The Big Weed Bust

[313hero]

They left all of the growing equip and pounds of weed in there. WTF did they think was going to happen. the scrapers came after they took all of the remaining weed that was left after they walked into the UNLOCKED door. if these drugs were so dangerous, why did they leave unsecured for anyone to take? they say it was about 30 or 40 people in there having a field day on all the free weed and supplies, then the scrappers came. good job feds you helped flood the streets with dope once again

[Django]

Did I miss something? I didnt see anything about a bunch of drugs left behind. What would it matter if there was? There is no shortage of weed out there. This was just an easy bust which took many man hours away from crimes people really care about. It made the papers and gave them something to boast about but really did nothing for our city. Gangs are not killing each other over weed turf,thats a sideline business. Crack and heroin are the real deal demand on the streets, if they would just take the profit out of that game by decrim or legalizing there wouldnt be any killing over drugs.

I'm glad to see so many of us on the same page. Ive been screaming about these problems for years now and have seen quite a change in attitude from posters here the past year or so. Shit has to change and its still a long way off. The longer it takes the harder its going to be. The CCA has a huge and strong grip much like the current banking system thats screwing us all how they like. Its not as cool to be a millionaire anymore,you have to be a billionaire. The capitalist system has run its course to the point where a majority of ppl are living hand to mouth. I love America but damn.

[TKshreve]

The CCA has a huge and strong grip much like the current banking system thats screwing us all how they like. Its not as cool to be a millionaire anymore,you have to be a billionaire. The capitalist system has run its course to the point where a majority of ppl are living hand to mouth. I love America but damn.

Are there any public records of the CCA influencing lawmakers?

[rb336]

Are there any public records of the CCA influencing lawmakers?

I know LCS is under investigation.

CCA and others in the private prison industry have spent tens of millions lobbying for longer sentencing laws, etc.

[old guy]

old guy

Have you seen the movie The House I Live In?
its on Netflix
http://movies.netflix.com/WiPlayer?m...c7e70-19842375

Django, Jimaz, I downloaded that documentary last night and watched it. Excellent film, but scary. It was surprising to me who some of the people that pushed the hardest to perpetrate the war on drugs were. I found it odd that tricky dick actually proposed that more money should be spent on treatment and Clinton came off as a hard ass to gain political support. Don't get me wrong. I detested Nixon and Nancy Reagan was one of the most repulsive first ladies in my memory.
On a side note, if you have no regard for ethics, scruples, or care for unneeded human suffering and would like to earn a profit, then purchasing stocks in CCA would probably be a wise investment. This is not how America should function.

[Django]

Heres a quick news story that explains the basics of prison labor.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSg7FYeMUK8

The other day I promised some "clothing" for my girl and suggested Victorias Secret but she said "no way, they use prison labor"

Sad to hear Microsoft uses them as well. Boeing is no surprise but Starbucks?

I know many travel agencies use them to take calls and book flights.

Im still trying to find a list of companies that use prison labor soI know who not to shop with and make a stink about it.

The point is cheap labor has left the US to 3rd world countries but we've found a way to bring it back here, cheap slave prison labor. Keep as many people in prison as you can and there are billions to be made. Like Old Guy said, millions are being spent lobbying for stricter laws and longer sentences but most are for non violent offenders and are just being used.

[Jimaz]

... Im still trying to find a list of companies that use prison labor so I know who not to shop with and make a stink about it....

Here's a partial list from a few years ago:

INSOURCING - Identifying businesses involved in prison labor or supporting those who are

BANKS: American General Financial Group, American Express Company, Bank of America, Community Financial Services Corporation, Credit Card Coalition, Credit Union National Association, Inc., Fidelity Inestments, Harris Trust & Savings Bank, Household International, LaSalle National Bank, J.P. Morgan & Company, Non-Bank Funds Transmitters Group

ENERGY PRODUCERS/OIL: American Petroleum Institute, Amoco Corporation, ARCO, BP America, Inc., Caltex Petroleum, Chevron Corporation, ExxonMobil Corporation, Mobil Oil Corporation, Phillips Petroleum Company.

ENERGY PRODUCERS/UTILITIES: American Electric Power Association, American Gas Association, Center for Energy and Economic Development, Commonwealth Edison Company, Consolidated Edison Company of New York, Inc., Edison Electric Institute, Independent Power Producers of New York, Koch Industries, Inc., Mid-American Energy Company, Natural Gas Supply Association, PG&E Corporation/PG&E National Energy Group, U.S. Generating Company.

INSURANCE: Alliance of American Insurers, Allstate Insurance Company, American Council of Life Insurance, American Insurance Association, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Corporation, Coalition for Asbestos Justice, [[This organization was formed in October 2000 to explore new judicial approaches to asbestos litigation." Its members include ACE-USA, Chubb & Son, CNA service mark companies, Fireman's Fund Insurance Company, Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc., Kemper Insurance Companies, Liberty Mutual Insurance Group, and St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company. Counsel to the coalition is Victor E. Schwartz of the law firm of Crowell & Moring in Washington, D.C., a longtime ALEC ally.)
Fortis Health, GEICO, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Guarantee Trust Life Insurance, MEGA Life and Health Insurance Company, National Association of Independent Insurers, Nationwide Insurance/National Financial, State Farm Insurance Companies, Wausau Insurance Companies, Zurich Insurance.

PHARMACEUTICALS: Abbott Laboratories, Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Bayer Corporation, Eli Lilly & Company, GlaxoSmithKline, Glaxo Wellcome, Inc., Hoffman-LaRoche, Inc., Merck & Company, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of
America [[PhRMA), Pharmacia Corporation, Rhone-Poulenc Rorer, Inc., Schering-Plough Corporation, Smith, Kline & French, WYETH, a division of American Home Products Corporation.

MANUFACTURING:American Plastics Council, Archer Daniels Midland Corporation, AutoZone, Inc. [[aftermarket automotive parts), Cargill, Inc., Caterpillar, Inc., Chlorine Chemistry Council, Deere & Company, Fruit of the Loom, Grocery Manufacturers of America, Inland Steel Industries, Inc., International Game Technology, International Paper, Johnson & Johnson, Keystone Automotive Industries, Motorola, Inc., Procter & Gamble, Sara Lee Corporation.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS: AT&T, Ameritech, BellSouth Telecommunications, Inc., GTE Corporation, MCI, National Cable and Telecommunications Association, SBC Communications, Inc., Sprint, UST Public Affairs, Inc., Verizon Communications, Inc.

TRANSPORTATION: Air Transport Association of America, American Trucking Association, The Boeing Company, United Airlines, United Parcel Service [[UPS).

OTHER U.S. COMPANIES: Amway Corporation, Cabot Sedgewick, Cendant Corporation, Corrections Corporation of America, Dresser Industries, Federated Department Stores, International Gold Corporation, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Microsoft Corporation, Newmont Mining Corporation, Quaker Oats, Sears, Roebuck & Company, Service Corporation International, Taxpayers Network, Inc., Turner Construction, Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

ORGANIZATIONS/ASSOCIATIONS: Adolph Coors Foundation, Ameritech Foundation, Bell & Howell Foundation, Carthage Foundation, Charles G. Koch Charitable Foundation, ELW Foundation, Grocery Manufacturers of America, Heartland Institute of Chicago, The Heritage Foundation, Iowans for Tax Relief, Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation of Milwaukee, National Pork Producers Association, National Rifle Association, Olin Foundation, Roe Foundation, Scaiffe Foundation, Shell Oil Company Foundation, Smith Richardson Foundation, Steel Recycling Institute, Tax Education Support Organization, Texas Educational Foundation, UPS Foundation.

[Django]

Holy Cow Jimaz.

I predict that many years from now some of these companies will be looked upon as as Nazi like sympathizers or slave owning plantations. Id like to think so anyway.

Im sure most are small investors just following a trend in the market.

The CCA and GEO like companies who are the real bastards.

Damn, now I've gotta go through that whole list.

[Django]

I just went back and read the article Jimaz, bookmarked it for future ref. Good article.

[rb336]

Here's a partial list from a few years ago:

INSOURCING - Identifying businesses involved in prison labor or supporting those who are

Does it surprise anyone that most of the organizations/foundations are notoriously right-wing?

[old guy]

Does it surprise anyone that most of the organizations/foundations are notoriously right-wing?

No, not really. This is really bad shit. It's something that shouldn't be happening anywhere on earth, and especially in one of the greatest, freedom loving countries in the world. What's happened to us? Greed over liberty?

[Jimaz]

What I find most unnerving about this is that the public seems to be increasingly caught off-guard [[held in the dark) about all [[not just prison slavery) of these issues.

Maybe it's that "shadow government" from a few years ago. I dunno.

What seems undeniable is that the pressures to increase concentration of wealth will escalate until that machine explodes.

This is not looking good for anyone.

[rb336]

No, not really. This is really bad shit. It's something that shouldn't be happening anywhere on earth, and especially in one of the greatest, freedom loving countries in the world. What's happened to us? Greed over liberty?

haven't you paid attention since 1980? of course the republican mantra is money over everything. It's even worse for the Randian "libertarians" who would cede all individual liberty to corporations. Yes, that WOULD be the result of their prepubescent "philosophy" for reasons enumerated here many, many times.

[Jimaz]

Total duration 85 minutes:

Setting aside the recent dramatic increase in the exploitation of prison labor due to artificially exaggerated drug enforcement, this type of scheme has a precedent in "post-slavery" America. Here's the sordid prison-profit history we're threatened to relive: *A Must See* :Slavery by Another Name [[PBS Documentary 2012)

The prison labor angle begins 13 minutes into the video.

[Django]

Jimaz, Im watching the movie now. Will finish tomorrow as Im to tired to pay attention. Digging it so far.

I started a new thread in Non Detroit.

hope you all will chime in as you have. Im hoping for a good debate [[where we will quickly stomp ass of course because we are right)

[Jimaz]

Total duration 47 minutes: Challenging Society's View on Drugs - Dr. Carl Hart

Malcolm Fleschner [[Executive Producer for The Point) interviews Dr. Carl Hart [[Professor of Psychiatry and Psychology at Columbia University) on his new book, "High Price." The book challenges ... our perception of drugs and whether it's actually appropriate to blame poverty and societal ills on addiction.

Are current drug policies failing? According to Dr. Hart's book, yes. He explains why with his landmark, yet controversial studies of race, poverty, and drugs as well as the relationship between drugs and pleasure, choice, and motivation, both in the brain and in society. Hart relates his own story that started in a tough Miami neighborhood and resulted in a career as a neuroscientist and Columbia University's first tenured African American professor in the sciences.

Starts out slow but picks up steam.