Why I do some of what I do

Whenever I take apart one of Mark Kleiman’s posts — when I take him to task for understanding the failures of prohibition, yet being unwilling to consider drug policy reform points, or being unwilling to give up his “we can make prohibition work better” philosophy — inevitably someone asks why I bother.
This is why.

In addition to his web journalism, Mark is one of the nation’s leading drug policy experts. His book Against Excess remains an essential reference. So he ought to know.

It is precisely because Kleiman is widely considered an expert, and is extremely knowledgeable, that I must hold him to account when his blind spots cause him to lose the ability for rational thought.
[Note: Kleiman’s referenced post is not bad in itself this time, other than the reflexive need to find away to mention his latest idée fixe/silver bullet at the end.]