TheAgitator.com
Read Me, Hear Me
Wednesday, December 3rd, 2003My Cato paper on neoprohibition is now live. Read it here.
My Fox column this week ties this week’s anniversary of the end of the original Prohibition with the drug war and similar failed government attempts to curb our appetite for sin. Read it here. Also, note the new spiffy graphic. It’s now called “Straight Talk….Radley Balko.” That’s me.
Finally, I’ll be on the Mike Siegel show on KTTH in Seattle tomorrow at 11am ET, or 8am local time. No online streaming, unfortunately.
UPDATE: If you go to the Fox “Views” page, you’ll see that my column today comparing the failures of drug prohibtion to the failures of alcohol prohibition is teased at the top.
If you hit “reload” a few times, eventually you’ll get the amusing sight of my column being teased just under a banner ad sponsored by the ONDCP.
Doesn’t always work. The ads are rotated in and out. But when it does, it makes me smile.
Did anyone catch the new South Park Wednesday night? It was a lovely gratuitous slam against Rob Reiner, anti-smoking groups, and their tactics. As per the Comedy Central synopsis:
“After anti-smoking campaign representatives do their song and dance for South Park Elementary, the boys take up the nasty habit.”
Straight talk? So I guess we won’t be hearing anything more from you about gay marriage, huh?
Excellent Fox column.
Outstanding article on Foxnews.com, interesting website, I’ll be monitoring for local authorities. Keep your pants on.
MORNING ROUND UP
First of all, a Giant Thanks to everyone who has hit the tip jar. If you haven’t done so, don’t fret. You will be forgiven – all you have to do is join the exclusive Give Don Money Club. Now,…
Great article. It impressed upon me enough to visit this site. Your opinions are concise and to the point. It makes for a great read. I’ll be sure to drop in from time to time.
Radley, just starting reading your neoprohibition. First, wow it’s long.
Second, when you refer to a group like CASA you need to define that term the first time you use the groups name. You have a lot of groups listed in just a few paragraphs and it gets cumbersome trying to follow the names. So you should have Columbia University Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (“CASA”), especially if your are dropping the CU from that name.
The other reason for this is that since you have so many groups that you cite, with the defined term set out and in quotes it is easy to go back to check the first reference to them to refresh your memory as to what side of the issue they are on.
Great paper, man. The only problem I see facing neoprohibition is the states’ desire to reap in alcohol tax revenue, which must be considerable.
Of course, I assume they’ll get around that problem by filing lawsuits and eventually winning a gigantic settlement, Big Tobacco-style.
For what it’s worth, Clayton Cramer criticizes the Fox News column here.
I hadn’t read Menken on prohibition but it rings true. Too bad he is gone. Not only should everything be legalized or de-criminalized but the police money spent on internal propaganda and treatment. We could synthesize cocaine or whatever from scratch, sell it at cost plus say 20% just enough to kill off the cartels and help with the resucitation of Colombia, Mexico, and other South American countries so that we can get on with governmental, economic, and social integration. Try to get your message into the Congress and White House.