Support Reason and Be Able to Answer This Question From Your Kids, Clones, or High-Functioning Replicants in 25 Years: "So what did *you* do during the drug war, daddy/mommy?"
Until next Friday, we're asking folks for regularly read and watch our stuff to help support our efforts. Reason in all its iterations—policy work, print journalism, web journalism, video journalism—is out there in the front lines fighting for freedom from stupid drug laws, stupid immigration laws, unbelievably stupid economic rules and regulations, stupid bans on stuff like bacon-wrapped hot dogs. Seriously:
You can be a part of it all by funding our efforts with a tax-deductible donations of any size (for gifts associated with giving levels, go here). We've just celebrated the 20th anniversary of the demolition of the Berlin Wall by East Germans (at first). Well, there's a ton of work to be done here, too, in terms of busting down the sorts of rules that place hundreds of thousands of people a year under arrest for pot possession, for ongoing eminent domain abuse that made Suzette Kelo the face of a grassroots movement that stood up to government, to slowing, stopping, and reversing the course of government spending that is only making the current economy, not to mention the future, worse and worse.
In a year, or a decade, or a generation, how will you be able to answer your kids, your clones, or your Ronald Bailey Signature Model Transhumanist Replicant with Kung Fu Grip and Lifelike Hair™
"What did you do during the drug war, Daddy/Mommy?"
Will you be able to look them squarely in their genetically modified optical receptors and tell them in a way that your voice patterns will indicate is truthful and say:
I fought hammer and tongs, kid, every way I could. Including supporting Reason, one outfit that provided the intellectual arguments against prohibition, exposes and stories that revealed the human suffering caused by stupid policies, and offered actual, pragmatic fixes to a dire situation. And had fun doing it.
Here we are, a decade into a new century and we're at, if not a crossroads of history, then at least a three-way stop intersection. Liberals and Democrats and Conservatives and Republicans are played out, their 19th-century origins and long run at being in charge has taken its toll and you now only see clowns to the right of you and jokers to the left.
Over the next year as we slog to the midterm elections, stars are aligning for a true shift away from the failed Big Daddy/Big Mommy mind-set of the right and left. People are increasingly excited by the truth that they can run their own lives and that they need the sorts of policies and attitudes that will allow that happen to the greatest degree possible. If we can order a triple mocha non-fat latte at Starbucks, we can screw up our own money supply every bit as well as Ben Bernanke. Barney Frank shouldn't be dictating what lenders can and can't do or who they have to deal with. A country in which Sarah Palin or Mike Huckabee are serious contenders for a major-party nomination is a country that needs to move on boldly into a future in which government gets much smaller and individuals get much bigger. It didn't happen when the GOP was firmly in control of government and it ain't happening with Barack Obama in the big chair either.
Support Reason's efforts to get the ideas out, the stories out, the alternatives to a status quo of trillion-dollar deficits and double-digit unemployment out. We're looking for 500 new donors by the end of this drive. Please donate now.
And then watch how the drug war punishes pain patients. And why that needs to end right now.
Editor's Note: As of February 29, 2024, commenting privileges on reason.com posts are limited to Reason Plus subscribers. Past commenters are grandfathered in for a temporary period. Subscribe here to preserve your ability to comment. Your Reason Plus subscription also gives you an ad-free version of reason.com, along with full access to the digital edition and archives of Reason magazine. We request that comments be civil and on-topic. We do not moderate or assume any responsibility for comments, which are owned by the readers who post them. Comments do not represent the views of reason.com or Reason Foundation. We reserve the right to delete any comment and ban commenters for any reason at any time. Comments may only be edited within 5 minutes of posting. Report abuses.
Please
to post comments
Did Gillespie sell his jacket to raise money for Reason?
That's next.
Meanwhile, the idea of confronting their opponents with how they think they're wrong to their face on video is too much for the paper tigers at Reason.
P.S. In case anyone replies to this, their responses will almost assuredly be ad homs, thereby conceding my points and showing the childish, anti-intellectual nature of libertarians. Dozens of comments here have shown that the phrase "fascist libertarian" isn't an oxymoron.
For a tangible example, Obama's change.gov accepted user-generated questions. If Reason had wanted to do something, they would have thought up one (1) good thing to ask and then tried to encourage every other pothead and pothead-supporter to vote it up. Instead, the dumbest questions rose to the top - by design.
And, because Reason didn't do that, BHO simply repeated what he'd said before and nothing was accomplished.
You're fucking kidding us, right? Like hell change.gov was an honest effort to solicit public opinion.
I'm sorry you can't figure things out, but let me try to help.
They put up the change.gov thing knowing what would happen: dumb questions would get submitted and then moveon.org members and the like would vote up the questions, with the end result being what happened: BHO wasn't challenged.
Now, when I'm faced with something I tend to try to come up with a workaround. Others - like you - just throw up your hands and think that absolves you of responsibility.
The workaround in this case was what I described: focusing on a small set of good questions and getting everyone to vote those up. That would have put BHO on the spot, forcing him to either answer those questions or look bad by not answering them.
Unfortunately, the people who can't think up workarounds are the ones running the show.
You're an idiot. They accidentally got a challenging public opinion, that respondents' #1 concern is legalizing marijuana. Obama brushed off this result with a joke.
Tell you what -- pledge some bucks to reason and I'll click on one of your damned links. Otherwise, STFU!
Tell you what -- for every dollar you donate to reason I'll click on one of your goddamned links. Otherwise, STFU!
Oh Lonewackjob, aka Chris Kelly in meatspace,
You would have a great deal more credibility if you would just answer Jesse's questions. Are you going to do that, ever?
...their responses will almost assuredly be ad homs, thereby conceding my points and showing the childish, anti-intellectual nature of libertarians
You think we're going to sit here and let you have all the ad homs, you logically challenged, intellectually stunted fuckwit?
1. Where is Paypal?
2. It's too bad you can't donate anonymously. That's probably because of the government. Fuck those fuckers.
"Daddy, what did you during the drug war?"
Well, son... I did pot, mescaline, and mushrooms.
That's what I was thinking - isn't "doing" drugs a significant aspect of "doing your part"???
'I don't remember what I did during the Drug War, son. I just know that whatever I did affected my whatdoyoucallit, memory. Now go down to the convenience store and get Daddy some soma.'
"I subscribed to High Times and donated money to NORML, because they are not faggots and are actually working towards drug legalization instead of just pretending to."
oooh! I think bakedpenguin has a new subject to add to the Urkobold Pantheon
tarran: he's getting close, but it's really helpful if the subject is monomaniacal - e.g. shreik "Bushfags"; underzoggy "Rhoemites" (always misspelled); LoneWhacker "IllegalMessicans!!"; Dondero "So And So Republican is really a Libertarian"
So far, eds just seems to like being a asshole randomly. Kind of like a pigeon, just shitting wherever.
Personally, I prefer random indiscriminate assholes to assholes with an agenda. Assholes with some agenda who like to call only a select group of people formulaic names piss me off, but assholes who do it for fun and are willing to wack any mole who dares pop there head out with the hate baton are awesome. I don't feel I need to elaborate..
I find them all pretty fucking tedious. Whether someone is pissing or shitting in the punchbowl, you're still not going to want to drink from it afterward.
I think he's trying to hint that he is a 4-Chan anonymitard.
I understand that they are legion, and like to ask "Why So Serious?" alot.
I think Atlas is a pretty cool guy. eh kills looters and doesn't afraid of anything...
EDS I posted this point on another thread. But I will re-post it here since you are the exact type of person liberals have figured out how to sell their brand to.
Liberals have done an excellent job of "branding" their product. Indeed, Obama is the ultimate expression of that brand. They have managed to convince people that only a liberal set of views are mainstream and acceptable or educated. Being a liberal is a way for the faux educated to appear educated and informed. Rather than working through issues and developing your own set of values and positions and risk being proven wrong or facing ridicule by those who disagree with you, liberals off people a set of pre-approved beliefs that allow you to show the world that you are "educated" and "thoughtful" regardless of how uneducated and unthoughtful you actually are.
This has been especially successful with the young urban elite. They are young, don't know much, are idealistic and inexperienced and generally insecure about being so. Liberalism offers them a way to escape their insecurity and hide their lack of knowledge by giving a pre-approved set of beliefs and list of lesser beings over which they can feel superior. It is actually brilliant marketing.
Liberalism provides a tremendous service and disservice to people like you. On the one hand you are able to fit in and seem intelligent and informed (to some people) without ever having to learn much or do much thinking. On the other hand, you have an excuse to go through life without ever thinking or questioning anything or learning anything that doesn't fit your orthodoxy, which for many people would be a shame. Perhaps it isn't for you.
What are you talking about?
Making fun of Reason for being weak and ineffectual != being a faggot-ass urban liberal.
I stand corrected. You don't adhere to any brand besides the moron one.
All for the lulz, all for the lulz.
You can't throw around the term "faggot" and be expected to be taken seriously. that is just trolling.
NOWAI faggot
As we all know from watching South Park, fags are assholes who drive really loud Harleys around. Therefore, eds has correctly divined that you are a Harley driving dipshit, John.
I would never drive a Harley. I have no use for lawn mower technology or to own a machine that is more useful to talk about and pose on than to actually ride. That is really hitting below the belt Episiarch.
RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE RUMBLE
John, I'm sorry. You should go buy a dicktowel instead.
I don't get it.
South Park and Always Sunny, John. You need to keep up with the references.
I find it interesting that the only point John rebutted was the Harley riding.
NTTAWWT, right? I mean the Harley riding of course.
What was that?
NTTAWWT, right? I mean the Harley riding of course.
OH! Got it. Thanks!
Thank Allah for threaded comments.
Busting my chops for the stupid squirrels, eh.
RC's law:
....uh...
EDS =
Erectlile Dysfuncion Syndrome?
or
Educationally Disadvantaged Student?
I'm going with both.
Excrement Distribution Savant
It's Extremely Dumb Shit, actually.
It's all there, black and white, clear as crystal!
You stole fizzy lifting drinks!
You bumped into the ceiling which now has to be washed and sterilized, so you get nothing!
You lose!
Good day, sir!
Looks like Willy Wonka isn't going to donate to reason, either. One more unresponsive plutocrat. Oh, woe is reason!
Mr. Peanut will be contributing $50 though. So they aren't all quite so evil.
Well, I shoveled shit in Louisiana.
You want a medal?
Too "inside" for eds, I think.
Well, if the inside consists of shit then I'll pass.
Go read Patton's Third Army speech or just watch the first ten minutes of the movie.
Or maybe not.
Suit yerself, eds. Ignorance is...well, ignorance.
"So what did *you* do during the drug war, daddy/mommy?"
Gazed in wonder at Nick Gillespie's Dondi-like haircut.
all for the lulz.