Land Of The Flea

The Will Of The People Doesn’t Mean Jack To Drug Warriors

"The Associated Press reports that eight former DEA administrators are urging the Obama administration to sue Washington and Colorado over their voter-approved moves toward marijuana legalization. Hopefully the administration will choose to ignore this thuggish recommendation. But if they do decide to litigate, this will be another sign that the feds don’t give a damn about the will of the people. Liberty-loving Americans should respond to this federal intrusion with a massive wave of civil disobedience. Let’s publicize the efforts of these authoritarians to undermine the voters of Colorado and Washington." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Will Of The People Doesn’t Mean Jack To Drug Warriors

Totally Disinterested Drug Warriors Demand That Holder Stop Marijuana Legalization Before It’s Too Late

"In an open letter released today, eight former heads of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), four former drug czars, and assorted anti-drug groups urge the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is scheduled to hear testimony from Attorney General Eric Holder tomorrow, to grill him about why he is not stopping Colorado and Washington from legalizing marijuana." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingTotally Disinterested Drug Warriors Demand That Holder Stop Marijuana Legalization Before It’s Too Late

Sell a gun to someone who smokes a joint, get 20 years in jail

"The bill would impose a 20-year prison term if you planned ('conspired') to purchase a firearm in order to give or raffle it to a person who, unbeknownst to you, is a 'prohibited person.' Who is a prohibited person? Well, there are the 150,000 law-abiding veterans who are 'prohibited persons' –- for no other reason than that a psychiatrist appointed a fiduciary to oversee their financial affairs. But probably the biggest category of 'prohibited persons' is persons who smoke marijuana. Under 18 U.S.C. 922(d)(3) and (g)(3), you cannot possess a firearm in America if you are 'an unlawful user of ... any controlled substance...'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSell a gun to someone who smokes a joint, get 20 years in jail

Must-read letter to the President

"Dear Mr. President: I am writing to you as a wife and mother of two young daughters, whose 34-year old husband, Matthew Davies, faces 10 years or more in federal prison for providing medical marijuana to sick people in California, even though he complied with state law concerning medicinal cannabis. My questions to you are simple: What has my husband done that would justify the federal government forcing my young daughters to grow up without a father? How can your Administration ignore the will of the California people and prosecute this good, law-abiding man for doing exactly what state law permits?" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMust-read letter to the President

Feds Give Up Trying to Seize a Motel Based on Drug Offenses by a Few Guests

"Today the U.S. Attorney's Office in Boston said it will not appeal a ruling that blocked the federal government's attempt to seize and sell a family-owned motel in Tewksbury, Massachusetts, based on drug offenses committed by a tiny fraction of the people who stayed there. The government conceded that the owner, Russell Caswell, did not participate in those crimes and was not aware of them at the time, but it argued that he was 'willfully blind' to them." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFeds Give Up Trying to Seize a Motel Based on Drug Offenses by a Few Guests

U.S., French tax laws cause concern for expats of Switzerland

"The Swiss government signed the controversial Fatca deal with the US last month. Parliament is due to discuss it later this year and political parties on the right and left have already announced they will reject it. Fatca obliges foreign banks to report offshore accounts held by US tax payers, including expats. The law is part of a policy by the US authorities to crack down on tax dodgers. France has announced it wants to revise a 1953 accord in a bid to recover inheritance tax from its citizens living in Switzerland and force Swiss who own property in France to be taxed there. The Swiss Abroad community as well as the cantons strongly oppose the amendments." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingU.S., French tax laws cause concern for expats of Switzerland

The 12 Companies Cashing In On Drones

"The U.S. military spent about $3 billion on drone programs last year, according to the Wall Street Journal. And as government spending cuts threaten to pinch some of that money, defense contractors are looking for ways to expand the drone market domestically to law enforcement agencies, universities and border patrols. According to HuffPo, here are 12 major corporations making money off of drones." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe 12 Companies Cashing In On Drones

Court: CIA cannot continue to deny basic information on drone program

"The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals held in a 3-0 vote on Friday that the CIA must reveal whether it has any 'involvement' or 'interest' in the U.S. drone program, saying its refrain that the agency cannot acknowledge the program’s existence is undermined by officials’ public statements. Those public statements came from President Barack Obama, newly-minted CIA director John Brennan and former CIA Director Leon Panetta, all of whom have confirmed that some agency of the U.S. government uses drone aircraft to drop bombs." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCourt: CIA cannot continue to deny basic information on drone program

Police Intervention Always Makes Things Worse — Continued

"Last April, a Brooklyn landlady named Karen Brim was mopping the floors in her apartment building when three police officers suddenly materialized in pursuit of several local teenagers. The officers claimed that the teens were trespassers. Brim said that they were guests and were welcome on her property. The police, however, were not. The officers responded by throwing the 42-year-old woman to the floor, shattering her leg. She was taken to a local hospital where she was shackled to a bed and held under armed guard for seventeen days. Brim, who was the victim, was charged with five offenses." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPolice Intervention Always Makes Things Worse — Continued