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WHO RULES: THE ISRAEL LOBBY
OR UNCLE SAM?
The answer
at last! Uri Avnery, former Knesset member, assesses the Lobby's
power. "If the Israeli government wanted a law tomorrow
annulling the 10 Commandments, 95 U.S. Senators (at least) would
sign the bill forthwith." But, yes, in the end the dog wags
the tail.Fifty
years ago Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" blew the cobwebs
out of millions of young minds and drove a stake through the
heart of Eisenhower's America. Lenni Brenner remembers Ginsberg
in the East Village.Dr Mengele died in exile, in disguise. Dr Ishii
died rich and recognized, in his own Tokyo home. Christopher
Reed on Japanese WW2 medical tortures and how the U.S. covered
them up.CounterPunch
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Whether you love him or hate him, want
him to go to jail or not, conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh
has become a national symbol for drug addiction. Rush's recent
clash with the law reminds us that drug addiction does not discriminate.
Unfortunately, our drug policies do.
Rush was investigated for illegally
obtaining thousands of addictive prescription pain killers.
Criminal charges were dropped against him in Florida when he
worked out a plea agreement which included a $30,000 penalty
and continued drug treatment.
Ethan Nadelmann, executive
director of the Drug Policy Alliance has called for treatment
instead of incarceration for Rush Limbaugh. "The Alliance's
guiding principle is that people should not be punished for what
they put into their own bodies, but only for crimes committed
against others. According to that logic, Rush--even Rush-- should
be allowed to deal with his issues with drugs privately."
Rush Limbaugh's noxious lack
of sympathy for others in similar predicaments tests one's commitment
to the idea of non-incarceration, compassion and treatment for
all non-violent drug offenders. Many who normally support treatment
instead of incarceration would love to
see Limbaugh locked up and to get a taste of his own medicine.
Rush has demonized drug offenders to his national audience of
"dittoheads."
Less than two weeks ago, Limbaugh
weighed in on the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) announcement
that there were no "sound scientific studies" supporting
the medicinal use of marijuana. His diatribe was characteristically
callous and harsh toward sick and dying people who use medical
marijuana as Limbaugh blathered "the FDA says there's no
-- zilch, zero, nada -- shred of medicinal value to the evil
weed marijuana. This is going to be a setback to the long-haired,
maggot-infested, dope-smoking crowd."
This distain for medical marijuana
patients is not the first time Rush showed a lack of compassion
to people who use drugs or suffer from addiction. Limbaugh is
the man who scoffed at the idea that African Americans are disproportionately
arrested on drug charges, and suggested that the solution was
to arrest more white people. Interestingly enough, Mr. Limbaugh
sang a different tune when he was the white person who could
have easily ended up behind bars if he was not the famous radio
personality that he is.
This point is very close to
my heart, as someone who, through addiction, was sentenced to
15 years to life for a non-violent drug offense. Even though,
I am someone who Rush said deserved to be behind bars, I am willing
to turn the other cheek and advocate for him to get treatment
instead of the jail cell that I was given. Some might argue that
there is a difference between the use of prescription drugs and
illegal ones. But as Limbaugh's case underscores, addiction
does not discriminate between legal and illegal substances.
Limbaugh contends that his addiction was a by-product of taking
painkillers for chronic pain from a back injury. Many people
with diseases ranging from back pain to cancer use marijuana
to treat pain, nausea, glaucoma and various other symptoms associated
with their conditions. Instead of pot, Limbaugh chose painkillers
to treat his ailments. What's the difference? One drug is demonized,
while the other is not.
One can only hope Limbaugh's
experiences with addiction and the drug war will encourage him
to join the movement to reform drug policy. Mr. Limbaugh has
an enormous platform and reach. If he decided to take up the
cause of treatment instead of incarceration for drug users, he
could help change laws across the country. After all, if treatment
instead of jail is good enough for him as he struggles with his
addiction, surely it is good enough for the thousands of others
just like him who struggle with their substance abuse every day.
CounterPunch
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