Given all this, it becomes difficult to answer why alcohol and tobacco are unscheduled, yet marijuana is Schedule I. It's even more difficult to answer why marijuana would be grouped alongside LSD, a powerful psychedelic and fellow Schedule I substance. While we could speculate on why this might be, it's safe to say that we're not being told the real reasons. We deserve honest policies from our government. Whenever our liberty is curtailed in any way whatsoever, there should be a firm reason with intellectually honest argumentation to back it up. Anything less is purely degrading to the public, whose liberty the government is supposed to revere and protect.Our policies need to be rational, reasonable and free of contradictions. Regardless of whether these substances should be illegal, our policies should reflect a categorical statement - a consistent position. Never should we use lies to justify the removal of liberty - if there be good reason, then let it be known.If we want dangerous, addictive substances to be illegal, then let's do it - I hope you won't miss that post-exam beer as much as I will. If we want to make "Schedules," then let's do it. But, let's do it without a thinly veiled social agenda; let's do it with honesty.Source: Technician, The (NC State University)Author: Mike FreenorPublished: February 2, 2007Copyright: 2007 The TechnicianWebsite: http://www.technicianonline.com/Contact: viewpoint technicianonline.comCannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml

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Comment #49 posted by FoM on February 05, 2007 at 18:18:22 PT
MikeEEEEE
I don't know how he ever became president. I went ahead and shortened the url so it fits better.
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Comment #48 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 05, 2007 at 18:00:22 PT

republicans block Senate debate on Iraq 
The republicans are digging their own political graves.
We'll see how the voters react in the next election. But voters have a short attention span.Link to article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070205/ap_on_go_co/us_iraq 

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Comment #47 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 05, 2007 at 17:46:04 PT

FoM
In my life I've met people who've turned what they do into gold, and others who turned it into crap.bush is one of those people who turn what they touch into shit.Like a child, he shouldn't touch or break anything else for the next 2 years.Actually, for a long time I've thought he has bi-polar disorder, or his IQ is less than 65 (I think that's mildly retarded). But some of us might argue with me that he's a big retard. This is no offense to the mentally challenged, but when a leader’s decisions affect our world, that’s very different.The war on non-pharm. drugs is part of the process: for big corporations. Don't expect bush to understand or give a shit, it's part of the disorder, and his history of being a failure.
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Comment #46 posted by FoM on February 05, 2007 at 14:28:09 PT

MikeEEEEE 
I believe that Bush will be the destruction of our country or the world if he goes unchecked much longer. I thought Nixon and then the Reagan administration (Just Say No) were bad but everything is worse now then ever before. These are scary times.A Budget for Permanent War http://news.yahoo.com/s/thenation/20070205/cm_thenation/15163263
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Comment #45 posted by FoM on February 05, 2007 at 13:07:36 PT

Analysis: Bush's Federal Budget Proposal
Excerpt: Yosemite National Park would receive an additional $3,259,000 for operational costs, a 14 percent increase. The money would pay for an additional 28 seasonal rangers to combat marijuana growing.URL: http://www.fresnobee.com/406/story/28158.html
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Comment #44 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 05, 2007 at 09:21:58 PT

In the end times
Anybody can interpret the Bible code as they like.But the facts are clear, bush & company are sucking this country dry. Add the other facts up, global warming, space arms race, possible strike on Iran, etc.bush continues to destroy this great experiment in democracy called America.
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Comment #43 posted by FoM on February 05, 2007 at 07:41:11 PT

Off Topic
Bush Asks for More Spending on Defense, Energy, Less on Welfare http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601070&sid=atr6didGuPaU&refer=home
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Comment #42 posted by Dankhank on February 04, 2007 at 21:27:27 PT

end times ...
end of times scenarios are many and varied in the past.The bible holds no copyright on the concept.If Christians wanna believe it, that's OK ...just remember ... you didn't invent it ...
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Comment #41 posted by The GCW on February 04, 2007 at 20:22:06 PT

#38; “In the end times.”
 Can “In the end times," be considered with out considering Biblical implications?
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Comment #40 posted by Toker00 on February 04, 2007 at 12:48:24 PT

rchandar
He hasn't silenced us yet, he hasn't arrested us yet, and he hasn't used those water cannons in the Houston area peace protests, that is, as of yet. March will tell us what to expect. The anniversary (yes ANOTHER one) of the Iraq war is going to test his mettle. Forget about mainstreammedia coverage. Watch the Internet for coverage. This may be when he breaks out his new Secret Homeland Security White Supremacist Skinhead Jackboots on innocent protesters. The protests are guaranteed to be bigger and badder than any thus far. (Don't tell anyone, but there may be a little Civil Disobedience this year!) It won't be just about Iraq, either. It's gonna be 9-11 Truth, Iran, Pnac, you name it. We are bringing it all to downtown Houston, this March. Stay tuned!Toke. 
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Comment #39 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 04, 2007 at 10:39:28 PT

be very hopeful that we survive
War a Calamity, Ex-Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski Tells US Congress by Barry Schweid  
WASHINGTON -- Zbigniew Brzezinski, former U.S. national security adviser, told Congress the war in Iraq is a calamity and likely to lead to "a head-on conflict with Iran and with much of the world of Islam at large." Testifying before the Senate foreign relations committee Thursday, Brzezinski skewered U.S. administration policy as driven by "imperial hubris" and a disaster on historic, strategic and moral grounds. Link to full article: http://www.commondreams.org/cgi-bin/print.cgi?file=/headlines07/0203-01.htm

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Comment #38 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 04, 2007 at 09:56:33 PT

s-bags
A high ranking military official (retired) once told me:republicans don't need the money, but steal because it's fun. And the democrats steal because they need the money.In the book, Bible Code II, when they searched for bush's name, it produced the following sequence:
“In the end times.”I hope we all survive the next 2 years. 
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Comment #37 posted by rchandar on February 04, 2007 at 09:32:41 PT:

Toker00
...and these are the worst two years, and for stupid reasons. Bush knows his time will be up soon. He's thinking, more than ever, about his "legacy". About the book he's going to write, about his private chats with Larry King and Charlie Rose, about his standing with the military guards who'll serve him. Image, image, image. He desperately will want to show himself as a "good" president who took care of business.And that business will be taken care of, by silencing us. By arresting scores of people who pose a "threat" to him. By water-cannoning peaceful demonstrators for peace. By ignoring the will of Congress. By increasing his number of multi-million, multi-billionaire friends. By preaching to an electorate that isn't interested in him.Bush is a ghastly horror, a pox on American democracy. No president since Richard Nixon has been as bad. At least Nixon knew how to do his job. But he WILL be remembered, if WE survive him.--rchandar
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Comment #36 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 04, 2007 at 06:28:04 PT

Contractor Steal-fest
In Washington, Contractors Take on Biggest Role EverLink to full article: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/04/washington/04contract.html?ei=5094&en=5a19d7cad91cd66d&hp=&ex=1170651600&partner=homepage&pagewanted=allFeb. 3 — In June, short of people to process cases of incompetence and fraud by federal contractors, officials at the General Services Administration responded with what has become the government’s reflexive answer to almost every problem.They hired another contractor.It did not matter that the company they chose, CACI International, had itself recently avoided a suspension from federal contracting; or that the work, delving into investigative files on other contractors, appeared to pose a conflict of interest; or that each person supplied by the company would cost taxpayers $104 an hour. Six CACI workers soon joined hundreds of other private-sector workers at the G.S.A., the government’s management agency.Without a public debate or formal policy decision, contractors have become a virtual fourth branch of government. On the rise for decades, spending on federal contracts has soared during the Bush administration, to about $400 billion last year from $207 billion in 2000, fueled by the war in Iraq, domestic security and Hurricane Katrina, but also by a philosophy that encourages outsourcing almost everything government does.Contractors still build ships and satellites, but they also collect income taxes and work up agency budgets, fly pilotless spy aircraft and take the minutes at policy meetings on the war. They sit next to federal employees at nearly every agency; far more people work under contracts than are directly employed by the government. Even the government’s online database for tracking contracts, the Federal Procurement Data System, has been outsourced (and is famously difficult to use). The contracting explosion raises questions about propriety, cost and accountability that have long troubled watchdog groups and are coming under scrutiny from the Democratic majority in Congress. While flagrant cases of fraud and waste make headlines, concerns go beyond outright wrongdoing.
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Comment #35 posted by Toker00 on February 04, 2007 at 01:04:06 PT

The Bushes
think they are America's Royal Family. The Republican "Kennedys", if you will. If Jeb Bush runs for president, and we allow them to steal another presidency, then we will deserve everything we get. If we don't stop this little sh*t head that is in office right now, we deserve what we get, right or wrong? It took six years for the American people to realize the damage this idiot has done to this country, and some of them still don't know the full extent, they are just following the enough is enough herd. 9-11 Truth hasn't convinced near the number of people we need for an up-rising. Bush I fast-tracked Fascism in America. Jeb Bush and the Supremely Bush Oriented Court selected the Decider, Bush II, Marvin provides cover for the Greatest Bush-spiracy Traitor-ism to date, 9-11, and all the cash is transferred to salivating Security Company Black Water, Haliburton, Titan, Caci, Raytheon, DynCorp, etc, etc. Bush delivering hundreds of Billions to the Military Industrial Complexes, the Prison Industrial Complexes of Homeland Security, and other Privatized Mercenaries in Iraq and Afghanistan. Who knows who else. These are NOT America's wars. These are Americas BUSH Wars. We have to end them all, including the Bush War on Drugs to protect their Pharma-profits. END THEM ALL!Toke.
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Comment #34 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 03, 2007 at 21:39:32 PT

bush
bush is a weasel. Therefore, it's easy to predict. He will do what he WANTS.Before stealing the Presidency, he ran every business except one into the ground. The one he didn't destroy is a Texas sports team he and his father sold.This country is being run into the ground, that's based on his history.

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Comment #33 posted by rchandar on February 03, 2007 at 19:39:24 PT:

Toker00
Bush's logic--The American people are mostly against the War in Iraq.
But Bush feels the war must be continued.Deduction: Bush views the American people as idiots and wants to do anything in his power to silence them.--rchandar

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Comment #32 posted by FoM on February 03, 2007 at 15:14:02 PT

Hope
That's probably true but I don't remember that around here. Getting a job at General Electric in our very small town was the most desired job available. The benefits were wonderful. Insurance was covered, profit sharing was done, paid vacations and sick days and it was appreciated. An event that happened this one summer night started the change to happen. One of the women who was in her 30s told the foreman she didn't feel well and said she had to go home he said go that's fine and she walked out the door and dropped dead. The organization that tried to make the factories safer http://www.osha.gov/ was called in. They said the cigarettes combined with the chemicals they worked with caused a toxic reaction and that caused her death. It wasn't long until the factory was put down to a skeleton crew and the work was sent to Mexico. Once the people knew they left the town.
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Comment #31 posted by Hope on February 03, 2007 at 14:34:00 PT

  19
The corporations and the really wealthy people that benefit from them, thought the middle class of the united states was making more a share of the profits than they should (which meant less money for them), and the workers here were getting uppity about being the "producers". They put a stop to that.
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Comment #30 posted by OverwhelmSam on February 03, 2007 at 05:32:39 PT

Land of the Flee, Home of the Slaves
Evidently, the American people need to fire more in Congress in 2008. They are still playing political games instead of representing the people. They just don't get it. We are collective the Boss, they are the employee. When employess do not perform to standards, they are handed their hat.
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Comment #29 posted by Toker00 on February 03, 2007 at 03:28:48 PT

OT: Stop the madness.
Our profuse thanks to the thousands of you who spoke out to support the 
minimum wage, now passed by the Senate. Now we need to continue to 
speak out in even large numbers to oppose the escalation in the Middle East.TELL CONGRESS TO FIGHT TO BRING THE TROOPS HOMECall them now tollfree at 800-828-0498, 800-459-1887 or 800-614-2803ACTION PAGE: http://www.peaceteam.net/no_surge2.phpA couple days ago we heard that Republicans were working to scuttle a 
resolution opposing the new tactically and strategically doomed proposed 
increase in troop deployments to Iraq. Now we hear the Harry Reid has 
totally caved in and signed on to a watered down subservient compromise 
that says, get this, it "should not be interpreted as precipitating any 
immediate reduction in" troop levels. The Washington Post is calling 
the totally neutered resolution "weak". And now we learn it's not 
21,000, it's as many as 48,000 including support personnel.When is Congress going to be strong? When are they going to stand up 
for what the American people are calling for, an IMMEDIATE REVERSAL in 
direction, to bring the troops home, to stop the insanity which is our 
military posture in Iraq. The despicably cowardly compromise goes 
further and states, "The Congress should not take any action that will 
endanger United States military forces in the field, including the 
elimination or reduction of funds for troops in the field." The last time we 
checked that biggest factor in endangering our troops was the fact that 
they were THERE at all.They might as well call it the American Troop Death Warrant And 
Dismemberment Act of 2007. This is NOT what the American people want. This 
is NOT what we voted for. Hear us Congress. Stop whining and get out 
there and fight, just like you expect from our involuntarily 
re-mobilized troops, who no longer have any choice in the matter.THE UPCOMING ACTIVIST RADIO CHANNELWe also have some news about an exciting new project, Activist Radio. 
How would you like to have your own radio show? Many of you will 
remember the Desktop Action software we debuted last year, allowing you to 
send messages to Congress with one click right from your computer 
desktop. We are in the final stages of a major upgrade to this program 
including a potentially unlimited selection of audio transmission channels.As we are finishing up the coding of the new interface we would like to 
invite you to start submitting your audio content so we can but 
together a beta playlist as a demonstration. We are interested in any and all 
of your own recordings of a progressive nature, commentary, interviews, 
music, comedy, whatever you are inspired to produce that you think will 
inspire others to speak out on the issues. The only stipulation is 
that all submission must be your own creation, where you can personally 
authorize broadcast.Here is a special upload page for the new Activist Radio resource to 
get in on the ground floor of this new resource.ACTIVIST RADIO UPLOADS: http://38.118.217.133/upload_mp3.htmPlease take action NOW, so we can win all victories that are supposed 
to be ours.To be added to the list go to http://www.peaceteam.net/in.htmOr if you want to cease receiving our messages, just use the function 
at http://www.peaceteam.net/out.htmPowered by The People's Email Network
Copyright 2006, Patent pending, All rights reserved
May be reproduced for activist purposesToke.
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Comment #28 posted by Toker00 on February 03, 2007 at 03:09:11 PT

It's time to shut down the factories and
start up the Hemp Farms. Workers need to realize their power over authority. Only because we comply with authority are we kept prisoners. We agree to be imprisoned because most people don't know HOW to think for themselves. Democracy is majority rule? No. Democracy is the majority RULLED by a cruel minority. At least Emperialistic DEMONcracy is. A man was killed three blocks from here when he entered a store while a robbery was taking place. Another man was killed down the street in his front yard after coming home from cashing a large winning lottery ticket. In the same week. Dispair grows on the lower end of town. Our area will have an influx of 200,000 people over the next five years because we are one of the last areas around Houston not "fully" developed. Traffic is getting really congested. People seldom smile at you, and look away if you meet their gaze. Everyone looks angry all the time. Many new Cash Advance stores springing up to sucker the gullible. And the truly needy. Church congregations growing, but fewer True fishers of men. The "business" of Faith appears to be healthy, so praise Rome and pass the collection plate. We need more faith based boot camps for the young and the restless. Can't have them seeking Truth on their own.We need to walk along the banks of the rivers more. We need to breath the air in the middle of a forest and be curious about the natural creations that are put here for our curiosities to find and admire and learn to use for the good of all of us. There is another world out there. If we could just stop destroying it long enough to build it.Toke.   
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Comment #27 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 21:31:36 PT

One More on Weather
The picture of the polar bears stranded on thinning ice is so sad. They are beautiful bears. It makes me want to go to Alaska to see them in the wild before they won't be there anymore.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/03/science/earth/03climate.html?ref=world
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Comment #26 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 21:22:28 PT

MikeEEEEE
Yes we must always imagine. If dreams get crushed we can try again. Our country really needs to try again too.
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Comment #25 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 21:18:16 PT

afterburner
Thank you. I hope that the younger generation sees what needs to change because we will be leaving this for them to fix someday. I am not into the stock market because I've always felt it was just like a big pyramid scheme. Then I saw the left side on the back of a dollar bill and saw the pyramid with the eye at the top. The eye was separate from the pyramid. No connection to the majority of people is what that said to me. That is just an observation I had and just my opinion.
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Comment #24 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 02, 2007 at 21:10:10 PT

A shadow government
You are correct.I'm glad you have kind values, and I'm sure you're hopeful, like a lot of us, for a better world without the non-sense. 
Imagine what a mass collective hopeful energy could do.Imagine a world united on many levels -- that's what the elites are afraid of. 
They cannot control a united population.Thoughts to consider tonight.
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Comment #23 posted by afterburner on February 02, 2007 at 21:06:50 PT

FoM #19
"I sometimes think that our good factory jobs were sent out of our country back in the 70s and 80s because the companies didn't want to conform to any standards."I have it on good authority that you are absolutely correct.The corporation is an invention of the state. We need another Teddy Roosevelt, the original trust-buster. However, unfortunately, the Congress-people and Senators are just as addicted to corporate profits as the investors in the industries Congress is *supposed* to regulate. 
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Comment #22 posted by Sinsemilla Jones on February 02, 2007 at 20:53:38 PT

GCW #18
Considering that Josh Hedrick is a freshman majoring in business at Alabama, I think he did pretty darn good.It's the professional journalists who won't do the research to get all the facts together about this incredible plant that bother me.And as much as I agree that cannabis is inherently good, it's historic role in hangings and lynchings, as well as regular old murder and suicide, show that even our beloved plant can indeed be used for evil.
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Comment #21 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 20:51:19 PT

MikeEEEEE 
I guess I still hang on the the values I was taught as a child. Love nature, be kind, don't be a snob but don't grovel and be proud of what you do with the talent each one of us is given. Basic and simple beliefs. This isn't anything like I have seen thruout most of my life. Maybe it is the Internet that has shown me how selfish and mean people can be. I am wiser but I don't know if knowing that we are as bad as many countries has much benefit to me personally. Use the children to control and divide the adults. It really is depressing to think about but we must know where we are headed. We have a system of government but it really isn't what runs our country. Like Bush said it's the base that matters to him. The base is the shadow government in my opinion. 
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Comment #20 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 02, 2007 at 20:31:20 PT

All dressed up, but with a catch...
These are lower life forms (low lives) dressed in suits. These sick bastards are making the home we share very sick.History might look back and blame all of us, but the real true is a small percentage who are elite (delusional idiots) are responsible.We're blammed by these powerful a-holes who control the mass media, by saying we're addicted to oil. The same oil dealers have kept us addicted to their product for decades.
They keep the unaware divided every night (on the evening news) by giving the perception that crimes are occuring all around us, all the time. How can a society be united when they give society the reason to mis-trust one another. This is a powerful form of mind control to make most of the herd submissivew to their policy. These same bastards use the children to push their policy through, the oldest political trick in the propaganda book.Nothing will get done in this country until people wake the f up. 

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Comment #19 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 19:38:31 PT

MikeEEEEE
I sometimes think that our good factory jobs were sent out of our country back in the 70s and 80s because the companies didn't want to conform to any standards. The bottom dollar is more important then building a good, healthy and clean America. That is so sad.Thanks The GCW for sharing your response.
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Comment #18 posted by The GCW on February 02, 2007 at 19:11:00 PT

I want to convey a point...
The following news clip made a statement that I want to comment on.---US AL: Most Advice Isn't Worth Paper It's Printed OnPubdate: Wed, 31 Jan 2007Source: Crimson White, The (Edu, Univ of Alabama)http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v07/n117/a03.html?310312--The story is on the right track but the writer states"...marijuana are not inherently bad. They possess no qualities of good or evil" ----My comment is that cannabis, being a God-given plant IS inherently GOOD!----since Christ God Our Father, The Ecologician, indicates He created all the seed bearing plants saying they are all good, on literally the very first page of the Bible (see: Genesis 1:11-12 and 29-30).---If it's good enough for God... The ECOLOGICIAN...The Green Collar Worker
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Comment #17 posted by MikeEEEEE on February 02, 2007 at 19:06:54 PT

FoM
Money over common sense, very sad.ExxonMobile had record profits again. Money is a man-made invention that only humans pray too.
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Comment #16 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 18:19:05 PT

Another Weather Article
Dire Report Won't Change U.S. Greenhouse Policyhttp://www.denverpost.com/avalanche/ci_5143742
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Comment #15 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 17:59:59 PT

Wayne
We are having a little winter weather now but only a small amount of snow. It has been a lot warmer this winter then it was even a couple years ago. Most of the winter the grass has stayed green. I think because of all the reports on global warming it is too late to reverse now. We knew about it in the 70s and we tried to make a difference but then everything changed and here we are now. They had snow in Malibu! 
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Comment #14 posted by mayan on February 02, 2007 at 17:53:42 PT

The Weather
It's only going to get more unpredictable.European countries have warmest January on record:
http://www.playfuls.com/news_10_11655-European-countries-have-warmest-January-on-record.html
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Comment #13 posted by Wayne on February 02, 2007 at 17:35:14 PT

Re: FoM
Well, it's not supposed to be 85 degrees in the deep winter months either. But it was today,it almost felt like late summer. I remember about a year ago or so, I think it was Atlanta that had a tornado in December. There's some really strange weather-related stuff that's been happening in the last year. Ice in California and Texas, flowers blooming through the snow in the Midwest, and now this. I tell myself that's it's just some freak cycle that happens every now and then, but sometimes I wonder...
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Comment #12 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 16:38:00 PT

Jose
I'm really glad you are ok. The pictures of the devastation are horrible. I didn't think powerful tornadoes happened in the deep winter months.
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Comment #11 posted by Jose Melendez on February 02, 2007 at 16:24:02 PT

There but for the grace of God
A friend's dad was carried 200 feet away from his destroyed trailer by the storm, less than 12 miles away. A car was flipped with a passenger in it less than 4 miles away.Three kids died of the 19 fatalities they are reporting.I just thought it was raining hard . . . strange daze indeed.
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Comment #10 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 15:57:35 PT

Just Saw on CNN
We turned on Lou Dobbs and they had a piece with LEAP. Lou in rebuttal clumped all drugs together unfortunately.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 15:26:23 PT

Toker00
I have never watched so much happening in the news and on so many levels. Iraq is now worse then a civil war and Bush might need 48,000 troops. Countries are scared of us and I understand why because it is scary to think that a button could be pushed rather then deal with the consequences of this invasion of a sovereign country. These are really perilous times. What price do we put on winning this? I don't just mean the money though. I read a right wing article and they made sure Senator Obama's middle name when mentioned every time his name was used. To sum it up they said if we lose in Iraq we also won't be able to protect Israel because of Iran and the threats. I always said this war is about Israel, Jerusalem and the Dome of the Rock. What in the world could help this problem? If we say let them fight it out themselves then all the religions that believe the Scripture that says be good to Israel and God will bless your land would mean that then God wouldn't bless our land. How do we do anything that is right?
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Comment #8 posted by Toker00 on February 02, 2007 at 15:17:32 PT

Link 
If you want to contribute to Council for a Livable World for the ad:https://www.clw.org/contribute/council/
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Comment #7 posted by Toker00 on February 02, 2007 at 15:11:15 PT

I second that, FoM. OT: If you like war in Iraq,
Then you'll love war on Iran.http://www.clw.org/images/iran-advertisement.gifDear (You),
The draft advertisement
Click on the draft advertisement (above) to see a full-size version. With your help we can not only publish this ad for the nation to see, but recruit more sponsors!Over the past year, we have seen ominous signs that President Bush is preparing a military attack on Iran. Over the past few weeks, his rhetoric about Iran has become even more bellicose.An attack on Iran would be an unmitigated disaster.We need your help to build public resistance to a war with Iran.Council for a Livable World is working with Physicians for Social Responsibility and other organizations to publish a full page magazine ad telling Congress to stop President Bush from attacking Iran. We need your help to place this ad in the Congressional Quarterly and publications across the country.Please contribute $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can so that we can avert another disaster before it’s too late.We can agree that Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad’s denial of the Holocaust is disgusting.We can agree that Iran’s development of nuclear weapons is dangerous and risks spreading nuclear weapons to still more countries.But the way to stop Iran is through diplomacy, not war.War with Iran could create a second quagmire for the United States in the Middle East. It could cost thousands of American and Iranian lives, and only strengthen the hand of Iranian hardliners who want to develop nuclear weapons.It could further devastate the American position in the world, which is already weakened because of the Iraq war.We need a smart foreign policy to deal with Iran, not another rush to war based on flimsy intelligence.Spread the word by recruiting your friends to help us publish an ad in publications across the country.We can stop President Bush from making another tragic blunder, but we need your help.Please contribute $25, $50, $100 or whatever you can so that we can avert another disaster before it’s too late.Sincerely,John Isaacs and Guy StevensWage Peace on war. END CANNABIS PROHIBITION NOW!

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Comment #6 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 10:42:32 PT

Florida Friends
With the terrible storm that hit Florida I just want to say that I hope everyone is OK. 
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Comment #5 posted by rchandar on February 02, 2007 at 10:40:25 PT:

screw NPR--popinjays
I was listening to NPR on Wednesday. They began an article about how scientists have "proven" through the example of laboratory mice that even small amounts of LSD leads to schizophrenia, drug dependence, and psychosis.Journalists in the mainstream typically rely upon this type of control--especially when they want to condense out of consideration the obvious differences between human beings, who supposedly draw upon culture, history, arts, philosophy--and rats, dumb creatures who cannot locate the tail of another rat when it's in front of them. The article was offensive in that it completely ignored acid's ascription to history and philosophy as part of the "modulating" experience which produces visions and memories from dream-states. Drugs? Ask the experts; do not question what they know. An obvious example of people not being told the truth--and being expected to believe it is the truth.There have been dozens of trials like this conducted with marijuana. In other words, the psychology and consciousness of a human being is likenable to that of a rat. Why don't these people get a clue?--rchandar
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Comment #4 posted by Toker00 on February 02, 2007 at 09:18:52 PT

Public funding system. Better late than never...
Dear Supporter,We have great news from Washington! Representatives Marty Meehan (D-MA), Christopher Shays (R-CT) and David Price (D-NC) introduced legislation earlier this week to fix the presidential public funding system. Senator Russell Feingold (D-WI) has also introduced companion legislation in the Senate to fix the system.This legislation will make public funding a viable option for any presidential hopeful. The Just $6 campaign has announced their support of the legislation. Please show your support for the legislation now.http://www.just6dollar.org/support-legislationThe public funding levels included in this bill are sufficient for a publicly funded candidate to get his or her message out to the voters, and sufficient for a publicly funded candidate to run a competitive race against any candidate who opts to use unlimited private money.http://www.just6dollar.org/support-legislationIf passed, the legislation would take effect on January 1, 2009 and be effective for presidential elections following the 2008 election. Read more about the new legislation.Thank you for your continued support.Onward!John Rauh, President
Americans for Campaign Reform
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Comment #3 posted by E_Johnson on February 02, 2007 at 08:12:06 PT

We need a policy that includes alcohol
It would be nice if the people on whom addicts prey had a legal way to get the addicts off their backs and into recovery that was more sophisticated than just banning a list of addictive molcules.
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Comment #2 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 07:51:16 PT

Off Topic: Wesley Clark is Speaking Now on C-Span
http://securingamerica.com/
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Comment #1 posted by FoM on February 02, 2007 at 07:39:00 PT

C-Span Right Now
Senator Obama is speaking on C-Span on DirecTV Channel 350.
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