Reason Writers on the Tube: Radley Balko Discusses SWAT Teams and the Drug War on John Stossel's Show

Reason Senior Editor Radley Balko discussed SWAT teams and the drug war on John Stossel's Fox Business Channel show this week. This week's show focused solely on the drug war and also featured Reason contributor Jeffrey Miron. In this first video, Balko and Berwyn Heights, Maryland Mayor Cheye Calvo discuss the use of SWAT teams to serve drug warrants:

And in this video from the extended web version of the show, Balko, Calvo, and the Mary Anastasia O'Grady of the Wall Street Journal take questions from the audience:

Comments

[Fist of Etiquette]

capitlol l and I live blogged this show, not that any of you people care.

Spoiler alert: At the end of this episode, we find out the drugs did it.

[Groovus Maximus]

In the conservatory with the rope, lead pipe, revolver, candlestick, wrench and the knife. Since drugs are SO evil, proper levels of hyperbole must be achieved here.

I read the color commentary; I like it FoE.

[Ted S.]

In the conservatory with the rope, lead pipe, revolver, candlestick, wrench and the knife. Since drugs are SO evil, proper levels of hyperbole must be achieved here.
In the library with Mr. Green and Professor Plum.

[Suki]

Thank you for your service to our country.

[Suki]

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY REASON!

Don't forget to call someone daddy today.

[PIRS]

Happy Father's day Suki!

[Suki]

LULZ!

[PFJ]

Anywhere online to see Miron's segment?

[Lou Bunny]

JOhn Stossel is such a tool!

Lou
http://www.Anonymous-VPN.de.tc

[Kevin]

Surprise, surprise. Anonbot is a CNBC fan.

Typical.

[Astrid]

Was there ever any doubt?

[Kolohe]

I thought it was Michael Bloomberg

[prolefeed]

What stunned me was the end of the first video, where the mayor of the town who had endured such a raid STILL refused to disavow the WoD -- he just wants to try different tactics to prosecute it.

You know, get the RIGHT people in charge of the WoD.

Yes, a politician trying to get reelected, but fucking-A, get a grip pal. What would it take for him to denounce the WoD?

[Randolph Carter]

You do realize that when he says "different strategies" he means decriminalization/legalization over time, right? purity purity all is purity...

[Groovus Maximus]

prolefeed, this Mayor is a True Believer, simply put. Eggs, omelets, etc. FOP in such towns, or any town for that matter, hold sway with the public and often holds sway with local pols as well, since they implement the laws and policies of the the town. Also keep in mind, in the minds of the WoD warriors, only scummy and disposable riff-raff and pseudo-humans consume "illicit" drugs. You know, plebes they would never actually condescend to actually speak to in public, and about whom they don't give a damn except as a talking point for votes and feel-goodisms.

Sometimes I wonder if these people who argue most strongly for the WoD have a little habit on the side themselves, or have a past history of drug use for which they are doing some sort of perverse penance. Ye who doth protest too much...

[prolefeed]

Ummm, what do you mean by FOP here? UrbanDictionary gives the definitions of metrosexual, Fashion Obsessed Prick, Fucking Old Person, Fresh Off (the) Plane, and Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva.

None of those seems to fit.

[Groovus Maximus]

Fraternal Order of Police.

[More like]

Fucking Overpaid Physician

[FOP?]

fucking overpaid physician

[rctl]

FOP? Fucking Overpaid Physician

[Groovus Maximus]

Didn't you fall off your broom mid-flight or drown at your trial or something equally unpleasant? I got your fucking overpaid physician *right here*, bitch!

[rctl]

You wish.

[Groovus Maximus]

I wouldn't touch you with Warty's, Tony's or JW's dick.

[rctl]

Is that a trick reply? Tony is gay. Warty and JW don't even have dicks.

[Groovus Maximus]

But Warty is drunk right now, so you might actually have a chance! You can fuck Tony with your freakishly large clit dick, you ambiguous lass? Or is it laddy? Hard to tell with you cisgenders...

[rctl]

Warty could not handle a vagina. It would send him into permanent metal mania. JW is married, and has not seen a vagina in years. Tony...well too bad he's gay;-)

[Groovus Maximus]

You're a sick, twisted one there, rctl. This board has missed you less than Alan "Herpes" Vanneman. Sorgatz apparently is some pathetic loner with matricidal tendencies...by all means try your "cure" on him; they may even name the resultant disease after you.

[rctl]

Don't you have some slicing and dicing to do? Oh wait, you dropped medicare/medicaid and now you have to find someone willing to pay for your Beni Hana skills.

[Groovus Maximus]

Keep trying to land a punch below the belt there, rctl. Been a while? You might actually land one if your aim wasn't more clumsy than your feeble attempts at insults. The seasons move faster than your wit.

[The Angry Optimist]

Don't worry, Groovus, rctl is due for bragging about her sex life to try to impress us all soon, I'm sure.

[The Art-P.O.G.]

Wait for it...

[JW]

Can I have my dick back?

[prolefeed]

Can I have my dick back?

No. No, you may not. Remember all the police reports you had to fill out last time you had custody of your dick?

[keep on eye on the rctl]

She blows anything that moves.

[prolefeed]

Is that a trick reply? Tony is gay.

Tony would touch you with his dick if you paid him enough. Whores will do anything for the right price.

[The Libertarian Guy]

http://www.theonion.com/articl.....lary,1115/

[Warty]

I'm mildly drunk and it sounds like there are gunshots outside my apartment. So enjoy Milton Friedman making some moron kid look stupid(er).

[AA]

Warty your the bestest.

Friedman's point about the electric company not being at fault but the neighbors and friends being at fault for not being charitable was outstanding.

Don't get shot.

[wylie]

Get's laughs from the crowd even though it sounds like most of them were there to try and prove hi wrong.

How do we find out what Office of Gov't that kid has since achieved? (Ok, ok, MAYBE he's a used car salesmen instead, but I'm betting on politician. Doesn't seem savvy enough to sell used cars.)

[FOP?]

Fucking Overpaid Physician

[?]

URGENT THREADJACK!

There were goddamned vuvuzelas at a goddamned baseball game last night! Lock and load, men. We must kill the beast!

http://larrybrownsports.com/ba.....ight/21662

[Suki]

+1
Good morning sunshine 🙂

[?]

Play ball!

Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!
Arghh!!

[PIRS]

I would love to see someone take a bunch of these things to disrupt a congressional session or a speech by Obama. That would be fun to watch.

[?]

I would settle for a couple-hundred baseball fans besieging the home of the Marlins' marketing manager at 2 a.m. with a vuvuzela serenade.

[wylie]

Sounds like the best way to get them completely banned too!

[Ted S.]

Diego Maradona, at least, likes the vuvuzela.

[BrentM]

Fox should move Stossel and Napolitano to FNC in the primetime and put O'reilly and Hannity to the janitorial pool.

[PIRS]

Glenn Beck is actually good as well. He has been getting better all the time. More and more libertarian. He even had on two LvMI schollars on at the same time ago recently to discuss "The Road to Serfdom" by Hayek. The book shot up to the bestsellers again and the distributor ran out of copies.

[BakedPenguin]

I'm not really a fan of Beck, but I bet I'd like his book club better than Oprah's.

[Warty]

The first air raid of any consequence on Great Britain the night before last. Fourteen killed, seven German aeroplanes claimed shot down. The papers have photos of three wrecked German planes, so possibly the claim is true.

[The Art-P.O.G.]

Simply interesting as hell. I'm still reading...

[Fist of Etiquette]

I call Godwin on this Orwell blogger.

[John]

Reason should hire O'Grady away from the WSJ. But I doubt they could afford her.

[Suki]

Reason enough for a webathon.

[?]

This is like Derek Jeter playing for the Cleveland Indians. Only in Bizarro World.

[wylie]

The other thing being "well, i got my last job because readers held a fund raising drive for the magazine."

I don't think that improves your resume.

On that note: time for a COMPLETELY unrelated fundraiser. *wink nudge wink*

[Suki]

+1

[dbcooper]

OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG

We need a novelty rap now.

Fucking Legends!

NZ 1 - Italy 1 (they are 74 places higher ranked than us).

[BakedPenguin]

Yeah, I had a small wager on that. I bet on the spread, thinking that Italy wasn't good enough to win by 2 goals. Glad to see I was right.

Congrats, Kiwis.

[dbcooper]

I have two drunken fans + a swiss on the way to my apt and food will take 2 hours to prepare. Chaos!

🙂

[Mr. Chartreuse]

That was a good match, congrats on getting the result. Honestly, the Kiwis deserved a win as that penalty call was somewhat dubious.

[BakedPenguin]

And they almost got the win when their sub got a shot 3' wide of the net. The NZ defense was impressive - they deserved the result, or better.

[P Brooks]

Frank Rich is shocked and dismayed*. I hope his handlers at the NYT have him on suicide watch.

*I'm not going to link; you can go find it yourself. Rich has apparently come to the heart-wrenching realization that his Lord-and-Benefactor-in-Chief has not been doing a very good job.

[BakedPenguin]

Blogpimping alert! Here's my latest cartoon: Max meets Episiarch and Warty.

[Michael Bay]

I'd like to buy the whole internet and place this cartoon on it. Whom should I make the check out to and for what amount? I'm good for it.

[Episiarch]

You're my favorite cartoonist, after Berke Breathed. And Bill Watterson. And Gary Larson. Actually, I think I like Jim Davis more than you, too. But hey, you're up there, buddy! Want to do an eight ball?

[BakedPenguin]

Wow, Jim Davis? That hurts, especially after I went out of my way to present you in such a favorable light.

[Episiarch]

I gave you the Michael Bay image to use to make fun of me, dude. It's not my fault you didn't use it. And in a rare sentimental moment, I was just busting your balls--I really do enjoy your work. I look forward to any more you produce. It's unfortunate that you're so lazy and don't produce more, but I guess we can't help it that penguins are notorious slackers.

[prolefeed]

I think the slacker thing might be more due to the "baked" part of his handle.

[BakedPenguin]

Images of Michael Bay are evil. Even more evil than SugarFree. Besides, he wasn't smoking a large joint (which, admittedly, was the main reason I went with that photo), and my Photoshop skills weren't good enough to (credibly) splice one in.

[Episiarch]

Michael Bay images were found at the Mountains of Madness by Lovecraft. He scares even the Old Ones.

[BakedPenguin]

BTW, thanks for the props, I knew you were busting balls (Friday Funnies are better than Davis has been these last 20 years or so).

And I am pretty damn lazy.

[JW]

I LOLed, Baked.

But, you didn't make Epi pretty enough.

[Suki]

-1

[Bill The Cat]

ACK!

[Episiarch]

Meadow Party 2012: this time, why not the worst?

[Opus]

"Statesmen are dead politicians. Lord knows we need more statesmen."

[Warty]

I'm not sure what's awesomer: that I made the Urkobold Comix, or that I'm Nathan Explosion.

[Maverick]

Van Canto - Fear of the Dark (A Cappella Iron Maiden cover)

[P Brooks]

Listen, we all know it's expensive here. Why not force Pelosi out to Oakland like we do with everyone else? I am sure Waste Management has a garbage barge or two they'd be happy to rent out to her bitch ass.

The reason given for the move is that the Speaker of the House needs better security, which the new federal building can offer. Yes, I'm sure being centrally located just one block from some of the most ravenous drug addicts in our city is a total security upgrade. And we all know she's going to need it now that California taxpayers know how much she's paying for this new spot.

hier

[Maverick]

Followed this in the comment section. Crackheads of the Day.

The poster says that this is 1/2 block from the Pelosi's new digs.

[P Brooks]

Penguin- nice cartoon.

But (there's always a "but" isn't there?) I think it might have been better if Max had met his maker in the same manner as Ackroyd, in Grosse Pointe Blank.

[BakedPenguin]

P Brooks - thx. I've meant to catch Grosse Point Blank, but I've never seen it.

[randy]

If the drug war was stopped what would the average officer do for work. Alot of them are cops because it is a simple profession to get into and then they are basically exempt from our laws.

[BoscoH]

The WoD is a way for Republicans to be nannies without being pussies. That's all.

[libertymike]

If one supports the WOD, by definition, one is a pussy.

[oksupra.net]

Supra sneakers

Mens Supra shoes

There are some classic Supra sneakers, and I am sure that everyone knows, the unstoppable Supra Skytop. This is easily the most popular Supra footwear per minute, simply go to the MTV and shows the cult by wearing them. Supra Thunder shoes becomes the most popular style of the Mens Supra shoeson 2010. You should know that Supra Suprano shoes are loving by the most young people who also like the skateboarding. In particular, Supra Indy should continue with the Skate scene in recent years their cause. Supra Strapped NSabove was recently that II of the above are the same love, said above Supra Skytop NS world tour. It is the prefect design that wearing the Supra Society shoes while you are playing the skateboarding. Supra Cruizer on the hot sale for you.

[Cheap Chanel Watch]

Cheap Chanel Watch

Chanel J12 Wathces

Cheap Chanel Watch would be the good choice on 2010. A Chanel bestseller since its launch in 2000,Characterized by Chanel J12 Wathces - the brands first sports watch - Chanel Ceramic Chronograph Watches, now has a mirror image - Chanel J12 White Watches Series. The Chanel Ladies Watches undergoes a metamorphosis to opalescent white with amazing effect. Chanel Mens Watches are well-known in the world. Chanel Unisex Watches must be the good choice. Chanel Pursesare cool and fashionable, bring you a fresh and brandnew feeling. Chanel Handbags also is the hot item in the summer.