Seems like Americans better be more careful on their holidays.

jackiebaron

It appears now that America and the thought police are going one step further in tightening the noose.

If an American goes on vacation like say interrailing around Europe and smokes a bit of weed in Amsterdam, then they can go to federal prison in the US.

We've enetered the twilight zone.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/10/06/us-drug-policy-war-congress_n_998993.html?1318006907&ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009&ref=fb&sp&comm_ref=false

Of course anyone with half a brain knows that this once again has nothing to do with drugs but to protect US pharmaceutical companies from senior citizens taking a train to Canada and getting their diabetes or arthritis medication prescriptions filled for one 8th of the price.

humanji

Although the law is idiotic, what you're saying there is wrong. They can only be prosecuted if they discuss or plan what they will do in the US. They won't be prosecuted for acts commited outside the US.

jackiebaron

humanji wrote: »

Although the law is idiotic, what you're saying there is wrong. They can only be prosecuted if they discuss or plan what they will do in the US. They won't be prosecuted for acts commited outside the US.

Come ON, humanji, are you kidding me. The creeping police state puts into place laws designed to target certain individuals and people (and you're clearly guilty of this) say "oh well, it'll only apply in these circumstances. Nothing to hide nothing to fear" yada yada.

The Patriot Act was effected to ensnare "terrorists"....well Elliot Spitzer was indicted as a result of Patriot Act provisions.

You can be held indefinitely if you are "labeled" a "terrorist". Now, there are politicians who are calling the Occupy Wall Street people "domestic terrorists"....so in effect they could simply be rounded up and incarcerated and held "Guantanamo style" without even being charged. Is Bradley Manning a terrorist? An enemy of the State (shudder)? He hasn't even been charged with anything yet his right to life, LIBERTY, and the pursuit of happiness has been stolen from him.

They are frisking pensioners in wheelchairs and infants in buggies at airports. They are boarding trains and searching people, all in the name of "security". If they can say that toothpaste could be used to make a fcuking bomb then they can easily say that you "thought" about smoking a bit of weed on your vacation while you were packing your bags in the US and they can much more easily say that you planned to buy your prescription medication in Canada SINCE you brought your prescription note with you.

Don't you get it? And step back and think about what you just said. You don't seem to be enraged by the fact that someone can be prosecuted for THINKING about doing something. FFS...thought-crime.
This is just another little test to see if the masses will accept and acquiesce. Give it a few months or a year and then you can be banged up for "thinking" about staging a demonstration or criticising certain policies. All we need is for some agents provocateur to throw some rocks and bottles at the police down on Wall Street, maybe torch a car or two, the media will hype up the hoax and a gullible public will be shocked, rattled and enraged and a whole new raft of bullsh!t laws will be brought in to protect law-abiding Americans from the cancer of domestic terrorists. In other words plan (or think about planning) a rally or hand out flyers or visit certain websites and you're going off to the big house.

Am I overreacting? You better believe I'm not.

hooradiation

humanji wrote: »

Although the law is idiotic, what you're saying there is wrong. They can only be prosecuted if they discuss or plan what they will do in the US. They won't be prosecuted for acts commited outside the US.

That and it's not a law, right now it's just a bill.
Still a long way to go before it's made into law.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mEJL2Uuv-oQ

studiorat

Good journalist Balko. I used to follow his columns when he wrote for Fox news.

humanji

jackiebaron wrote: »

Come ON, humanji, are you kidding me. The creeping police state puts into place laws designed to target certain individuals and people (and you're clearly guilty of this) say "oh well, it'll only apply in these circumstances. Nothing to hide nothing to fear" yada yada.

Try reading what I wrote instead of making up shít and pretending that's what I said. You claimed the bill did something that it doesn't. That's what I corrected. I didn't say that there was nothing wrong with the bill (if you'd read my post, you'd have picked that up from the first line).

hooradiation wrote: »

That and it's not a law, right now it's just a bill.
Still a long way to go before it's made into law.

There's still a good chance of it being made a law though, and I'd say it's quite likely it will. All it takes is for those wishing to push the it through to use scare tactics about mysterious drug barons working in the US and everyone will agree to it.

hooradiation

humanji wrote: »

There's still a good chance of it being made a law though, and I'd say it's quite likely it will. All it takes is for those wishing to push the it through to use scare tactics about mysterious drug barons working in the US and everyone will agree to it.

Be that as it may, jackiebarons instance that this bill is law was a misconception I wanted to clear up.
And it gave me an excuse to post the schoolhouse rock video.

jackiebaron

humanji wrote: »

Try reading what I wrote instead of making up shít and pretending that's what I said. You claimed the bill did something that it doesn't. That's what I corrected. I didn't say that there was nothing wrong with the bill (if you'd read my post, you'd have picked that up from the first line).



There's still a good chance of it being made a law though, and I'd say it's quite likely it will. All it takes is for those wishing to push the it through to use scare tactics about mysterious drug barons working in the US and everyone will agree to it.

Whoa, back up there, pal! Where did I pretend or accuse you of saying anything? I didn't make anything up. I'm simply extrapolating these laws to their logical conclusions. All these crap ass restrictions are implemented in the name of fighting terrorism but they are really put in place so they can easily apply to Joe Public who might "get out of line" and they are there to shield the Police, Government and Corporations.

Torakx

humanji wrote: »

Although the law is idiotic, what you're saying there is wrong. They can only be prosecuted if they discuss or plan what they will do in the US. They won't be prosecuted for acts commited outside the US.

LOL future crime! They only have to mention the idea?

studiorat

Torakx wrote: »

LOL future crime! They only have to mention the idea?

Well not just mention the idea, plan it. It's called conspiracy, oddly enough.

jackiebaron

humanji wrote: »

Although the law is idiotic, what you're saying there is wrong. They can only be prosecuted if they discuss or plan what they will do in the US. They won't be prosecuted for acts commited outside the US.

Well what's your definition of "planning" something. Personally when I "plan" to spend a saturday doing a variety of things, I don't write them down and meticulously research websites and leave a paper trail for the feds to uncover my dastardly plot to go swimming at 11, have lunch at 1, then watch the match and have some pints then meet up with the girlfriend for dinner. I just think it and then do it.

humanji

jackiebaron wrote: »

Whoa, back up there, pal! Where did I pretend or accuse you of saying anything?

Here:

certain individuals and people (and you're clearly guilty of this) say "oh well, it'll only apply in these circumstances. Nothing to hide nothing to fear" yada yada

I didn't make anything up. I'm simply extrapolating these laws to their logical conclusions. All these crap ass restrictions are implemented in the name of fighting terrorism but they are really put in place so they can easily apply to Joe Public who might "get out of line" and they are there to shield the Police, Government and Corporations.

That may be, but what the article says and what you claimed it said are two different things. That's what I pointed out to you.

Torakx wrote: »

LOL future crime! They only have to mention the idea?

Not sure what you mean by this. Read the article.

jackiebaron wrote: »

Well what's your definition of "planning" something. Personally when I "plan" to spend a saturday doing a variety of things, I don't write them down and meticulously research websites and leave a paper trail for the feds to uncover my dastardly plot to go swimming at 11, have lunch at 1, then watch the match and have some pints then meet up with the girlfriend for dinner. I just think it and then do it.

It's quite simple. You're a US citizen. You go to Amsterdam and take drugs. Nothing happens to you when you return to the US.

BUT If you made known that you planned to go to Amsterdam and take drugs, while you were in the US, then you could be prosecuted.

It's a bullsh*t law that will most likely be abused. It may be a springboard for more oppressive laws. But that doesn't change the fact that the bill only concerns plans made in the US and not crimes commited in other countries.

jackiebaron

humanji wrote: »

Here:





That may be, but what the article says and what you claimed it said are two different things. That's what I pointed out to you.



Not sure what you mean by this. Read the article.


It's quite simple. You're a US citizen. You go to Amsterdam and take drugs. Nothing happens to you when you return to the US.

BUT If you made known that you planned to go to Amsterdam and take drugs, while you were in the US, then you could be prosecuted.

It's a bullsh*t law that will most likely be abused. It may be a springboard for more oppressive laws. But that doesn't change the fact that the bill only concerns plans made in the US and not crimes commited in other countries.

But why do you think this law is even being entertained? There must be some reason. This isn't some pathetic little joke of a law like the 10 commandments in a Southern courthouse or some such rubbish put forward by some clown trying to make a name for himself or mark his territory like dogs pissing on trees. I put forward the theory that it was a cloak to stop people going to Canada to get cheaper medication and as such to protect the profits of US pharmaceuticals. What's your opinion?