Odds and Ends

“bullet” Ryan Grim notes that dog-killing Prince George’s County police, already completely lacking in credibility may be in more hot water — this time for killing a human.
“bullet” Stephen Colbert’s Top 7 Drug Moments
“bullet” Los Angeles Times on the Science of Medical Marijuana
“bullet” A quote that stuck with me… In a review by Al Giordano at Narco News of Markos Moulitsas Zþniga’s book “Taking on the System: Rules for Radical Change in a Digital Era, Kos is quoted:

There was an assumption by the powers that be that the rest of the citizen body couldn‰t think for ourselves. That we needed self-appointed and so-called experts to tell us what to think, what to do, and what we should š or should not š know. For far too long, these gatekeepers controlled the national conversation.Š

Yeah, no kidding.
Which reminds me: Beth wrote me tonight to say that she saw fact-mangler Joseph Califano on the TeeVee arguing for keeping the drinking age at 21. Talk about “so-called experts.”
“bullet” ABC doesn’t get out much. Tijuana: Where the ‘Drug War’ is Real

In Mexico, the “war on drugs” isn’t just an expression people use.

Yes, it is a real drug war in Tijuana. It’s also a real drug war in every town in this country. Did ABC think we were just doing re-enactments here?
And speaking of war denial, I just can’t resist mentioning this piece by Glenn Greenwald. He notes incredulously that Condoleeza Rice could actually, seriously, say:

Russia is a state that is unfortunately using the one tool that it has always used whenever it wishes to deliver a message and that’s its military power. That’s not the way to deal in the 21st century.

Is it truly possible to delude yourself to such an incredible degree?
Sure, that isn’t specifically about the drug war, but, My God! — it’s the same kind of disconnect from reality that you hear from drug warriors, and you can’t help but ask if they are really that hopelessly stupid, or if they really think American citizens are, to get away with such brazen alternate reality claims.