Hellas go bragh!

The Doser is a Greece-lover. And he's over-looked a lot of feckless Greek conduct to love Greece practically without reservation. But a small point must be made: Greece has very limited resources to make a living for itself. Young Greeks, facing that, have gone abroad to make their way since Classical times. It is a resource-exhausted country. Yes, worn out by its own self-indulgences, but worn out. What Greece does have is the fortunate circumstance that the rest of the world admires its history, its antiquities, its scenery and beaches, the mystique it's created, and its gracious, generous people.

The Doser says:
Knock off this crazy bitching about the reality that you've constructed and get back to keeping your country attractive to visitors.

The Drug War.

If any other boondoggle were shown to have cost $1 trillion (12 zeros), and to have provided no demonstrable benefit after 40 years, there would have been a major hue and cry. The AP published just such a report on the failed US drug war. The Oregonian reported the AP story (on its fourth page of its May 16,2010.) It handled the story about the way the other publications did: at a cost of $1 trillion over a 40 year period the drug war has not reached any of its goals, the US drug czar, Gil Kerlikowske states : ".....it has not been successful." It was reported in about the same way in other papers (see some sites below.)

The Prohibition-style increase of disrespect for the government; what we've done to Mexico and Columbia with this program; the lives shattered by imprisonment for a conduct not widely considered to be criminal; the murders that are occurring along the trafficking borders - are all factors(in addition to cost and failure) to be considered in viewing the debacle.

http://www.buffalonews.com/2010/05/14/1050763/ap-impact-report-on-failed-drug.html


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100513/ap_on_re_us/failed_drug_war


http://stopthedrugwar.org/chronicle/632/associated_press_AP_declares_drug_war_failure


http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/9079021


http://www.foxnews.com/world/2010/05/13/ap-impact-years-trillion-war-drugs-failed-meet-goals/

Begin to Create a Healthy Oregon

Okay! The Doser is going to give you some quick-fix actions that the State of Oregon should undertake at this time. At this time means NOW. Other dosages will come as adjustment is made to these.

First: The laws are to be changed so that it is no longer a crime to be a prostitute BUT "johns" should be prosecuted aggressively for a new crime that makes it clear that sexual exploitation of a human being is wrong.

Second: There are no more proscribed drugs that we are destroying ourselves to destroy. The sale of all those "street drugs" should be controlled and taxed by the State.

Third: All firearms are to be registered with the State immediately.

Four: Walking police patrolmen should be on the "beat" in all the "neighborhoods." Not where the houses are but where the neighborhood shops and gathering places are. AND the patrolman walking with that cop is to be a volunteer from the neighborhood.

Five: Withdraw immediately from all programs of supposed "federal aid" to schools and our penal system. These aren't "aid," they are the purchase price of the right to tell us what to do.

Six: Limit the expense for campaigns for Oregon political offices to not more than one-tenth of the salary to be taken for the job.

How is this to be done? What you do with the healthful doses is your problem.

Dumbest of All

Athletes are noted for many acts of stupidity. A short list includes taking excessive risks, getting adulterous with success, taking bribes, point-spread fixing, taking steroids, over-exercising, faking injuries, fouling other players etc. The Doser believes that the dumbest thing they do, however, is to trot on concrete side-walks.

Time to Move On

The Doser:
1. Liked the passage of the Health Care Reform.
2. Worries about the solid (176-0)Republican mind-set.
3. Heartily approves of the import of the O'Bama-Biden moment of rapport. (The front page of The Oregonian is characteristically unavailable so The Doser hopes you saw the picture.)
4. Wonders, like everybody who listened to the spate of horror stories about "socialized medicine" operation, how much therapy-delivery will be curtailed.

Armaguestton ?

Israel put a spike in our peace efforts in the Mid-east with its direct In-Your-Face intransigence. It gives us reason to re-consider the US carte blanche to Israel. The Doser, however, urges caution because, on our watch, Israel has developed the power to incinerate the world - and demonstrates the unicity of purpose to use it.

The Economy of Un-needed Consumption

The Doser finds it beyond absurd for the Census Bureau to send a letter telling us that we are going to get a census form! Even more expensive, if that is the aim of this conspicuous consumption, would have been to launch a three posting alert program: Get ready! (it's coming) Get set! (it's coming soon) GO!!! (it's in the mail.)

Translation of Stone Wall Jargon Provided,

The Vatican is responding to numerous reports of stone-walled sex abuse charges in Bavaria. It gave its explanation of its handling of those charges. The explanation needs some translating into English. The statements of the Vatican and the translations follow:

Since it is too difficult to recover the story itself from The Oregonian, The Doser will quote portions of the article.)

Local European churches...addressed the issue with "timely and decisive action."

Translation: These are old cases; let's keep them swept under our carpet.

"... the (Vatican spokesperson)cautioned against limiting concerns about child sexual abuse to Roman Catholic institutions, noting that the problem also affects the broader society."

Translation: We are blameless because others did it also.

Batzinger, on whose watch the current rash of claims was presumably aired originally, describes how he is more unsettled by the fact that, before corporal punishment was forbidden in Bavarian schools: "......I, too, slapped people in the face but I always had a bad conscience about it."

Translation: I've suffered enough. Let's get past all this. Follow this red herring that I've provided."

Growing Marijuana More Egregious than Killing.

The Beigley's who let their son die and were criminally convicted of negligent homicide were sentenced to 16 months in prison for their crime. (It's just too time-consuming to dig this report out of The Oregonian, but it was reported as a story yesterday or the day before.) A man from Medford was sentenced to 22 years in prison for operating a marijuana farm.(It's just too time-consuming to dig this report out of The Oregonian, but it was reported as a story in The Oregonian dated March 10, 2010.) The Doser asks this question: Is it any wonder that people think our legal system is running amok?

A Friend's a Friend for a' a that.

The Doser wonders what level of respect Israel would show the United States if it weren't the only friend Israel has in the world.

Any gain in that mess is welcome.

The Doser, except for one new friendship, has found very little to approve about US involvement in the current Iraqi War. The valiant voting of the Iraqis in the face of murderous opposition seems to add a positive hemisemidemiquaver to our record of involvement in Iraq.

Politics.

It seems to The Doser that Pres. O'Bama has begun to think of wagering the ranch on this health care program. If he really believes that he is right - to the degree of assurance that he could take political risks even - he might consider the following plan. First: it is virtually impossible for any Republican to say "yes" to the President nowadays. Second: the Democrats will be distancing themselves from him more and more because they think that supporting him will cost them their re-elections. Third: unless the country encounters a series of miraculous recoveries, Pres. O'Bama will be a one-term president. Fourth: Here's the plan: 1. force the Health Care thing through, 2. just hunker down when the Republicans take over the Congress and hope that they will so clearly mess up being in power that the Democrats will survive to fight another day.

Sochi

For those of you who, like The Doser, didn't know where Sochi, Russia, is,(but didn't look it up, like The Doser did,) this information is provided: Sochi is a sea port city at the eastern end of the Black Sea. It is just a few miles from the Georgian north border. It has an airport.