STATES RIGHTS AS A MATTER OF CONVENIENCE.
The Supreme Courts decision to knock down 3 out 4 provisions of Arizona’s immigration law has left the state’s rights crowd sputtering about an overbearing federal government, shredding the right of the individual states to do what they deem best for their residents.
But when it comes to medical marijuana, physician assisted suicide or even poor Terri Schiavo – the brain dead woman in Florida – many of these same complainers become big believers in the central government sticking its nose in.
Where is the outrage that the right of Montana to regulate its local elections was overturned by the same Court last week?
They even want the Federal government to regulate marriage – supporting the “Defense of Marriage Act”.
RUPERT MURDOCH’S OPINION OF SCIENTOLOGY
Rupert Murdoch has launched a twitter campaign against Scientology. In one tweet he wrote: “Something creepy, maybe even evil, about these people”.
He should know, when it comes to creepy and evil, Murdoch is an expert.
A COUNTRY DIVIDED
The country is divided. The population outside the big cities tend to be very conservatives and support the politician who they see as best able to return the country to its former glory. In the cities, a more liberal population, sees conservatives as representing the interests of the powers-that-be, not the individual citizens.
The country is Russia.
Support for Putin in the countryside remains high as he is seen as best able to ensure a prosperous future. Whereas, in the cities, Putin is seen as a champion of corruption.
Even the language is familiar. One 28 year-old said: ”The laws seem fine, but they only apply to the selected few. The simple people get punished, while the bureaucrats get rich.”
On the other side a 39 year-old woman said: “If they don’t like our country, why do they live here? Let them go to Europe or America and express their dissatisfaction there.” - Russia love it or leave it.
MICHELE MALKIN AND GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES
Malkin – conservative pundit and a frequent critic of public employees – has had to abandon her fire threatened house in Colorado.
You have to wonder how she feels about firefighters now – do you suppose she might wish that there were more of these public employees?
I hope she and her family do not lose their house. I also hope that the next time she writes some screed against public employees she remembers that they are not a faceless mob, but individuals, with families to support, who do so much to help their fellow citizens.
GLAXO SMITH KLEIN BREAKS THE LAW
British pharmaceutics giant GlaxoSmithKlein has agreed to pay $3 billion in penalties for illegal marketing. The company had bribed doctors to over-prescribe the anti-depressants Paxil and Welbutrin.
Worse, they had marketed Paxil as suitable for children, although the FDA had not approved it for pediatric use. They marketed Welbutrin as a weight loss aid, a treatment for ADHD and for sexual dysfunction – none of which was approved.
$3 billion pales when compared to the $18 billion in sales of the two drugs. The way to get GlaxoSmithKlein’s attention would a fine of $18 billion and criminal charges against company executives.
No criminal charges have been brought against any individual. How does it make sense that a low level illegal drug dealer can get years in jail, but an executive who pedals drugs illegally is not even charged. We shouldn’t be surprised – after all how many financial executives have faced criminal charges?
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