They Try to Make Me Go to Rehab

Will the troubles of poor Amy Winehouse never cease? First, a leading UK daily releases a video that allegedly shows her smoking crack. Then another calls for the British government to forcibly commit her to drug treatment ("The State's actions could save a great talent"). Now Variety brings word that she won't be recording the theme song for the latest James Bond flick:

Mark Ronson, who produced much of Winehouse's Grammy-winning "Back to Black," said the soul diva is "not ready to record any music."

Ronson said the two started work on the track for the upcoming Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" but it would take "some miracle of science" to finish it, he said in an interview with Sky News.

reason, of course, has long championed the right to use those "miracles of science" that keep landing Winehouse in such trouble. Read all about it here, here, and here.

Comments

[Jose]

Here's the thing about drugs. Most people who use drugs recreationally won't end up like Amy Winehouse, but NO ONE who doesn't use drugs ends up like Amy Winehouse. Why take the risk?

[ChrisO]

but NO ONE who doesn't use drugs ends up like Amy Winehouse.

Au contraire. There's all kinds of crazy out there.

If there is a God, he's a twisted bastard for making screwed-up chicks so damned appealing.

[ed]

"Quantum of Solace"?
What a craptastic title!
Is the idea here for people not to go see it?

[ktc2]

Amy Winehouse?! How gives a F#$@!

Been more interested in that raid on the San Deigo University. They raid a large college campus and find about 100 people with drugs. Surpise! Not. But that's 100 who just lost their financial aid.

[ktc2]

Now it's down to 18 . . .

[Episiarch]

Sara Blank: "You can't help a drug addict until they've hit rock bottom. And sometimes it's important to help the process along. You dig a hole in the yard and cover it with sticks and leaves, put glass in their slippers..."

Woman: "Cut the brake cable in their car..."

Sara Blank: "Exactly. Cut the brake cable in their car. The point is to help them hurt themselves."

[Frederick]

reason, of course, has long championed the right to use those "miracles of science" that keep landing Winehouse in such trouble.

Perhaps they aren't such wonders of science if they get you in trouble.

But that's 100 who just lost their financial aid.

Oh well, maybe now they will learn their lesson not to use drugs and go on to lead productive lives.

Au contraire. There's all kinds of crazy out there.

For sure, but a significant amount of it is drug releated.

Then another calls for the British government to forcibly commit her to drug treatment

That's somewhat extreme.

[R C Dean]

Most people who use drugs recreationally won't end up like Amy Winehouse, but NO ONE who doesn't use drugs ends up like Amy Winehouse. Why take the risk?

Let's try a variation on that, just to show how vacuous it is:

Most people who use drugs recreationally go skiing won't end up like Amy Winehouse Michael Kennedy, but NO ONE who doesn't use drugs go skiing ends up like Amy Winehouse Michael Kennedy. Why take the risk?

[Warty]

Fuck, I don't wanna be a fucking Kennedy. No more skiing for this kid.

[Jose]

Actually, RC Dean, millions of people who don't go skiing end up exactly like Michael Kennedy, so I don't know what the fuck you're talking about...

Plus, skiing has benefits - such as it is fun. I fail to see any benefit to taking drugs...

[SugarFree]

If the British government could somehow get involved in making her wear more clothes in public, I think even my cold, black libertarian heart could handle that infringement on human liberty.

Link is safe for work, but not safe for your penis.

[MassHole]

Wrong, they can be quite fun too.

[John]

RC,

Maybe Winehouse was a degenerate who couldn't show up for work on time long before she got on drugs? We blame drugs for her behavior but perhaps the causality goes the other way. Lots of people use drugs and are not degenerates because they were not degenerates to begin with.

[SugarFree]

I fail to see any benefit to taking drugs...

Maybe, for some, it is a brief respite from having to deal with people like you all the time.

[John]

"I fail to see any benefit to taking drugs..."

Do you have any idea how hard it is to go through life sober? I have had four beers today and I needed every one of them.

[Brian Courts]

Plus, skiing has benefits - such as it is fun. I fail to see any benefit to taking drugs...

I wasn't sure, but after reading that absurdly stupid reply it seems obvious that Jose is some relation to our resident, played-out, troll Juanita. And Frederick is apparently going by his full name now.

[D.A. Ridgely]

Here's the thing about drugs life. Most people who use drugs recreationally are alive won't end up like Amy Winehouse having miserable lives, but NO ONE who doesn't use drugs isn't alive ends up like Amy Winehouse with a miserable life. Why take the risk?

Fixed.

I fail to see any benefit to taking drugs...

To paraphrase Dr. Johnson, we have given you an explanation, we do not owe you an understanding.

[lunchstealer]

For some reason that song quickly morphed in my head to say

"Try to make me work in retail,
I say no, no no!"

[Jordan]

The girl is a walking public service announcement. She may single-handedly "win" the War on Drugs.

[dbcooper]

The girl is a walking public service announcement. She may single-handedly "win" the War on Drugs.

Nah, my money's on these hippies to do that first:

http://www.avclub.com/content/blog/insidious_anti_drug_video

[Episiarch]

Geoffrey Jellineck: "Look, all I'm saying is if you still wanna smoke pot then be prepared to spend a lot of time laughing with your friends."

[kinnath]

Government policies that prevent losers from offing themselves before they have an opportunity to breed just pollute the gene pool over the long run.

[GregE]

So here's a question then: She obviously has made the personal choice to abuse various narcotics, and has become addicted to them. So as libertarians, would you support the British Gov't forcibly entering Winehouse into rehab?

[Mike Laursen]

Why take the risk?

Absolutely! And people should avoid mood-altering prescription drugs, alcohol, sugary food, coffee, non-procreative sex, video games, gambling, and the frivolous use of the Internet because some people have been known to have trouble with all of those things!

Hmm, why does that sound slightly more restrictive than living in Afghanistan circa 2000?

[Mike Laursen]

So as libertarians, would you support the British Gov't forcibly entering Winehouse into rehab?

I would not.

[kinnath]

So as libertarians, would you support the British Gov't forcibly entering Winehouse into rehab?

Primary libertarian concept -- thou shall not use force . . .

Did you really need to ask that question?

[BakedPenguin]

I fail to see any benefit to taking drugs...

Then don't take them.

[BakedPenguin]

Unfortunately, some people refuse help even when it's offered. It's worse when they are incredibly talented. Read Jaco Pastorius's biography for another example.

[Jordan]

So here's a question then: She obviously has made the personal choice to abuse various narcotics, and has become addicted to them. So as libertarians, would you support the British Gov't forcibly entering Winehouse into rehab?

No. Let the dumbass kill herself.

[Tacos mmm...]

Oh well, maybe now they will learn their lesson not to use drugs and go on to lead productive lives.

Robert Anton Wilson used to quip that he only wrote a hundred books because he smoked weed.

Seriously, though, when is someone else's productivity any of your business?

[JLE]

Whatever it takes to get by.

[Frederick]

Seriously, though, when is someone else's productivity any of your business?

Because it has negative effects on society which affects us all. Also, since we pay for everyones health care we have a right to expect people to be healthy. Society has rules we all must follow based on the social contract we all implicitly signed by being born.

If we are going to make drugs legal, why not just make rape and murder legal, they are all serious felonies, I fail to see the difference.

Because she is famous she has to be a proper role model.

[Nick M.]

Odd, I've never seen Dan T. spelled with an "F" before.

[R C Dean]

Actually, RC Dean, millions of people who don't go skiing end up exactly like Michael Kennedy, so I don't know what the fuck you're talking about...

True, and millions of people who don't drugs wind up with health, mental, and legal problems. I'm still looking for a valid point in your postings.

Plus, skiing has benefits - such as it is fun.

As are recreational drugs.

Seriously, though, when is someone else's productivity any of your business?

Because it has negative effects on society which affects us all.

Well, posting on internet chat boards isn't doing much for societal productivity either. I guess it should be outlawed as well?

I know, I know. I'll stop playing with the troll.

[dead_elvis]

Lost in the serious debate is the fact that having a song in a Bond movie hasn't really mattered in 3 decades, so no big loss.

[Jordan]

If we are going to make drugs legal, why not just make rape and murder legal, they are all serious felonies, I fail to see the difference.

Oh good lord. If someone ingests a drug, it doesn't violate anyone's rights. If I go out and stab someone to death, then I've pretty clearly violated their right to life.

[ev]

(jose: drugs are real fun)

[mediageek]

If we are going to make drugs legal, why not just make rape and murder legal,

The year is 2008.

We live in an age when nearly any question or query can and has been debated to death in a nearly infinite variety of ways. Almost all of these arguments and their rebuttals have been indexed by Google.

Yet people still post arguments, like the above, that I can only take as a sign that you are just this side of someone who suffers from Down's Syndrome, or you're a worthless troll.

[Frederick]

Yet people still post arguments, like the above, that I can only take as a sign that you are just this side of someone who suffers from Down's Syndrome, or you're a worthless troll.

No, the law's the law and it must be obeyed.

[Andy]

"Society has rules we all must follow based on the social contract we all implicitly signed by being born"

You should get a job doing public relations for a fascist group. I'm not sure how well they'd pay you though...

Also, she doesn't HAVE to be a role model. It would be nice if she was, but she isn't (yet). If you want celebrities to be slaves to the State (or would you prefer "the People"?), just say so. Again, fascism.

Also, she should only be forced into treatment IF she is proven to be a risk to the rights of others (driving while wasted, violent while drunk etc).

And finally, was anyone else disappointed by her CD? The two singles were good (though Rehab was overrated), but the rest was ok at best. I hate CDs like that, good thing I ddin't buy it.

[Tacos mmm...]

No, the law's the law and it must be obeyed.

To the back of the bus with you, Rosa Parks! You are property and have no rights, Dredd Scott!

[mediageek]

No, the law's the law and it must be obeyed.

Thanks for giving me the answer I need.

[Michael Pack]

Funny coming from a country whose PM drank and smoked his way through WW II.

[vanya]

Because she is famous she has to be a proper role model.

Hunh? Where is that written? Did you ever stop ot think that she's become famous precisely because she's not a role model? The lives of most upright law-abiding citizens may be fulfilling and happy, but they're not very interesting to outsiders.

[Yum..]

Frederick | May 6, 2008, 4:28pm | #

Yet people still post arguments, like the above, that I can only take as a sign that you are just this side of someone who suffers from Down's Syndrome, or you're a worthless troll.

No, the law's the law and it must be obeyed.

Ahh... so Frederick you ARE a worthless troll then - thanks for clarifyin'

[The Wine Commonsewer]

Yes, RC, but some people who go skiing end up like Sonny Bono.

[BG]

I am shocked. Nothing about her indicated that she was trouble, or that she is no good.

[BG]

And in case anyone is unfamiliar with the reference, my previous comment is not actually my assesment of her.

Also, of course, drugs should be legalized and mentally-competent adults should have freedom of ingestion.

[BG]

I fail to see any benefit to taking drugs...

Maybe you are not taking the fun ones.

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