On Insanity

I'm sure I've posted this before, but It's too late at night to look it up.

The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

Cases in point: The U. S. policy toward Cuba. All the sanctions, embargoes, etc. have done is make Castro stronger, yet the response to his increased strength is to do more of what has made him stronger: More sanctions, more embargoes. Insane, especially compared to our policy toward China, which has an equivalent human rights record. Not just insane but hypocritical.

Now, Castro is ill, he just celebrated his 80th. birthday from his hospital room, and the U. S. government wants to wait to see what kind of government follows his death before they will decide to support it. Insane.

Next case in point: The "War on Drugs." As George Will is fond of pointing out this has been a colossal failure, since heroin for sale on the streets today is less expensive and purer than that sold in the sixties. Trying to stop it from coming in has absolutely not worked, yet the response is to keep trying to arrest drug dealers, except those with political connections. Insane.

Marijuana is the most prosecuted drug out there. It is God's gift. It has fewer side effects than alcohol, does not cause the belligerent behavior alcohol does, and does not leave a hangover the way alcohol does. Not to mention it is not addictive the way alcohol is to a lot of people.

Compare the violence (non-existent) at Woodstock compared to a redneck bar on Saturday night (are you kidding?)

In the 1970s I read a magazine article about the medical uses of marijuana: It helps glaucoma, helps people recover from the side effects of chemotherapy, etc. A co-worker of mine said the doctor prescribed marijuana to him to stimulate his appetite because of pancreatitis.

This substance is God-given rather than manufactured, and that is another reason it isn't legal. Reason one: Lawmakers and businessmen use alcohol rather than pot. Reason two: drug companies can't make a killing off controlling the manufacture and distribution of it.

So we keep on jailing potheads, taking them out of productive employment and running up our taxpayer-funded expenses jailing people who are no threat to anyone, while those who profit from trafficking in human misery go underpunished.

God will have a lot of sorting out to do on Judgment Day.