Are you seriously suggesting that the UK would have allowed over the counter sales of E were it not for Leah Betts. How would you ensure people did not take too much? Ecstasy in high doses can be extremely life threatening. There's more danger in necking 20 pills then downing 20 pints, and who's to say such a practice wouldn't be commonplace if the drug was legalised.
Theres not a shred of evidence that a campaign to legalize Ecstasy was brewing and stopped by the Betts case.
Hi 8den,
No, I would agree. However, originally, I wasn't so much discussing the politics of illicit drugs, but rather the pattern of media activity in this case. Of course the political aspects are relevant. I do still feel that the government, or whoever, does take quite a covert approach to dealing with drug issues. There is often the feel of a lot of manipulation going on as opposed to the public being allowed to make up their own mind and decide.
8den said:I do know plenty about the world bank and IMF, and don't perceive it to be a intentionally malicious force just misguided.
Could you expand upon what you mean by misguided here. I'd be interested to hear your opinion.
8den said:One of the annoying things about anti globalisation activists is their paranoia. The World Bank and IMF, do what they do because they're evil man.
Well, there will always be paranoid people. And there will always be people who are psychologically drawn to conspiracy theories. At the same time I do believe relatively normal citizens can validly become concerned about these things. I mean, globalisation does appear to be taking place. Is this an entirely spontaneous or self-creating process, or is it being guided and managed by some agency? This is, I submit, a valid question, and one not really being answered.
8den said:I'd recommend you do some further reading, Joseph E. Stiglitz is a noble prize winning economist and former chief economist of the World Bank, and now an outspoken critic of the IMF. I'd suggest you start with his "Globalisation and it's discontents" for an informed intelligent critique of the flaws of the world bank.
Thanks. I will check it out.
8den said:Seriously, you start by claiming that the government uses heroin to keep the political classes from dissenting, and are now rambling on about "junkie authority trips", do you have, anything, anything at all to support a single thing you've asserted.
Well, you ask me questions. I'm just trying to answer. I've been around addiction quite a lot, and worked with addicts in a therapeutic community. I'm familiar with a lot of the usual issues. I doubt you'll find many who work with heroin addicts who would dispute that "issues with authority" aren't very commonly seen.
8den said:So to be clear you've made a bold claim that the CIA uses profits from the drugs trade to fund "black ops" when challenged on this you have to admit that, no actually, you don't have a shred of evidence to support what you are saying.
Nick I sincerely hope you have never under the jurisdiction of a court of law, that has your standard of the concept of burden of proof.
Well, I wouldn't propose I try and indict them. But they have had a lot of flak thrown at them over the years. I think it comes back again to the globalisation issue. Is it being managed?
8den said:Look, waving me in the direction of google is just tiresome, as is referring to a third drug. Firstly what does ibogaine have to do with your assertion that governments hate ecstasy?
Well, I did mention the drug a little earlier in the thread. It is, I submit, good circumstantial evidence that the US government is actively blocking effective treatments for addiction.
Ibogaine blockades the symptoms of drug withdrawal, and its metabolites sit in body fat for up to a couple of months and eliminate or strongly reduce drug-craving. This makes it potentially a breakthrough treatment for addiction to heroin, cocaine, and alcohol addiction. Phase 1 FDA trials, animal studies, were commenced in the early 90s in the States, to try and bring this drug to the masses. The US National Institude of Drug Abuse, NIDA, pulled the plug on the drug prior to continuning, citing as reason the fact that the drug was only demonstrated to keep addicts clean for 3 months, then you'd need to be re-dosed. I submit that this is pretty crazy reasoning. NIDA has subsequently refused to re-instigate testing. This is a drug that would revolutionise the treatment of addiction worldwide. There are some clinical issues but they're minor. There's nothing close to a justification imo for the position taken by the USG.
Nick