In theory, the drug decriminalization bill passed by Mexico’s Congress has merit: If it were no longer a crime to possess small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin, meth and other drugs, then law enforcement could focus on catching dealers and traffickers. But in reality, such a move would create new problems, especially for the United States and its border towns, by turning Mexico into a tourist mecca for wannabe drug users, especially young Americans. For that reason, Mexican President Vicente Fox was right to withdraw his support Thursday. Given the failed war on drugs, there is a good case to be made for decriminalization of some kind. But Mexico’s proposal seemed like a unilateral surrender that would make matters worse for Americans.
Posted by Rhonda Holman
After pooh-poohing the controversy for several weeks, Raytheon directors finally took action Wednesday against chief executive William H. Swanson, docking his salary $1 million for plagiarizing most of his “Swanson’s Unwritten Rules of Management” booklet. Last month, a blogger reported that half of Swanson’s 33 rules were written in 1944 by W.J. King. Then Wednesday, The Boston Globe reported that five other rules were previously published by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and humorist Dave Barry. Swanson and the Raytheon directors say the plagiarism was inadvertent — that he gave a collection of maxims to staff members, who compiled them into the booklet in 2004, which was distributed for free. Still, Swanson has been more than happy to accept praise during the past two years for his management wisdom, which he knew wasn’t original. Apparently, giving credit where credit is due wasn’t one of his rules.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
No doubt some Americans will be disappointed that a jury rejected the death penalty for Zacarias Moussaoui, the only alleged 9/11 plotter to stand trial for the attack. But the life sentence he received provides fair justice, considering the prosecution never firmly established Moussaoui’s direct involvement in the plot. Moreover, there was a real danger the death penalty would backfire by making Moussaoui a martyr for Islamic militants to use in their recruitment efforts.
Let him rot in prison. He’ll inspire no one there.
Posted by Randy Scholfeld
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., lost some of his maverick luster after accepting an invitation to speak at Bob Jones University and voting to make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent. But he still maintains that he won’t prostitute himself to become president. “I don’t want it that badly," McCain told David Ignatius of The Washington Post. “I will continue to do what is right. I will continue to pursue torture, climate change. If that means I can’t get the Republican nomination, fine. I’ve had a happy life. The worst thing I can do is sell my soul to the devil.” And as for accusations of being a hypocrite, McCain argued: “I haven’t changed. My record is the same on all issues, which is that of a conservative Republican. Not a liberal Republican, not a moderate Republican.”
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
This is amazing — the English are far healthier than Americans, according to a new study that has stunned health experts. That’s right — the English, they of the bad teeth and bland diets.
They’re not just healthier — that was already known — but healthier by quite a stretch, even though they spend half of what Americans do on health care.
Americans suffer from significantly higher rates of diabetes, heart disease, strokes, lung disease and cancer, no matter what the income or education levels.
Experts aren’t sure what accounts for the difference — higher levels of stress here? Not as much exercise? Or is it all that tea the British drink?
Maybe the British universal health care system, so often derided here, deserves a second look.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
Now that the school funding plan supported by House conservatives has failed, House and Senate negotiators need to responsibly reconcile their chamber’s funding bills. And unlike the Senate bill or the conservative alternative that lawmakers voted down Wednesday, the final bill needs to be based on the actual costs of educating our state’s students, as determined by the Legislature’s own auditors.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
<p“It seems the president, who thought he was simply fending off pressure to dismiss Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld — ‘I’m the decider, and I decide what’s best,’ he said, adding that he had no intention of letting Mr. Rumsfeld go — has unwittingly added to the lexicon of marital relations,” The New York Times reported. Apparently, it’s become a popular discussion topic — both joking and serious — among couples about who is the decider and in what areas, or whether decision making really is shared. So does this make Bush a uniter or a divider?
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
