Tag: Richard Nixon

Cannabis: A Safe Exit From Addiction

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OPINION:

Cannabis: A Safe Exit From AddictionIf you are experiencing side effects with your pharmaceuticals you might give cannabis a try

OPINION:

Cannabis: A Safe Exit From Addiction

Editor: Cannabis and its usage by humans dates back at least 8,000 years. For millennia, the plant has been valued as fiber and rope, as food and medicine, and also for its psychoactive properties for religious and recreational use. Some have gone so far to declare it a ‘miracle’ plant.

 

By D. S. Mitchell

 

The Controlled Substance Act

In 1969, Richard Nixon, announced that Attorney General, John Mitchell was  preparing a comprehensive new measure to more effectively meet the narcotic and dangerous drug problems challenging the country. At the federal level, Mitchell devised the Controlled Substance Act. The Act combined all existing federal laws and expanded their scope into a single new statute. More importantly, the CSA changed the nature of federal drug law policies and expanded federal law enforcement authority over controlled substances.

Fear Of Success

The Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, established the National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse. Raymond Shafer, one of the bill’s sponsor’s fearing it’s restrictive nature, made this statement to Congress, “The criminal law is too harsh a tool to apply to personal possession even in the effort to discourage use. It implies an overwhelming indictment of the behavior which we believe is not appropriate. The actual and potential harm of use of the drug is not great enough to justify intrusion by the criminal law into private behavior.”

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“Democracy Is Unquestionably The Worst Form Of Government”

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Winston Churchill Questions The Value Of Democracy

More Than T-Shirt Philosophy

“Democracy is, unquestionably, the worst form of government” (ever conceived in the mind of man), “except for every other kind that has ever been tried,” Unknown (re-quoted by Churchill in House of Commons, 1947).)

Absolute Power 

Critics of democracy and its often accompanying capitalism, have a sad tendency to overlook what has happened historically when other forms replace it. Fascist Italy and Spain are but two glaring examples. Both of which reverted back to flawed but greatly preferable democratic systems at the first opportunity. While single party, and even single ruler, states might have some attraction, particularly in terms of efficiency; for any form of governance to work, given human nature if nothing else, there needs to be enforceable controls on power. “Absolute power corrupts absolutely” is far more than a catchy tee-shirt slogan.

Democracy Needs A Population Of The Faithful

Democracy is an ideal. Liberty of thought and action, one person, one vote. We have representative democracy in the United States. The “ideal” is always a goal. As always, real democracy is obstructed by the partisan and the powerful, but even they give the ideal endless lip service. Democracy is more about faith. Faith, and attitude of mind that personal liberty is sacrosanct and that although the majority rules, there is a respect for the minority and their rights established by law.

Political Parties In A Democracy

One of the great advantages to democracy is the, at least ostensible, ability to limit the power of leaders particularly in terms of civil crackdowns and war, as well as the ability to get rid of leaders that prove too dangerous or criminally corrupt to keep in office. At every stage of an American presidential election from the primaries to inauguration, there are particular safeguards, mostly left to the political party brass, to keep the unfit and potentially dangerous from even seeking election.

Nixon Is The Only U.S. President To Ever Resign From Office

Is Impeachment A Possibility?

When a lunatic or warmonger does happen to slip through (*cough* Nixon *cough*), there is always the possibility of impeachment. Except, really there isn’t. I do not want to  rain on anybody’s protest movement but the chance of Trump being removed from office by impeachment is inthe negative numbers.

Laws Are Fallible 

You are probably thinking, something like, “but that is what impeachments are for!”  You are correct; that is what the impeachment process was created to do. Unfortunately, rules and processes only work when applied correctly and as written. Sadly, rules are as fallible as the  mortals who create and enforce them. As such, no sitting American president has ever been successfully removed from office as the direct result of impeachment.

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