Friday, 6 January 2012

Legalise it

And by 'it' I mean everything.

I don't partake. I know some that do.

My main issue with drugs being illegal is the idea that nanny should tell me what I can put in my body. If I want to spend my Friday night frolicking with the fluorescent fireflies why do you care? Is it any of your business? No.

All drugs, weed, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin... everything should be available at Boots. Why ensure that the drugs people can buy are unsafe? The anthrax outbreak in Glasgow last year shows what happens when the trade in drugs is unregulated and illegal. You want to stop people overdosing because they're unsure how much actual product is in the package they buy? Legalise the drugs, make them available at any pharmacy - or any shop that wants to stock them for that matter. Make them safe, make them legal.

Switzerland allows heroin users to buy their drugs from clinics and inject in a safe environment - addiction is treated as the medical condition it is and the addicts can be sure the heroin they are using is safe.

By legalising drugs you can also tax them, not something I'd encourage but governments need some reason to do it. Instead of spending money in the war on drugs the money can be spent in other areas or, even better, given back to taxpayers. Since Richard Nixon started the 'War on Drugs' in 1972 the US has spent countless billions combating South American drug lords and imprisoning drug users at home.The War on Drugs has also ensured that America

If someone is willing to pay £40 for a gram of coke then someone is going to find a way to ship a kilo in. There is no way the government can stop it. The illegality of drugs just criminalises millions of people over the globe who are either trying to make a living or have a medical problem. If you legalise drugs you remove a huge part of the financial incentive for growing drugs.

Portugal legalised possession for personal use in 2000/2001 and since then has seen large drops in new HIV/AIDS cases, increased treatment and decreased use.

Wednesday, 4 January 2012

Stolen from Connor...

http://ridiculous-connorpobrien.blogspot.com/2012/01/iq-vs-penis-size.html

http://ridiculous-connorpobrien.blogspot.com/2012/01/penis-size-world-map.html


No data for North Korea... I'm sure if there was data it would say something like Kim Il-sung, Kin Jong-il and Kim Jong-un distort the average by such huge proportions as to render the puppet regime in Seoul speechless/aroused/disappointed.

Unsure whether flaccid or erect - I'm guessing flaccid though.

Also, I can't really be bothered to look in too much detail but Hungary looks like the winner in IQ/Penis size. France a close second...

Wild west on the high seas

Prime Minister David Cameron announced in October that ships sailing under a British flag would be able to carry armed guards to protect them from pirates - under licence from the Home Office - but only while passing through dangerous waters, such as the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Why not offer the ships a team of say three Royal Marines with the company paying for the cost. The Royal Marines can engage any pirates at any range using whatever force they deem necessary - not just for the protection of the ship they are on but for the good of all traffic in the area. Rules of engagement should ensure the marines are supported.

Encourage the US to do the same, offering SEALs to any ship, the French, Germans and Chinese too. Make it a true force to be reckoned with at minimum cost and discourage the attraction of piracy by making sure that anyone who attempts it is either dead or stranded.

The international community already has a naval force in the area but with such a huge area and such a small number of ships the best way to combat the pirates would be to distribute the forces on the targets.

Friday, 9 December 2011

Ok, so this is going to be my place to put anything I find politically, economically or scientifically relevant or interesting... Not many posts at first because of my hectic exam timetable... but soon!