Reason Morning Links: Defending the Cuban Embargo, YouTube at the Supreme Court, More Money for AIG

- Supreme Court gets petition with citing to a YouTube video, which may change "the way appellate judges do their work."

- Fed head Bernanke rebukes AIG, Treasury gives them another $30 billion anyway.

-  Obama approval rating soars, GOP/Limbaugh party at an all-time low.

-  California lawmaker wants Google Maps to blur potential terrorist "soft targets" such as schools and hospitals.

- Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) blocks two Obama nominees in retaliation for relaxation of Cuban trade embargo in new spending bill.

- Dogs bites man: Not news. Man bites dog: News. Dogs eat man's penis: The Sun.

- Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens salutes Mexico for getting thousands of its citizens murdered in order to prevent them from getting high. No, really.

Comments

[Taktix?]

California lawmaker wants Google Maps to blur potential terrorist "soft targets" such as schools and hospitals.

Yes, because a building can be crippled by the knowledge of the configuration of the air conditioning...

[War Street Journal sucks]

just read that....I hope that Bret stephen guy gets cancer...in his eye...and that his puppy is killed by swats...

[Xeones]

Yo, fuck penis-eating dogs. That shit ain't right.

[Taktix?]

just read that....I hope that Bret stephen guy gets cancer...in his eye...and that his puppy is killed by swats...

I knew they were going downhill the day the went to color...

[War Street Journal sucks]

can he draw any more obviously wrong conclusions!

the fact that after 40 years they have only made things worse....even gloats about increasing inter-gang violence!

effin' bastard

[James Ard]

What? no thread on the Caperton/Massey political speech scotus case? Reason has officially jumped the rails and no longer can boast of being for free minds. Baggy pants? sure! constitutional rights for terrorists? Hell Yes! But a forced recusal due to independent political speech? no thank you.

[Citizen Nothing]

It's 9:18 a.m.
But what the fuck.
Drink!

[Elemenope]

Well Ard, don't hold us in suspense. Provide a link!

[John]

Yes Taktiks. If you want to blow up a school you have to find one on google earth. It is not like you can you know drive around any neighborhood in America and find one.

[Episiarch]

Yes, because a building can be crippled by the knowledge of the configuration of the air conditioning...

Taktix is John McClain?

[brotherben]

Plan Columbia worked!

yup. ok. Dang glut of cocaine hereabouts and the price is the same as 1982. That has to be doing damage to the finances of Columbia's "businessmen."

[jsh]

Between drinks, I'm going to cancel my Citibank credit cards in protest of them taking the govt bailout. It's a pointless gesture, but it's something.

[Warren]

Dogs bites man: Not news. Man bites dog: News. Dogs eat man's penis: The Sun.

Was there any reason to go there? What's the point? That The Sun is a yellow tabloid? And now so is Reason. I hope this doesn't become a trend.

[Citizen Nothing]

Jesus, Warren. Can't we all just have a little penis-eating-dog style fun around here?

[Citizen Nothing]

penis-eating dog.
although i suppose penis eating dog would be bigger news.

[Joe_D]

On Bret Stephens' article... what's he referring to with:

"Decriminalizing hard drugs would also send addiction rates skyrocketing, as the British experience of the 1970s shows"

Anyone?

[Xeones]

Yo, fuck Bret Stephens and Robert Menendez.

[P Brooks]

Mexico needs a strongman. Maybe we should overthrow their government and put Bush and Yoo in charge. Blackwater could organize the death squads.

[T]

From Stephens' nattering:

The government has managed to spark power struggles within and among cartels, and the vast majority of Mexico's murder victims are themselves involved in the drug trade.

Umm. Yeah. So I guess having drug cartels shoot it out in the streets is a preferred outcome relative to them not doing it? Interesting world he lives in.

I like his assertion that most of Mexico's murder victims are in the drug trade. He's getting those numbers where? From a government known for corruption that wants more money from the US to fight the drug trade? Yeah, that's a reliable source there, buddy.

[Jerry]

I second Joe_D's request.

[P Brooks]

I'm too chicken to read the article; was the penis in question attached at the time?

[???]

Mexico needs a strongman. Maybe we should overthrow their government and put Bush and Yoo in charge. Blackwater could organize the death squads.

Well, I don't know about the death squad part, but I have a Mexican friend who strongly favors the US annexing Mexico. He figures that would be a quick way of putting an end to the illegal immigration controversy.

[BDB]

Yeah, damnit, let's finished what President Polk started in 1846!

[B]

"The government has managed to spark power struggles within and among cartels, and the vast majority of Mexico's murder victims are themselves involved in the drug trade."

Someone PLEASE introduce this guy to the concept of "selection pressure".

[robc]

Radley:

Stealing writing styles from fark? Really?

Leave the not news, news, fark cliche to fark. You are too good for that.

[Just Plain Brian]

I'm too chicken to read the article; was the penis in question attached at the time?

No, it was a Bobbitt-like story, only with stray dogs at the end instead of a brief porn career

[Imperialist]

. . . but I have a Mexican friend who strongly favors the US annexing Mexico. He figures that would be a quick way of putting an end to the illegal immigration controversy.

I have posted this very suggestion in H&R many times. We need to work our way down through Central America and onward through South America as well.

[mex]

why are you ppl worried about drug related violence in Mexico? surely any collateral damage among southern dark-skinned untermensch is irrelevant when we are trying to SAVE OUR CHILDREN FROM EVIL DRUGS!

[kilroy]

"Decriminalizing hard drugs would also send addiction rates skyrocketing, as the British experience of the 1970s shows"

I would also like to know what this is about. Is this completely fictitious, valid or just misrepresented?

[Jeff]

California lawmaker wants Google Maps to blur potential terrorist "soft targets" such as schools and hospitals.

---------------------------------------
Terrorist #1: So what are our targets?

Terrorist #2: all the blurs

[B]

"Decriminalizing hard drugs would also send addiction rates skyrocketing, as the British experience of the 1970s shows"

I've been trying to find some corroboration of this assertion, myself. I would be very interested to know what magnitude of increase (assuming that there is at least some truth to the assertion) qualifies as "skyrocketing".

So far, all I have been able to pull is article after article about how the criminalization of British drug policy under the Labor government from 1997 on has been an utter failure...

Numbers? Anyone? Bueller?

[Nick]

Annexing Mexico would be great.

A) It would piss off a lot of people I know.
B) I wouldn't need a passport to go there.
C) Some more of A.

Let's do this.

[brotherben]

I ran across a few articles about britain's legal distribution of heroin and heroin substitutes in the 60s and 70s with large increases in partakers in the program. numbers were very loose and had only guesses at the number of addicts pre-program. nothing real reliable.

[Episiarch]

Annexing Mexico would be great.

Yes, annexing an utterly corrupt country with massive amounts of problems would be great. Then the DEA could slug it out directly with drug cartels instead of though bribed Mexican proxies. Maybe we could get the Army involved as well. That would be great!

[Kyle Jordan]

68% favorable opinion, 47% "very positive", 67% hopeful, and 60% approve of his job!?

:beats head against desk:

[Nick]

Radley, you would have loved last Friday's Numb3rs where Charlie tries to use math to stop all drugs ever. Seriously. If you haven't watched it, go to cbs.com and watch.

Spoiler alert:

They even said at the end they can't win the war, but they have to fight the battles because it's the right thing to do or some such bullshit.

[Taktix?]

I have posted this very suggestion in H&R many times. We need to work our way down through Central America and onward through South America as well.

Perfect! Secure the continent, and with America's scientific bonus, we'll have the Space Race victory in no time!

Oh wait, life isn't Civ IV. It sure seems like it lately though...

[Nick]

Yes, annexing an utterly corrupt country with massive amounts of problems would be great.

You're right. They probably wouldn't want us.

[brotherben]

Epi, a nice, extra large military operation might be just what the economy needs right about now. Hey, it worked in '41-45'

[P Brooks]

I ran across a few articles about britain's legal distribution of heroin and heroin substitutes in the 60s and 70s with large increases in partakers in the program. numbers were very loose and had only guesses at the number of addicts pre-program. nothing real reliable.

I have a vague recollection of a lot of anecdotal hysteria about "government created" drug addicts.

[Pro Yoobertate]

Episiarch,

If the army were acting within the borders of an annexed Mexico (which would then be called South Texas), the Constitution wouldn't apply.

[Episiarch]

We should declare the a few miles of the Mexican border to be a demilitarized zone, and then we line the DMZ with shitloads of mines, barbed wire, machine guns, and moats with sharks with frickin' laser beams on their heads. It's the perfect solution!

[P Brooks]

Those poor, oppressed Mexicans will welcome us with open arms; they'll throw flowers.

And- Mexico has oil!
The whole enterprise will pay for itself.

[John]

"I ran across a few articles about britain's legal distribution of heroin and heroin substitutes in the 60s and 70s with large increases in partakers in the program. numbers were very loose and had only guesses at the number of addicts pre-program. nothing real reliable."

If I am not mistaken Britian was giving the shit out for free as part of a treatment program. Yeah, if you give away dope, a lot of degerates are going to take advantage of it.

The problem is that we may be too late even for legalization to do much good. Let's say tommorow the government gave a license to big pharm to produce high grade heroine, coke and speed and sell it. That would pretty much put the drug cartels out of business. But I am not sure they would go away. They would just move on to kidnapping, extortion and other rackets. I mean when you have an organization that is that big, it is going to adapt to the market to survive.

[Episiarch]

Coincidentally, I was listening to "Mexican Radio" by Wall of Voodoo this morning on the radio. I think it's a sign.

[P Brooks]

Once our Anschluss is complete, we can build a bridge from Houston to Cancun; Stimulus, Baby!!

[Eric Holder]

When we eliminate the diversion of firearms from the american civilian market to the Mexican drug cartels the violence will stop.

[BATFE]

What Holder said.

[brotherben]

mr. holder, they only take the guns americans don't want.

[John]

You have to love the BO administration's thinking. Mexico is falling apart into violence. So rather than think about border security or stoping the root cause of the violence, prohibition, their sollution is to go after us gun owners. They really are evil geniuses. Their oppressive policies are self supporting; because we have to keep you from using drugs, Mexico is burning down and because of that we are going to have to take all of your guns.

[Pro Yoobertate]

Episiarch,

I was envisioning more of a massive slave labor camp, where English is the official language, drugs are a capital offense, and oil is the rightful legacy of all norteamericanos.

Baja California (to be known after annexation as Very South Dakota), will become a state where all libertine activities will be legal--drugs, gambling, prostitution, bullfighting, speaking Spanish. Hey, the Yoo needs to blow off steam on occasion, and Cabo is a short flight from San Francisco.

[Episiarch]

to be known after annexation as Very South Dakota

New New Mexico? New Old Mexico?

[John]

"I was envisioning more of a massive slave labor camp, where English is the official language, drugs are a capital offense, and oil is the rightful legacy of all norteamericanos."

I thought that was Obama's plan for Texas.

[Pro Yoobertate]

No, "Mexico" is right out. In fact, the army will invade New Mexico and force it to change its name to Big Atomo.

[Kyle Jordan]

Ha! Very South Dakota. That was good.

[Pro Yoobertate]

Thank you. The Yoo took a course in renaming conquered territories in law school, right after he took the prerequisite course, Unconstitutional Law.

[Imperialist]

We succeeded in going sea-to-sea, now we need to go pole-to-pole.

[P Brooks]

From Bloomberg

Bernanke faced criticism from the Senate Budget Committee members yesterday for the rising cost of the federal rescues.

"The public has just about had it with continuous capitalization," Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, told the Fed chairman. "Don't underestimate how hard it is going to be for you and others to continue to print money to solve this problem."

Bernanke said he understands why taxpayers are angry. "It isn't fair that money is going to big corporations," he said. "We need to think very hard as a country how we make sure this doesn't happen again."

They could always try something like, you know, not bailing the fuckers out any more.

[Pro Libertate]

Don't be silly, P Brooks, bailout plans are now a permanent feature of our annual budget. They'll get around to bailing you out some day, provided that you are in the politically appropriate grouping.

[John]

"They could always try something like, you know, not bailing the fuckers out any more."

Jesus Christ Brooks are you daft? If you did that not only would they no longer be beholden to the government a few of Bernanke and Geithners friends might have to work for a living we can't have that. My God, those people donated to Obama. They are not like average people. They can't be expected to face bankruptcy just because they ran their companies in the ground. What is wrong with you?

[Isaac Bartram]

We should declare the a few miles of the Mexican border to be a demilitarized zone, and then we line the DMZ with shitloads of mines, barbed wire, machine guns, and moats with sharks with frickin' laser beams on their heads. It's the perfect solution!

I keep telling you people, what we need is a sea level canal from the Pacific to the Gulf.

Think of the stimulus! This is the Mother of all Public Works projects.

Why, the eminent domain proceedings alone would take an army of lawyers. And heaven knows we don't want starving lawyers wandering the streets with nothing to do in these straitened times. God only knows what mischief they could get up to.

And this proposal has absolutely nothing to do with me being a civil engineer. I advance it with the purist of motives. I am merely a disinterested unselfish patriot.

Dig we must. if notheing else...THINK OF THE CHILDREN. Not sure what that's gotto do with it but it seems to work everywhere else.

[James Ard]

El, not that anyone cares, but here's the Wall Street Journal article:
online.wsj.com/article/SB123604532738815399.html

[Xeones]

For the record, the 9:30 AM comment wasn't the real me, but i was thinkin' it.

We can't annex Mexico. Fratties and sorostitutes need to have SOMEPLACE to go to get hepatitis, after all.

[Pro Yoobertate]

I thought the Yoomeister was clear: Very South Dakota (f/k/a Baja California) will become the Netherlands of the United States. Such activities will not be allowed in South Texas, however.

[Nick (channeling Xeones channe]

Yo, fuck eminent domain, Isaac!

Just build the moat, er, I mean canal deep and wide on the Mexican side of the border. Those filthy bastards are all drug dealers remember? There couldn't possibly be any innocent people along the border who deserve to keep their homes. Fuck 'em.

[brotherben]

Mr. Bartram, most of the land where you wanna build your canal is desert. Not enough water to float a boat. Duh.

[Imperialist]

Why, the eminent domain proceedings alone would take an army of lawyers.

There's no good reason why the current Supreme Court wouldn't allow eminent domain to be used to acquire territory outside the "current" borders of the US as long as some government agency claims there is a public benefit.

The Mexicans and Canadians don't need their land as much as US real estate developers do.

[robc]

Annexing Mexico shortens our southern boarder by a great deal.

[Episiarch]

Let's just turn Mexico into a huge, open-air prison. When the president's plane crashes there, we can send in John Yoo to save him. We'll have to pluck out one of his eyes, though, because he'll need an eyepatch.

[robc]

We dont have to rename anything if we annex Mexico. it already has states with names. They just each become a state, although we probably have to do something with Mexico City.

[#]

Mr. Bartram, most of the land where you wanna build your canal is desert. Not enough water to float a boat. Duh.

Dig a deep enough canal, and water will rush in from the oceans. Double Duh!

[robc]

To prevent confusion and to americanize a bit Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur would become North Baja and South Baja. Dropping the California.

[Pro Libertate]

Episiarch,

Now why would we do that when Kurt Russell still walks among us?

[Pro Yoobertate]

robc,

What are you, some sort of MexicanSympathizer? New names for new Change.

However, Professor Yoo can make this concession: Mexico will be divided into two big states: South Texas and Souther Texas.

[robc]

Oh and the Maritime provinces have to merge to form 1 state.

From sea to shining sea
From Baffin Bay to Tierra del Fuego

I never understood why Manifest Destiny ended when we reached the Pacific.

[Kyle Jordan]

"Let's just turn Mexico into a huge, open-air prison. When the president's plane crashes there, we can send in John Yoo to save him. We'll have to pluck out one of his eyes, though, because he'll need an eyepatch."

That's change I can fuckin' believe in right there!

Duke of Tijuana, A No. 1!

[Imperialist]

I never understood why Manifest Destiny ended when we reached the Pacific.

Like I said, pole-to-pole.

We ain't really the United States of America until it's all the Americas.

[Isaac Bartram]

But, brotherben, the Pacific Ocean and Gulf of mexico are full of water. What I am proposing is a canal connecting the two.

We will call it the Canale Grande (screw Venice, they'll have to rename their pitiful little ditch).

Clearly I am the only one hear with the sort of grand vision called for in times like these. Stand aside, little people.

[Episiarch]

Now why would we do that when Kurt Russell still walks among us?

Because I want John Yoo to die in the attempt.

although we probably have to do something with Mexico City

Montalb?n City, or, alternatively, Khan City. Or, KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!! City.

[robc]

Like I said, pole-to-pole.

From sea to shining sea
From Baffin Bay to Tierra del Fuego

My version sounds better. Plus, the Americas dont reach the poles.

[brotherben]

Mr. Bartram, plan ahead, with global warming a rising sea levels, you won't have to dig as deep.

[Isaac Bartram]

I see that # at 11:09am has grand vision.

As does Episiarch at 11:08am. Of course, the Canale Grande can only enhance Mexico's potential as an open air prison.

[Imperialist]

My version sounds better. Plus, the Americas dont reach the poles.

Bridges, dude, bridges 😉

[Imperialist]

Of course we'll need to build a huge floating city at the North Pole to have some place for the northern bridge to go to.

[Call of Duty]

and with America's scientific bonus,

American's don't really have a scientific bonus in Civ IV (Lincoln dopes have a philosophical bent, but it's far inferior to what he had in the past)

[T]

Plus, the Americas dont reach the poles.

Once we annex the poles, we rename them Norther America and Souther America.

[P Brooks]

"Now, I'm not sayin' we won't get our hair mussed, Mister President...."

[Pro Libertate]

One can punish Yoo without disrespecting Kurt Russell. I suggest simply incarcerating him in the new prison.

[Fluffy]

All this aside, the plain political fact is that drug legalization in the U.S. is not going to happen as long as a powerful moral and social consensus opposes it. To make the case for it now while Mexico bleeds is an exercise in fecklessness.

Since the plain political fact is that the war on drugs cannot be won, because a powerful market demand for drugs exists, why isn't making the case for continuing the drug war an "exercise in fecklessness"?

[Nick]

Shit. I just thought of a potential disaster with annexing Mexico.

Mexican zombies who only grunt in Spanish. And when they eat the brains of Americans who then become zombies themselves...Spanglish. No mas, dude!

[Butt Stephens]

Hey, I don't like drugs. So drugs should be illegal. Massive collateral damage involving furrinor's is an acceptable price to pay so that my point of view can win out.

[Juanita]

Since the plain political fact is that the war on drugs cannot be won, because a powerful market demand for drugs exists, why isn't making the case for continuing the drug war an "exercise in fecklessness"?

There are some things you may never succeed at, but we must keep trying because it is the right thing to do. We have to fight drugs in order to protect America's children. Allowing drug abuse sends a dangerous message to America's children that drug addiction is a harmless activity. Dangerous drugs like pot are not good for us. The government has a right and in fact an obligation to protect us from things that are not good for us by banning them. I'm all for it. It is OK to use beer, wine and liquer because they have a long history of safe use in western society, but if you take the pot, you will end up taking heroine and then will need to resort to crime to support the adiction. These are the negative downstream affects on society of drugs and why they are legal. You want the 'right' to take the pot, how about my right to live in a drug free society. When you take the drug you are insulting all the men who died for our freedom. Freedom is drug free because using drugs enslaves you and slavery is illegal.

[Taktix?]

We can't annex Mexico. Fratties and sorostitutes need to have SOMEPLACE to go to get hepatitis, after all.

They still have beer pong. (See last night's Colbert Report at 8 p.m. tonight if you don't get it).

[Juanita]

>> These are the negative downstream affects on society of drugs and why they are legal.

I meant >> These are the negative downstream affects on society of drugs and why they are illegal.

[Timmy]

Juantia, when was the last time you had an orgasm you cold, heartless bitch.

[Juanita]

Hey, I don't like drugs. So drugs should be illegal. Massive collateral damage involving furrinor's is an acceptable price to pay so that my point of view can win out.

You are right, I don't like drugs, they have been illegal a long time and that is the way it is going to stay. That is the way it is, grow up and get used to it. If you need to use drugs so much that you will break the law, you are an addict and need some good 'ole fashoined SEVERE PUNISHMENT.

OBEY THE LAW!!!

[Taktix?]

However, Professor Yoo can make this concession: Mexico will be divided into two big states: South Texas and Souther Texas.

It should be three states: South Texas, Souther Texas, and Southerer Texas

Just so future generations can remember how dumb and illiterate we were...

[Juanita]

The law's the law. Laws are meant to protect us, it is wrong to break any law, ever, for any reason.

[Juanita]

We will win the war when we once and for get tougth and fight a real drug war.

[J sub D]

From sea to shining sea
From Baffin Bay to Tierra del Fuego

My version sounds better. Plus, the Americas dont reach the poles.

And after Tierra del Fuego, Antartica beckons. With global warming destroying the ice cap in only a century, South Hawaii (robc's Folly) will be considered a bargain.

Johnny Horton will write the invasion anthem "South to Antartica".

[libertarian democrat]

SLD, of course.

It's a bad argument to say that we shouldn't fight the war on drugs because it can't be won.

The same could apply to real crimes, but they would still be worth fighting.

[Timmy]

The law's the law. Laws are meant to protect us, it is wrong to break any law, ever, for any reason.

I miss the days when women where chattel.

[Timmy]

The same could apply to real crimes, . .

And we're diverting resouces from fighting real crimes to fight fake crimes.

[J sub D]

Juanita, my love -
I've missed you. My heart yearns for these moments we spend together.

Evil hearted you.
You kept,
Kidding me along,
With your phoney smile,
And with,
Your siren song smiling, beguiling,
You lead me on 'til all hope's gone,
Persuading, degrading,
On my knees I try to please.

But I love you,
Just the same,
And I want you,
To remain,
By my side,
And you'll see,
Just how much you,
Mean to me.

[J sub D]

Wall Street Journal columnist Bret Stephens salutes Mexico for getting thousands of its citizens murdered in order to prevent them from getting high. No, really.

I read that yesterday. I tore the op-ed out of the paper and wiped my ass with it. My ass is not happy, would prefer emery cloth.

[brotherben]

"I miss the days when women where chattel."

When did it change?

[Taktix?]

American's don't really have a scientific bonus in Civ IV

I know, but I was hoping no one would call me on it. Call it creative license...

[Imperialist]

And after South Hawaii, up the other side to Australia and New Zealand.

[Timmy]

When did it change?

Sufferage

[Taktix?]

It is OK to use beer, wine and liquer because they have a long history of safe use in western society,

Inadvertent WIN!

[Fluffy]

It's a bad argument to say that we shouldn't fight the war on drugs because it can't be won.

The same could apply to real crimes, but they would still be worth fighting.

Not really. Different standards apply.

If we took the state out of the equation for a minute, and considered how we would act as individuals [because our moral options as individuals are what we're delegating to the state here after all], I would say that if someone was trying to break into my house to rob me, or kill me, or man-rape me, or what have you, I would try to stop them even if I knew I would fail. But I wouldn't expend a lot of effort to try to send a rocket ship to the moon if I knew I would fail.

[Try to protect one's own person even if you can't succeed] is not the same as [try to do some optional thing that might be nice if you could achieve but which isn't based on defense of one's person, even if you can't succeed].

[Isaac Bartram]

Of course we'll need to build a huge floating city at the North Pole to have some place for the northern bridge to go to.

Damn, canals and bridges. I love it.

For the benefits they will bring to the public at large, of course.

I have absolutely no sordid self interest in this, No, none at all.

I am merely an impartial observer with nothing but altruistic concern for my fellow citizens.

[Fluffy]

Wow, is it just me or have the standards of the Juanita troll really fallen?

[libertarian democrat]

I agree, of course, Fluffy.

But, I think some people view drugs as more akin to the first example than the latter. So the "it can't be won" argument is not compelling.

Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what it seems like many (but not all) drug war supporters think.

[Isaac Bartram]

Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) blocks two Obama nominees in retaliation for relaxation of Cuban trade embargo in new spending bill.

OK, I know New Jersey is the No 2 location for Cuban refugees, but seriously I don't think that calling for easing the embargo (it's not like anyone's suggesting we actually end it) would lose you an election in Florida any more.

There's a lot of Cubans who would really like to have an easier time to send help to there families there. And then there's the whole thing about travel restrictions.

Except for a few old geezers who long for the old days exploiting the peons nobody really cares any more.

[Episiarch]

Wow, is it just me or have the standards of the Juanita troll really fallen?

Don't be so demanding. Whichever regular does Juanita is probably very busy.

[Juanita]

And we're diverting resouces from fighting real crimes to fight fake crimes.

Not really because most 'real' crimes, i.e. theft, violence are somehow drug related. Stopping drugs stops them at the source.

[Juanita]

[Try to protect one's own person even if you can't succeed] is not the same as [try to do some optional thing that might be nice if you could achieve but which isn't based on defense of one's person, even if you can't succeed].

True, except that stopping drugs is not optional, it is necessary for the defense of society, it is a matter of our national defense.

[Mohummad]

MADRID - An Iranian woman living in Spain said Wednesday she welcomed a Tehran court ruling that awards her eye-for-an-eye justice against a suitor who blinded her with acid.

Ameneh Bahrami, 30, told Cadena SER radio, "I am not doing this out of revenge, but rather so that the suffering I went through is not repeated."

Late last year an Iranian court ruled that the man - identified only as Majid - who blinded Bahrami in 2004 after she spurned him, should also be blinded with acid based on the Islamic law system of "qisas," or eye for an eye retribution, according to Iranian newspaper reports from November.

But Bahrami, who moved to Spain after the attack to get medical treatment, said Wednesday that under Iranian law, she is entitled to blind him in only one eye, unless she pays euro20,000 ($25,110), because in Iran women are not considered equal to men.

"They have told us that my two eyes are equal to one of his because in my country each man is worth two women. They are not the same," she told Cadena SER.

Bahrami explained that she was now waiting for a letter from the court to go back to Iran for the punishment to be carried out.

Cadenda SER said that after undergoing treatment in Barcelona, Bahrami recovered 40 percent vision in one eye but since then doctors have not been able to prevent her from going totally blind. She also suffered horrific burns to her face, scalp and body.

She says she now survives on euro400 ($500) a month in aid from the Spanish government.

The woman said Majid would be blinded by having several drops of acid put into one eye, whereas she had acid splashed all over her face and other parts of her body.

It was not immediately possible to make contact with Bahrami on Wednesday. No one at the Iranian Embassy was available for comment either.

[Hawaii, Guam, and the Philippi]

I never understood why Manifest Destiny ended when we reached the Pacific.

It did?

[Your Favorite Queer]

"We succeeded in going sea-to-sea, now we need to go pole-to-pole."

I'm certainly doing my part!

Kiss Kiss!
YFQ

[Astroglide]

"Let's just turn Mexico into a huge, open-air prison. When the president's plane crashes there, we can send in John Yoo to save him"

John Yoo? I heard he was dead.

[bigbigslacker]

Radley:

Stealing writing styles from fark? Really?

Leave the not news, news, fark cliche to fark. You are too good for that. - robc

THIS

😉