A very eye opening documentary

[redsox]

Exactly my point scoot. All politicians. But she's not a politician, right? You're not insinuating that the head of the DEA has her finger in the political air, are you? There are those that make the policy and those that enforce the policy, right? The legislative branch makes the rules, don't they? And the judiciary,,, well, the judiciary, in their wisdom, they just follow the rules, right? They don't create law by decree, do they? Legislate from the bench??? Not in this almighty republic!! Laws are at the behest and by the will of the people! Gambling,,,, at Rik's!!!??!?!?! I'm shocked!

[ironchop]

Scooter you touched on a point I forgot to make.

I was really surprised to see so many Obama lovers in the film start throwing him under the bus when he had their unprecedented support in BOTH elections. There is quite a bit of hypocrisy in the cast. I was waiting for Noam Chomsky to show up and start claiming Obama was a dirty Marxist. A lot of the Pot calling the Kettle Black.

Will these same people who are disgusted with their party follow the party line next election? Probably. Don`t want anyone wasting their vote or ensuring the Other Side wins by actually voting for someone NEW and uncorrupted. And the cycle continues.

While the claim of media bias is true, these people (especially Cenk) have enjoyed many a fat paycheck at the hands of the "slanted media"......He was part of the slant! Now Cenk has had some moments of clarity where his opinion did run outside of acceptable Left Doctrine but I also sometimes wholly agree with Nationalists, Fascists, Anarcho-communists, and Libertarians both Left and Right. However, I don`t want any of them to have their idea of utopian governing come to fruition because frankly, they all are too rigid and egotistical when Reality is that there is no black and white. It would be nice if everything in life fits neatly into one box or the other but it doesn't. Whole lot of grey area goin on and as long as there`s grey area, I think our leadership could stand to be a little less rigid as well.

Can ANYONE in this forum honestly say that the political party you voted for (IF it was one of the two main parties) actually represent every single thing you believe in without deviation? Most people can`t say that and a very large number of Americans are technically "in the middle" with neither side making up the whole of their own personal ideology. Knowing this why do people vote one side or the other and why should we have to?

Who needs labels anyway? Hypocrits need labels...else who the hell can tell what you`re voting for if not for a convenient label to help dispel your valid confusion?

On Fox news bashing....who isn`t used to it by now? It has become so cliché to make snide Fox News jokes or slam them for their slant it`s almost like being called a priveledged white racist sexist homophobe.....so what? I can dislike whoever I want and thanks to the overuse and misunderstanding of the definition, it has lost all meaning whatsoever. One thing about Rogan, Snoop (the anti-gun ex gangster?!?), and Cenk is that they don`t mind if the slant is Left leaning, only if it`s Right leaning. The only time they actually did portend to be disappointed in the obvious and institutional bias is when it threatened their right to blaze a fatty........you made some excellent points, for sure.

Ann Coulter? could they have found a more out-of-touch neocon mouthpiece than that idiot? Actually Ann ISN`T an idiot. It`s the idiot things she says. That's why when she says things like "my taxes blah blah for dope smokers blah blah" I scoff. She doesn`t believe what she is saying anymore than I do. She has a role to play, like glenn beck and she plays it well.

Read her books, seen her on television.....not impressed....she reminds me of Mitt Romney with a pretty face and breasts.

When I saw a shot of Glenn Beck, I thought "oh hell, whats he got to say?". Used to watch his show, bought his books but he had a secret breakdown and suddenly wants to play soccer with immigrants he detested just 25 minutes ago.......because Neocon Beck likes to dip on both sides of the fence....like Cruz....and now Rand Paul....suddenly, these guys are on board with unchecked immigration, gay marriage, debt ceiling increase, Obamacare, Climate Change and whatever else Twitter tells them to believe in. I`m tired of being openly sold out for popularity. What the hell can you get behind these days? Who knows but know that within a few months your mission statement will resemble the exact opposite of what you wanted.

You are right when you said BOTH sides are full of shyte...and I`ve learned not to trust either one. My son was blown away when I told him Democrats in the 60-70s were not interested in Civil Rights at all and that it was a Republican thing. He said "when and why did Republicans become racists then?"....I said "As soon as Democrats began calling them racists"......theres an interesting LBJ quote I will leave off this thread for a couple of reasons but those who know it know what I am talking about and it demonstrates that both sides merely ride popular opinion and milk it for votes and what they claim to believe in is for sale or trade to the highest bidder/ best package deal.

What I took away from it was this....despite a possible slant and some cheap shots slung at both sides, I already felt the very same things this film discussed and therefore I won`t attribute these views as those of Progressivism/ Liberalism but rather the views of like-minded individuals.

edit to add: You also pointed out the institutionalized slant in Acedemia and I also agree there. It does tend to bring some credibility questions to the surface for sure considering our Universities have turned into satellite campus` for the Frankfort School. As for Graham Hancock, I`m not sure what his ideology is. I do know he has a nasty habit of pissing off both sides and so does Rogan which is why I respect him somewhat. I know of hancocks work mostly whereas it concerns his theories on human civilizations and outside influences on their development.

oddly, people on BOTH TEAMS seem to realize there is a whole lot of tyrannical BS happening but they remain loyal to their own kind much to their own detriment because BOTH TEAMS are guilty of this crap and because people don` like to realize they have put all their eggs in the asshole basket. Nobody likes to be wrong. All you have to do is be good at defending being wrong and that`s all that matters.

[Scootertrash]

Ever seen Gallagher? the guy with the watermelons? him.

I thought a mullet included hair on the top of the head tho?

And don't bad mouth Rogen. He's a badarse. Masshole and Judo champion. I'd have a beer with him anytime, even if he does sip the koolaid.

No badmouthing, just pointing out were his loyalties lie.

[ironchop]

Saving lives goes to a point of insanity ......witch is the way we`re heading !!

I love you for saying this.... in a totally gay man-love bromance kind of way....not the harmless guy handshake way but more of a full contact leg humping sort of way....just sayin

THIS is a whole other thread worth of debate on this topic. You should start one for real but wait a week so my brain can rest a bit.

I am so sick of the need to save everyone from themselves and from disease when they know damn good and well it`s unsustainable and will likely kill us all in the long run.

OOHHHH "raise awareness!"........"not everyone is aware that cancer kills people or that some men like to cross dress or that some people like to have sex with others of the same gender!" "we got to raise awareness!"......"raise money for cancer research!" "so that the Drug companies do not have to fund their own R&D and get to make pure profit!"

Isn`t it ironic that the same Party who wants to save everyone from bad stuff and death so they can live forever ALSO wants to save the Environment from all the humans who are destroying it? Talk about a conflict of interest!!

[Scootertrash]

BUT the doc. is not necessarily a debate

I agree to a point but........

Would not a documentary merely present the facts and opinion from their point of view?

From Wiki:

Others further state that a documentary stands out from the other types of non-fiction films for providing an opinion, and a specific message, along with the facts it presents.

They could have presented all three of the above criteria without pointing fingers at either political party or any media outlet.

There IS no reason to add a counter point

So I should blindly follow others beliefs without question?

I thought both Fabio and yourself were advocating not being "sheep" in this thread? Not letting "The Machine" be in control?

There is a fundamental difference of opinion thou

You are entitled to your own opinion and all are welcome from any direction.

Would you expect anything other?

The only difference of opinion I see is in the delivery of the message, not the message itself

[Scootertrash]

Isn`t it ironic that the same Party who wants to save everyone from bad stuff and death so they can live forever ALSO wants to save the Environment from all the humans who are destroying it? Talk about a conflict of interest!!

I think YOU may have raised some awareness with this post!

I think I'm gonna jump on a 747 and head to New York for a 32 oz soda. But since I'm only allowed one 20 oz'er, I'll just buy a 2 liter bottle instead.......

[ironchop]

I think YOU may have raised some awareness with this post!

I think I'm gonna jump on a 747 and head to New York for a 32 oz soda. But since I'm only allowed one 20 oz'er, I'll just buy a 2 liter bottle instead.......

don`t let Bloomberg see you doin it!

The only difference of opinion I see is in the delivery of the message, not the message itself .......

Bingo. This is the way I took both you and Redsox`s posts. I didn`t think you were disagreeing with the message. You just voted "no confidence" in the cast.

Is this right?

[Scootertrash]

10-4 chop

Here is the key part of my post:

There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences. - P.J. O'Rourke

I believe than in a free country an adult should be able to do whatever they want as long as it doesn’t negatively affect others.

[Scootertrash]

^^You say you want pot to be legalized but you contradict it later in the post so yeah you really don`t want it and you make excuses about chemicals in the plant......why you want to study it for another 50 yrs ? Take the Rebublickins and the Democraps and all the cute little labels and pound them ! I think we have tried things your way long enough........we need to send them all home without pay ! Thats a fundamental difference of opinion.....don`t you think ?.....or don`t you ?

My, my, my, aren't we a tightly wound little wookie tonight?

I'm not pounding anything there cream puff, so dial it back a notch. Or, how did it go? Lay off the Haterade?

Have another hit, there ya gooo, a nice big one. Sit back, reeelaaaaxx....hold it, hoooolllddd itttttt, ok EXHALE!

OK ya ready? I didn't contradict myself, I merely questioned the validity of the "no negative effects" claim. Seriously, what about that brown resin stained paper on a roach? Or the tarry, resin coated bowl or bowl and chamber on a chamber pipe? Or loading the chamber on a chamber pipe with a nice big bud to "catch" that resinous material? Before it what? Exits the pipe?

It doesn't take a Harvard scholar to figure out that there is a good chance that some of that ends up in your lungs. Is it good for you? Bad for you? The tar from cigarettes is supposed to be bad for you, is the "tar" from weed any different? Or is the cigarette tar is bad for you just another form of The Machine" feeding you what it wants you to hear?

You can take 5 different "brands" of weed and get 5 different highs? That tells me the chemical composition isn't consistent.

Mood altering chemicals affect different people differently, are you going to tell me that that isn't a fact? The truth? Or is it that it doesn't fit the "no negative effects" mantra and need to be quashed from the "discussion"?

You guys want to have a discussion involving the "truth", but someone brings up a valid point and they get shouted down? Told to pound whatever? You wonder why there's 1000 views and only 5 posters?

Is there actually a published study by a bipartisan group of "experts" (so that it's unbiased for both sides) of a cross section of people who exclusively smoked only weed, no tobacco, for oh, say 15 to 30 years, that proves there is no damage to lungs from pot smoke? I mean surely someone in the past 40 years or so of the push to legalize weed would have had the fore thought to make sure that there was no lung damage before they could make the claim that pot has "no negative effects" Right? Well?

You piss away the validity of a supposed "open" discussion where everyone's opinion is welcome, well, that is until they voice their opinion.

Some people claim to want to hear others views, but are shocked and offended when there are other views-Shenanigunz on AR15.com

So, yea, go ahead make it legal medicinally and recreationally. I'll believe the "no negative effects" claim when I see a bipartisan, unbiased, peer reviewed published study. Until then I'll have questions and concerns.

Smoke 'em if ya got 'em

[redsox]

scoot, not to get too far off topic, (i think its generally where we're headed) i think we're in agreement on the basics here, and camps are forming. i'm wondering, do you have the same stance on heroin? or is prohibition bad across the board?

[fabiodriven]

SledCrazy, did you watch the movie?

I do find it interesting that a couple of guys believe so deeply that “The Machine” is out to get them, but yet they have no problem bragging about illegal drug use on a public forum easily monitored by ”The Machine”. To each his own, I guess.

Should marijuana be legal for recreational use? Sure, why not?.[/B] BUT, I'm not going to try to claim it's any better or worse for you than alcohol. Just like some can drink and not have it negatively affect their lives, there are those that smoke pot and have it negatively affect their lives. I've seen it. Chemicals affect different people differently. If you try to convince me otherwise I'll tell you you're full of sh!t. If there weren't chemicals in pot, even tho they're "natural", people wouldn't get buzzed, stoned, wasted, trashed, waxed, or whatever term you want to use, and we wouldn't be having this debate because people wouldn't want to use it recreationally now would they?

What you fail to realize Scooter, is that we feel this law is unjust. In my eyes it is a prohibition and an unjust one at that. This is a point of view shared by more than many these days. It is an overwhelming amount of the public that feels this way and a very big wave is building up and getting ready to crash in this subject as we speak. It is a fact that marijuana has been legalized in many places already inside of the US Scooter, so let us not pretend this isn't happening in front of your face. What is occurring right now is a movement, and in hindsight those who acted as they were required will be seen as those who did right and accomplished something by standing up for what they believed in. This country wouldn't exist today if our fore fathers had listened their higher ups that knew what was "good" for them. As you stated, a tone is a very tough thing to decipher via written word, however, you quote "the machine" in a possibly mocking way, as if we're odd for being aware of such a thing. Am I mistaken? Well if you hadn't noticed that thing that takes all of your money, doles it out where it wants, watches what you do, tells you what you can and can't do, and ensures we all stay down where we are, and speaks to you through that box, and tells you this substance is illegal and this substance is ok, that really does exist. I'm no anarchist, trust me, but when this entity takes myself and my people to war under false pretenses and then tries to tell me that addictive pills are good and this plant is bad, I tend to not trust them anymore, you dig? What I'm asking of people like yourself Scooter, is to make your own decision. It doesn't take a scientist with a laboratory to find out which substance is worse. I may seem simple to many, but this life has gotten so overly complex that people will look right past their own experiences to see what someone in a lab coat or a selectman's seat thinks is good for them, which is exactly what they want. Scooter, I'm not asking you or telling you to do anything, but I have taken drugs and alcohol and I have used marijuana. See because Uncle Sam says it's OK for me to drink and take their pills then I can talk about that all day on here and that wouldn't bother you for a second. The problem with you having a problem with me saying anything about marijuana (it's OK, you can say it) is not because it's such a harmful substance, it is because Uncle Sam says it's bad. What you're failing to do, Scooter, is ask yourself if it is indeed "bad" or at least worse than alcohol, which is OK to talk about. You're going to listen to what "they" want you to believe, yes?

Prescription drugs- I personally abused as a teen recreationally but never got addicted. I had my fun but didn't make a habit of it. Did a lot of drugs for fun in my teens and early twenties. Then I went to war and got my first prescription after a 10 minute sit down after I got home. Took them and was found curled up in the fetal position more than once. I thought my medicine would help but soon figured out it was the cause. Stopped taking pills and just dealt with things. I got in two binds, one a few years back and the other a couple years back, where I was put on anti-anxiety pills. Highly addictive and very powerful. They put you in a cloud that you can see the wreckage from when (if) you emerge from it. As long as you have a pill every day, the cloud remains. It takes a very strong will to get completely off of them. I don't tend to get addicted easily and it took me multiple times to get off a very mild dosage that I was on very short term. I know two people right now whose prescription for the same medicine is 6x (yes six times) what mine was a day and they have both been on these for years. The amount of damage those pills did to me in a couple short months was amazing when I looked back, and these people have been on these for YEARS. The things these people do from day to day is amazing, and people just accept that kind of behavior as if it were normal. Grown men acting like children. You have to "scan" the room before they come in and look at what they're going to knock over or break. Tell them something and it's literally gone in ten seconds as if you had never spoken. They sit and watch TV and rot, and they're all so depressed and depressing. If you'd like written proof look at my posting from two years ago. Scooter, if you need a lab coat to tell you what's worse, that's fine. I'll think for myself and make my own decision based on what I know, and that's that drugs are bad, mmmkay? These people on pills are monsters, shadows of their former selves and the basic necessity for them when it really comes down to it is pills. Not their health, not how they view themselves, not what they do for others. Their pills will always have to be there.

Alcohol- According to the NCADD, https://ncadd.org/in-the-news/155-25...dwide-annually, alcohol is the cause of 2.5 million deaths annually. Need I really say more on that subject?

Marijuana- Scooter you want to oppose so bad and act as if we're begging you not to, on the contrary however. We are begging you to put up an argument please. I just did a quick Google search to find out how many deaths there are due to marijuana. I am being completely honest with you when I tell you now that I couldn't find any, but I would nary ask my opposition to take my word on such a hinging factor, so I task you with it in the name of accuracy. I'd like for you to tell us how many people are killed annually due to marijuana.

After my return home from war and my forays with pills, alcohol, and the law (pretty bad), and years of not caring whether or not I lived or died and acting as such, I decided recently it was time to grow up and get this ship pointed in the right direction and the sails up or this choppy water was going to turn into 10 foot swells sooner than later so that's what I did. You know what the keys are to my success are? Exercise, music, unplugging, diet, and marijuana does play a part in that. So hold the following against me as the law says you should.

I am in a work lull right now, end of snow season and about to begin a new career. Worked hard moving snow which pays well enough to coast for the moment. For over two months now, my days have consisted of me waking up, smoking up, drinking a protein shake, two to three hours at the gym, home made green drink, more meals protein shakes, smile, repeat. And you know what has fallen in my lap over the last few weeks? Three (that's one more than two) career (not job) offers and even a couple decent women. Now I don't know what kind of drinkers you have where you're from, but being able to kick life's ass and making things like this happen is a very, very, VERY VERY VERY far cry from what the alkies I know are doing. The alkies I know are the saddest, and worst people previously in my life, right up there with the addicts. They have sopped more positive energy and taken more of my life out of me than I'm fair enough to admit. My ex threw her whole life away on alcohol and I dealt with that very deeply, and still do. Many of my closest friends I've had to cut out. They physically smell like death and they look no better. Disgusting people I'm not afraid to say.

So the last week or two I've been on the treadmill two or three miles in and mentally going over the pros and cons of each of the three careers I'd like to choose, or thinking about the smokeshow I had on the back of my bike twice last week, then rowed for a half hour and swam twenty five laps after that. Then I talk to people for a while, I usually don't know them but now I know a few. Some are old, some are Asian, whatever. You know what I don't see a lot of at the gym? Drunks. Or let's give them some credit, people drinking. I usually see them saying something stupid or offensive, and they're often at bars. They seem to want to fight a lot. They also like to toss their bottles and cans all over my lawn and in the woods and crash their cars into things and rot from the inside out and murder people and, well, you know.

So Scooter, you can't tell between marijuana, alcohol, and drugs which is worse or better? If that's the case, then our vision just differs. Forget the video, forget Fox News. I know where Fabio's been and I know what I've done and what has taken me where as do you, and I tend to think your experiences in this subject couldn't possibly be all that far off from mine, as there are statistics to show what each substance is responsible for.

My wife suffers from MS and I have a grand nephew with autism. If one or both could benefit from medicinal marijuana I would be ecstatic

http://www.denverrelief.com/blog/con...juana-therapy/

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/Tre...ines/Marijuana

It's a safe bet marijuana could possibly help them both. Obviously I don't know that for certain but those links would elude you to believe that cannabis could very well be the answer in both cases. You can thank the machine for not allowing people to use it and allowing them to suffer for years with pills that treat the symptoms rather than the cause. You do know that's how most modern medicines work correct? Why cure someone when all you're going to do is stop them from using more of your product. Think on the scale of these companies if you would. If you cure millions, you've just gotten rid of millions of faithful customers. Do you see the dollar signs going bye-bye if they did that? Do you understand that the pharmaceutical companies are for profit and want to make as much profit as they possibly can? They are not in business to help people, they are in business to make money.

Totally harmless? Considering that we're just scratching the surface on the positive aspects of the chemicals in MJ, I'm not going to believe that just yet. Since they are trying to project a positive image of medicinal MJ and a negative image of pharmaceuticals, do you really think they are going to list any negatives known to be caused by MJ? My first thought is: How healthy is it to be inhaling a bunch of smoke and holding it in your lungs as long as possible? Any type of smoke for that matter?

I first smoked pot when I was about 16. That was twenty years ago. I am smarter than ever, a productive and helpful member of society, a veteran, I work out daily, help people whether I know them or not, and have a lot of friends and a great family. I am the pinnacle of me at this time right now and I'm just getting started, and I'm not delusional. It's all around me. I can do many things that many people can't and I learn from my mistakes and evolve. I am self aware, much more so than most, and I see clearly my goals and what might slow me from achieving them. Consider me a lab rat. I've got twenty years in so ask away.

You want sympathy for people on any level who got caught with weed and got jail or prison time? Don't come to me. EVERYBODY knows it's illegal. You make the choice to participate in an illegal activity, no matter how stupid or unjust you think the laws are? You have no one to blame but yourself, you knew better. See my sig above.

Again you fail to see the big picture. If the law is unjust, then why are those being punished for it still wrong? They didn't make the unjust law and they stood for what was right in the end.

The film makers are a bunch Liberal/Progressive/Eurosocialist Canadian and UK MEDIA up and comers.

The “Experts” are big time university professors and “scholars”. You won’t find a larger pool of Liberals/Progressives/Socialists than upper academia.

Oh, and let’s not forget! A former big time pot smuggler

The US MEDIA celebrities, a veritable who’s who of Liberal/Progressives:
Joe Rogan: The Young Turks (I’ll cover them in a bit) are pushing for Joe Rogan to be the Democratic presidential nominee for 2016.
After doing some research it appears that ol’ Joe supports a variety of other Liberal stances

“The Young Turks”
Cenk Kadir Uygur: Uygur is a Turkish-American columnist, political commentator and activist. Uygur is the main host and co-founder of the American liberal/progressive political and social internet commentary program, The Young Turks (TYT) and the co-Founder of the associated TYT Network. He worked as an attorney in Washington, D.C. and New York before beginning his career as a political commentator. Originally a moderate Republican, he is now a progressive.
Ana Kasparian: Kasparian was an assistant producer with CBS Radio news stations in Los Angeles, first with KFWB and then KNX.[6][7] She has also worked with AOL News, YouTube, TidalTv and On Point. After becoming a fill-in host in April 2007, Kasparian became the producer and co-host with Cenk Uygur of the progressive talk radio on Sirius XM Satellite Radio and internet show/TV show The Young Turks. She co-hosted TYT University, a show focused on issues faced by university students for some years, and now hosts another TYT Network show, The Point.

If anyone else hadn't noticed, not one on "our" side, nor did anyone in the video, attempt to discredit or attack anyone's character from the other side. What you saw from the opposition was them, the opposition, speaking their own words which were then commented on. I didn't say anything about anyone's character in an attempt to defame or discredit. These people are who they are and your argument is null either way because the whole point of the movement is, all walks of life use marijuana. The young, the old, the good, the bad, the real, the fake, liars and Fabios, politicians and honest people, and even you. You can discredit all you want, it doesn't matter. They smoke it on skid row and they smoke it on Madison Ave. It doesn't matter who's who.

Rappers: Seriously? Who, as Fabio says, “are at the pinnacle of their profession which is a very, very hard position to ascertain” The profession of the music business? The epitome of excess? Sex, Drugs and rock and roll?
And since when are celebrities, rock stars, movies stars, et al the “voice of the people”? Fabio: have you personally contacted D-o-double g or Queefa or whatever his name is and told them to speak for you? I know I haven’t.

If your point is it's very easy to become what these people have then I will wholeheartedly disagree. Who in their right mind doesn't want to be a rock star? Are you seriously going to attempt to make it seem as though what these people have achieved was easy?

These people are celebrities, yes, but they are musicians. As I said already, disrespect all you want but when your self expression demands the attention theirs does then you can claim their words don't matter. Scooter, these people's words have garnered the attention of millions of people. Do I really have to explain this to you? Again, let's say you're right. None of these people are nearly as important as the video would like to insinuate. Not even joking, you're right! Now explain to me how this makes them any less credible. You don't want to hear it from scholars or scientists or artists, OK that's fine. Your choice. What about someone you have an acquaintance with, such as myself. No? OK, fine. I'm just a truck driver, they are who they are, but you know what you can't decide we're not? People. We're all people and our feelings and experience on this subject should be listened to unless given some reason otherwise. A rash of pot explosions, pot murders, potting and driving, pot wars... Wait we already have that last one, but there's only one side who would like to keep it going.

Or is it because they are wealthy celebrities with tight connections to the wealthy politicians and even more wealthy political donors who control the “Machine” that you so despise and want to be free from its control, BUT NEED THAT MACHINE to approve your drug of choice?

I'm not sure really what this means but if you're suggesting celebrities and politicians are in cahoots somehow you're more out of touch than I thought. This is something that doesn't need speculation, the drug companies are actually, factually, known to be tied in with our government. That is fact, we all know it. I'd like some proof of celebrities in cahoots with the government please to back this claim, specifically having to deal with cannabis. Thank you.

If you think I need the machine to approve of the plant of my choice then this one's for you.

But yet here you are regurgitating what you see in an independent film, which is just another arm of TV/Radio/MEDIA?

This is information that I have found to be completely factual, through my own lifestyle, is true and I find it could help other people. That's not to say that my choice of lifestyle is for everyone, but it's not fair that everyone for this type of lifestyle be persecuted wrongfully because people such as yourself feel as though we shouldn't be able to live our lives the way we want to. It's been proven as far as I'm concerned. People have been smoking pot since the dawn of time and it's caused very few issues. Cigarettes kill you. If you can't look at a smoker and tell they're killing themselves then I guess I'm just smarter than you? If you can't look at a drinker and see they've aged themselves (if they haven't managed to kill themselves yet) then you, my friend, are blind. We both know you can see. Keep the veil on if you want, you don't have to see what we're doing over here, but I can assure you that it will not effect you. My smoking would effect you far less than your drinking will ever effect me. Statistically who's going to crash into whom? Or murder whom? Or just start a fight? So yes, I do endorse this particular film. I will use this tool of information as it should be used, to do good for people.

This is a standard practice by the left. “It’s for the children”. Health care, education, global warm….errr climate change, gun control, minimum wage, you name it….”It’s for the children”
Why? Because it evokes emotion. I feel just as bad for the kids who suffer as anyone else. If you have good solid evidence and proof that something works to cure serious ailments, the side effects of chemo, etc, just show me the evidence. If you have good, solid research that something works it will speak for itself. No need use children to try to sway my opinion or feelings.

Does the age of the handicapped or seriously ill individual really matter? Everybody deserves treatment to relieve pain and suffering.

Honestly I'd be ashamed of those words. It saddens me that you honestly think that way. The little boy in that video suffered greatly and was (near) hopelessly addicted to (barbiturates?), and this plant helped him. Did you not just ask a few paragraphs earlier for evidence of this plant having a medical benefit? The boys father wept tears of joy as he told his story, they showed it right in front of your eyes, and you have the audacity to both ask for evidence and then discredit a poor young boy whose entire life was changed by this plant once evidence is presented? This, if nothing else, is proof that nothing will appease your foothold on your side and it doesn't matter for what good or what purpose this plant has become a topic of debate. You have all the markings of one who has taken a higher dosage of the Kool-Aid than the rest, which is undoubtedly due to your age. You've had double or triple the dose of most here. You do what you want but I'll stay away from taking anything but a smile from the footage of that boy going out in his yard for the first time ever.

Broad brushing of physicians: Every doctor is a profit motivated pill pusher?

Personal experience- Me; no doctors unless in a pinch. Two prescription over the last 7 year or so, the older lasting a year on and off the second lasting roughly two months. Both times were the closest I've ever been to death.

Friend A; The more he goes to the doctor, the more he takes the pills, the worse he gets. He gets sick, he gets fat, he gets old fast. His brain is literally scrambled. Doesn't hear what you say and no idea what he says or does. Reason is out the window, no common sense. A danger to himself and those around him.

Friend B; On pills for years. Confused about many aspects of life. You couldn't winch him away from the TV if it were 85 and sunny. Exceptionally anti-social, makes poor decisions, no concept of the future, does things he regrets often. Goes to work every day but shies away from standing out or making anything of himself. Just wants to fly under the radar, perfect consumer. Watch the show, take the pill, buy some stuff, work, repeat.

These guys should not be on this dosage for this amount of time. How do I know? Because I was prescribed the same pill from the VA. The dosage they gave me was plenty. Double the dosage was more than enough, 6x that? I'm sorry but six fawking times?! I would be in the hospital if I took that, or I would be a literal zombie. I lost an entire week when I was in my late teens to a handful of pills. I got around, made it to work, and even drove. I drove fine too, but I don't know that. I was told that after. My buddy thought I seemed off but he said I drove perfect. I don't even remember it. That's what would happen to me if I took what my friends are prescribed. This explains the countless calamities that surround my friends and I in turn end up getting involved in. So to answer your question, I've seen too many people on way too many drugs. The doctors want to give out the pills, the patients want to take the pills. It's a win/win as far as they're concerned. From what I see doctors love to give out prescriptions.

I just decided my exact mind frame and established my goal career wise weeks ago. The exact position I desired has been delivered to me on a platter in a location ten minutes from my house, which is a lot closer than the shop I was gunning for. Not only is it closer, but it will be a better job all around. That, my friend, is the art of manifestation and tell me what you don't believe all you want, I believe in results, and this is not by accident and this is not the kind of thing that happens to alkies and druggies. This is what I set my mind on and made happen, my mind which is honed in and trained to obtain that which I desire. I don't need Google to show me what's been happening in my own life lately, and if more people took their eyes off the TV and filled their heads with the music and words they wanted to hear rather than what's plumbed into their homes and cars (and you pay for it!) they might be able to realize their wants and desires as well. Discredit me or anyone else and I know what you're going to say, you've not discredited me, but you've attempted to discredit everyone in that video. I've accomplished a lot and it hasn't been without a very fair share of hard work and effort on my part, however, I have not accomplished what it is those people have. They have risen amongst the ranks of everyone else in this country, every single person here, and their work is cherished and will always be remembered. They are from this moment in time and have experience with the subject at hand which is all they need to be qualified to have an opinion.

Typing that you are ready does not make it so Scooter.

[fabiodriven]

Scooter there aren't many replied due to the requirement that the video must be watched first. That's obviously going to bring the number of replies down and that wasn't by accident.

[atctim]

I watched this documentary for a second time last night. I'm still digesting it. What I find most peculiar is that most of those interviewed are and pretty much the entire cast are liberal progressives. What I find odd is that I am on the opposite side of the fence as these people on most topics. This is something I can find a common ground with them on.

The part I keep playing back in my head is the guy with the two puppets, one on each hand. Some people like the right hand puppet because he says this, and other like the left hand puppet because he said that. But in reality it is the same guy running both puppets. This is our current political environment to a "T".

[ironchop]

I watched this documentary for a second time last night. I'm still digesting it. What I find most peculiar is that most of those interviewed are and pretty much the entire cast are liberal progressives. What I find odd is that I am on the opposite side of the fence as these people on most topics. This is something I can find a common ground with them on......

That was my reaction INITIALLY. I`m still conditioned to be wary of any progressive language because I spent all the 90s consumed with Left vs. Right and fighting the evil Liberals and their goal of world domination under a New World Order. A friend challenged me to be a better debater by reading up on my perceived enemy so that maybe I could understand where they get their ideology and what drives their need for dominance. Apparently "yer a dirty Marxist" isn`t a very good tactic for winning arguments.

I picked up a copy of The Essential Chomsky. Read some Dr. Cornel West as well.

I found that I agree with quite a bit of what Chomsky had to say. Honestly, Libertarians and some Socialists share a lot of complaints and realizations with one another. The fundamental difference is in the ideas they have to fix the problem. The same is true across the political spectrum. Lots of shared opinions but different ideas on how to change the world. Honestly there are only a few key issues that these groups actually differ in opinion whereas it concerns what constitutes a problem.

I dabbled into Anarchism both outright and Anarcho-communism as well. Same thing. I shared opinions on the problems in the country but I disagree in their solutions. You can`t just remove authority altogether and everyone will just do what`s good for the community and not be selfish. You need authority because there are corrupt and selfish people out there who don`t care who suffers as long as they benefit. Marxists believe that Egalitarianism and banning capitalism solves all the worlds problems because its supposed to eliminate suffering and jealousy and resentment. It does just that for the proletariat BUT there are still corrupt and selfish people leading the Red Charge and because of this, you get dissention. Instead of quelling dissention with reforms, Communists refer to the Police State of control to smash dissention (Marxism is fundamentally against the Leninist and Stalinist versions of "communism" but that didnt stop corrupt people from corrupting ideology and becoming tyrants in the process) and maintain strict obedience to the state whatever the state`s agenda may entail.

Back to Conservatism......I was on board until Bush II passed the Patriot Act. I knew then that the two party system was a complete fraud and that the endgame was the same regardless of the party in power. I was never again blinded by the false dichotomy.

The reason I said so much about political theory is to point out that we share ALOT of ideas about whats wrong with this country. If we continue to split hairs about what frucking camp this guy belongs to or that guy, we will never learn. They are ALL in cahoots. They look like fools but don`t let fools make a fool out of you.

The Illusion of "Democracy" can`t be maintained if we realize there is no difference in representation. They all love war. They all lie. They all steal. They all are hypocrits. They are ALL out for themselves.

Sun Tzu Art of War proverb: in a nutshell, you must divide your enemy in order to destroy them.

Take a look around you. Have we EVER been this divided since 1856? That should tell you how close we are to something very BAD.

Until you can look at one another and say "American" rather than "liberal", "progressive", "neocon", "evangelical", or "moderate" we will ALWAYS be easily defeated

[fabiodriven]

Excellent post Doug, thank you very much.

Also thank you Scooter. Again I am obviously passionate about this issue and do get revved up. I do appreciate your posting however.