The futile and damaging nature of drug prohibition is a frequent topic on this blog, so check out this Nick Gillespie interview of Ken Burns on the unintended consequences of prohibition and then review this Radley Balko/Freedom Daily article on the enormous collateral damage of drug prohibition.
A truly civil society would find a better way.
Monthly Archives: October 2011
Gladwell on the Norden Bombsight
Colbert and that entertaining form of corruption
Stephen Colbert provides his amusing spin on the corruption of big-time college sports by interviewing Taylor Branch, author of the e-book The Cartel, which is an expanded version of Branch’s cover story from the October issue of The Atlantic, The Shame of College Sports (H/T Jay Christensen).
Epstein on the benefits of inequality
In less than ten minutes, Clear Thinkers favorite Richard Epstein lucidly explains the societal benefits of providing economic incentives that produce inequality in a market economy (H/T Bart Bentley).
Watch Does U.S. Economic Inequality Have a Good Side? on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.
Look Who is Advising the FBI
So, former Enron Task Force director Andrew Weissmann has found his way back into government service, this time as general counsel to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This is the fellow who – among other outrageous tactics — is primarily responsible for prosecuting Arthur Andersen out of business and for destroying the careers of several innocent Merrill Lynch executives in the notoriously misguided Nigerian Barge case.
And now he is the primary counselor to the federal government’s primary investigative force.
Weissmann’s track record of abuse of power should be grounds to preclude him from such a position. But in this day and age, it is viewed as sound preparation.
Not a particularly pleasant thought to have if the Devil ever turns on you.
Margin Call
Physical Exercise – Preventive treatment for Dementia?
Dr. Eric J. Ahlskog of The Mayo Clinic’s Department of Neurology discusses his article appearing in the September 2011 issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings on the effect of physical exercise as a disease-modifying treatment for dementia and the aging brain (H/T Art DeVany).
Building a stadium
Check out this cool time-lapse photo video of the construction of Target Field, the new stadium of the Minnesota Twins.
A prosthetic arm that feels
That deserves a Carlsberg
Yet another in our continuing series of creative commercials.