.
I've just posted about 1,300 new pictures to BME; most are in the members section but they're also dotted across other public galleries as well. Thank you to all the contributors, and to Manny for the cover shot of a scarification he did (and Jonathan for the BME/extreme cover shot, making this a double does of South America).
MARIJUANA vs VIAGRA
While it's quite possible that state police will simply ignore federal law (what's that, non-violent civil war in America?), the US Supreme Court has recently banned even medical marijuana. I was thinking about this in the context of Viagra, which is a “prescription” drug that anyone in America can easily get for recreational purposes (it's goal is to make you feel good) with no more than a phone call or by filling out an online form.
Thousands of people have died (although post-2000 statistics are extremely difficult to find) due to the platelet clumping effect of Viagra, including in younger men with no heart problems. Other men have gone blind and suffered a variety of debilitating side effects. Marijuana on the other hand has never directly caused a single death in its entire history — and many more people have used it.
The lethal dose of marijuana is simply too high to be able to ingest enough, and there are no dangerous side effects. Not only that, but marijuana doesn't even affect things like reaction time enough to make DUI an issue… Marijuana is safe. Typical government hypocrisy. If something is safe, effective, and has minimal side effects or health issues, how will the healthcare and pharmaceutical industries continue getting rich? Oh yeah, that's where cigarettes (hey girls) and alcohol come in.
Side note: I've never actually tried Viagra or any other similar drug, although I suppose I would — but mostly because, hell, I'd try anything — but on a peripheral subject I have to admit that I find drugs and products that reduce sensation a little disturbing (why not just get drunk if that's your issue)… back to this topic, marijuana is much nicer for sex (or even just eating a great meal) because it increases sensation! But modern sex is about maintaining the image of a pornstar I suppose, rather than enjoying yourselves?
PROFITEERING vs THE ECONOMY
Along those profit-oriented lines, according to the Army Times, not only are Americans continuing to die in Iraq as the insurgency grows, but about $200 billion has been spent so far “with no end in sight“. Let's assume for a moment that the number hits about $600 billion by the time troops are pulled out — and I think that's a conservative number. That's $2,000 for every American, although with Bush's tax cuts for the rich, that load sits more heavily on the shoulders of the poor (ah, war, friend of the rich).
And that's just the war. If you look at America's current debt and long-term deficits, the United States is $43 trillion in the hole (about $150,000 for every taxpayer in the United States, or twenty years worth of tax revenues). Let me write that out to make it more clear: $43,000,000,000,000.
…that's “43″ plus twelve zeroes!
Where it really gets scary is when you look and see that under Bush taxes have not been raised significantly but spending is way up. So where is the money coming from? Who is bankrolling the American war, funneling American debt into the hands of government officials, and inching America deeper and deeper into bankrupcy? The White House is borrowing about $2 billion a day, largely from Chinese and Japanese megabanks — literally half of China's GDP goes to financing American debt.
But keep on voting for politicians that choose to buy $500 million stealth bombers from their buddies that build them at monstrous profits — even though the undefendably effective stealth munitions delivery system of choice these days is a suicide bomber in a car that looks like every other car on the street… Oh yeah, and 50 million people are going to die of AIDS (and that's if we stop infection today, which isn't going to happen), a billion people can't read or write, and a billion and a half people on this planet don't even have access to clean water. We're kind of fucked if we don't pull our heads out of our asses.*
In the “good news department”, slavery is a booming business, with profits way up. At least something good is coming from global depression, right? Oh wait… that's not good news, is it?
Well, in the “real” good news department, at least they're flying commercial flights into Baghdad International again, right? Of course, they're also sacrificing goats on the tarmac to celebrate, but hey, it's a religion of peace so cut them some bloody slack! Unless you're a goat I guess.
Of course, back in America they're using tasers on shoolchildren, so welcome to the glass house.
* Here's the real problem — this apocalyptic economic co-dependent relationship is not sustainable. Variance in either China or America's economy can tank both of them. America is still in the lead in terms of production capability and weaponry. Before that changes, I believe that it's quite likely that America will simply say “screw you” to its debt (tanking its economy internationally), switch to nuclear and alternative energy, and close its borders, flying the “don't tread on me” flag. Fuck with us and we nuke your civilian centers. No troops, no war. Just a whole lotta nukes right in the downtown core of your biggest cities.
