Hard News: Those Men Again
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re: EFB. Once I worked out it didn't mean Exclusive Friggin Brethren it didn't take me long to work out I disliked it about the same.
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The ex-team doctor for Ferrari made claims in early 2005 that 30% of the field were using cocaine to improve driving performance.
Silly them. Speed would have been the obvious choice.
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Supposedly the US Airforce in WW2 got a lot of meth too.
As did Japanese kamikaze pilots.
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Coupla points:
Not really equipped to talk about illegal drugs, but on the legal drugs front, a hell of a lot of them have warnings about driving a vehilce, etc. Asked my GP about this recently about something I was on after a health hiccup earlier this year and he (and he's pretty conservative) said it would impair very few people and if I'd had no problems I shouldn't worry about it.
Can't imagine ever using cocaine myself but I do know coca leaves are used to enhance alertness in South America, especially at altitude in places like Peru and Bolivia.
Re: the EFB - agree completely with the points about the asymetrical nature of it. I'd be quite happy with it if the govt would swear off any ad campaigns itself for working for families, Kiwisaver, business tax cuts, how well ACC is doing (yep, there's another one of those campaigns planned as well) from Jan 1.
But when that happens, Satan will be iceskating to work.
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Craig and Graeme. I was not commenting about your political leanings but about some of the more outrageous opposition to the EFB. I don't think there is much disagreement about the fact it has flaws. However, there are some that would have been screeching "my freedom has been curtailed" no matter what it contained or how perfect / imperfect it was.
It's a bit like the smacking debate. There was reasonable concern but all too often this with reasonable concerns aligned themselves with some real wild eyed loonies. The Hollow Men example was a bit of a case in point, I would suggest.
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Silly them. Speed would have been the obvious choice.
The race only lasts 80 min and most intense at the start. Perfect for coke. Speed lasts a bit too long, don't want to on whilst doing press after the race.
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It's a bit like the smacking debate. There was reasonable concern but all too often this with reasonable concerns aligned themselves with some real wild eyed loonies.
Don,
Not a bit, it is exactly like the anti-smacking debate. Only this time National will not be offering a face saving compronise.
The repeal of s59 cost Labour its lead in the polls and currently has it 12% behind. Labour should not ignore those voicing reasonable concern about the EFB, unless it can afford the loss of another 5 - 10% support.
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Drugs are drugs. Always been there always will. Legislating for or against certain drugs has never worked, and never will. People will use what they want. It is not the drugs that are the problem, it is our relationship with them that can be. If you include caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol, almost everyone uses some kind or another, most very responsibly.Others not so.
In terms of driving, well I don't know how anyone can waste space talking about the effects of cannabis in this area, as recent media reports are doing, both here and in Australia (on 60 Minutes this week).The term "drug driving" is an attempt to demonise and separate other drugs from the real problem behind the wheel as everyone knows, which is alcohol.One could easily get the feeling that certain very large industries that stand to lose the most only want us only using their drugs, and not anything else that may cost them revenue.
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I'd rather not be able to buy heroine at the supermarket than you very much
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Yeah - why does Foodtown stock Mills and Boon???????
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Angus - I doubt it. The thing about the smacking debate was that everybody has been a child and no doubt felt they way *they* were brung up was the best way.
Most people don't campaign during election times. I suspect most would rather there was less than more.
Still, YMMV.
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I'd rather not be able to buy heroine at the supermarket than you very much
I would, sometimes a girl needs a little dutch courage ; )
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Depends on the heroine. Low grade ones, like Angelina Jolie, nah. But Uma Thurman, I'll have 58kg thanks.
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"...I'd rather not be able to buy heroine at the supermarket than you very much..."
You clearly have to many E's though.
The Nazi's loaded their troops up on meth - http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,354606,00.htmlWhich may explain at least some of the random and extremely brutal atrocities committed by German forces.
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No it doesn't Tom. They were systematic and planned coupled with the Nazi culture of cruelty.
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Don,
At the start of the smacking debate in August 06 there was parity and at the end National was 15% ahead. It is a matter of record, no guesstimates at variance and no need to suspect or doubt.
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and a study that dean seems quite keen on (selectively) referring to, shows BZP improves driveing ability- or many tasks that require focus.
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Angus - so we agree on the polling effect of the smacking legislation. Good.
We disagree on the possible impact of the EFB. However, I may be wrong on that outcome.
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"I'd rather not be able to buy heroine at the supermarket than you very much"
Much better that you pay a gang member for it, for somethign of dubious quality, at an over inflated price eh.
Much better to criminalise the users, subsidise criminal elements and take money out of the economy.
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I'd rather not be able to buy heroine at the supermarket than you very much
With appropriate age limits I wouldn't have a problem with that. But spare me the Greens arguing that a bit of recreational shooting up is some how equivalent to taking heart medication.
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I'm not really that interested in heart medicine or BZP, but I do wish my local 4 Square would start selling heroin.
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One thing leapt out at me when reading the transcript of Hager's transmission. When answering a question from DBP, Hager appears to suggest that, while imposing restrictions on political communication from January 1 of an election year is an improvement on the status quo, a perfect bill would apply controls for the preceding two years as well.
So in other words, you could improve the EFB by restricting individuals and groups' abilities to criticise the government not just for the whole election year, but every year. Brilliant. So the Govt of the day can promote whatever they like, essentially unopposed.
For a man with such a deeply ingrained suspicion of authority, it does seem an odd suggestion to say the least.
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Man, I so shouldn't post after 10pm. Clearly I was referring to Hager's submission, not his transmission.
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Andy: well, if we have a permanent campaign, permanent spending limits might seem justified (and it would save you from the whole problem of a 3-month limit for snap elections that occur in non-election years). And some countries (e.g. the UK) do indeed simply have an annual spending limit for parties as a way of establishing a level playing field. But IMHO 12 months is enough - money spent a year before the poll probably doesn't have that much persistent effect.
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You know what really needs banned? Mountain Climbing. Seriously, kills people, cripples them for life, huge costs to the hospitals and rescue crews; and yet there's shops in tourist towns set up to sell mountain climbing gear as if it's normal.
I tell you, I climbed a wee bit of mount cook a couple times, got totally high, and could have bloody killed myself! The Government is involved in getting people to go there. It's MADNESS.
Won't somebody please think of the children! People are taking barely significant risks with their potential productivity just to try and enjoy life. Will it never end?
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