For example...???

Yet they are completely ignored while Israel is held high on a pedestal by America.

Again.. There is a reason for that.. And it has absolutely nothing to do with money and everything to do with honor...

Michale

Uhm you don't think there are other places in the world where daily terrorist attacks happen? Yet they are completely ignored while Israel is held high on a pedestal by America. Like I said 'for some weird reason (cough money cough) it has a special place of over-the-top obsession in American politics'

CW
Even "we're not going to do anything about this" is a stance -- one they have not so far taken.

I'm confused, isn't this exactly the stance he is taking? Your basic gripe is that he hasn't officially or publicly announced this is his stance though?

Fwiw I regularly see people smoking pot in Canada, even just walking down the street. It's something I've never seen before in my life. Technically it is illegal but it is basically not enforced in 90% of cases. I think this is where marijuana will end up in America legally (at least the more enlightened States)...

Interestingly enough, it was just pointed out to me that the Brookings Institute seems to agree with me, or at least consider this article valid.

Here's a PDF download of their document. I direct your attention to footnote 14, on page 5.

Heh.

:-)

-CW

It's not the relative importance, it is the fact that there's now a state/fed showdown which simply cannot be ignored any longer. Obama has been pretty successfully ignoring or downplaying the issue up until now, and I've understood why he feels the need to do so, politically, even if I don't agree with his stance.

But with the new WA and CO laws, the feds simply have to react in one fashion or another. You'll notice that I very carefully didn't call on Obama and Holder to take any particular stance -- just to take ANY stance. Even "we're not going to do anything about this" is a stance -- one they have not so far taken.

I don't realistically expect Obama to champion legalization any time soon. But the time for "we're going to sweep it under the rug" is over. WA and OR are about to allow stores to legally sell marijuana to any adult. Their citizens should not have to wonder what the federal response is going to be. It should be laid out.

Here's a very similar case: Arizona and immigration. While the two subjects (immigration and marijuana) don't seem like they're similar, they are. In both AZ's case, and in CO and WA, individual states are challenging federal laws they disapprove of. In the case of AZ, Obama took them to court. Holder has this option for CO and WA.

But in the case of AZ, they didn't have to wait five months before the Obama administration even said what it's policy was going to be. That's the difference.

I'm not demanding Obama and Holder take the position I would like for them to take. I am merely demanding that they TAKE A POSITION. WA and OR are spending a lot of time, energy, and effort into coming up with workable rules and regulations. Are they wasting their time? We don't know. Will the feds play their legal trump card? We don't know. Will the feds try to work with them? We don't know. Will the feds just do nothing, but then later try to arrest every store owner selling weed? We don't know.

The not knowing is what is completely unacceptible to the citizens of these two states.

-CW

(Israel might be the exception but for some weird reason (cough money cough) it has a special place of over-the-top obsession in American politics).

Or maybe the fact that Israel faces daily terrorist attacks just MIGHT have something to do with it, eh? :D

Michale

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/rappers-stars-ask-obama-ease-drug-policy-reform-prisons_716161.html

Although, I don't know if it's a good thing or not to be mixed in with the likes of Kim Kardashian, eh? :D

Michale

No offence, but to compare marijuana - a recreational drug that people would like to do in their spare time - to any of these issues, almost all of which affect people (including non-Americans around the world) personally on a day to day basis, is just plain silly. It is obviously not going to be anywhere near a priority (Israel might be the exception but for some weird reason (cough money cough) it has a special place of over-the-top obsession in American politics).

Furthermore, if you think marijuana is worth Obama using his political capital up over compared to all these other issues then again I think you're being silly.

If his approach is to exhaust his political capital on getting things done in these issues then turn to marijuana (which is about the best approach you can hope for) this seems far more rational/logical.

While I am sure you know I don't agree with it in the slightest, I applaud that you have articulated it. :D

Michale