Having The Same Argument, Again.

[Hank Chinaski]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Looking for the report on the Turkey/Israel rift.

I must say, I'm just shocked that Israel is being so stupid. They've just stepped right into this one. Either they lift the blockade at this point or they have "incident" after "incident" involving ships bringing aid to Gaza.

They've just handed Hamas a page out of the Ghandi playbook.

Hamas doesn't understand Ghandi's playbook, but I'm pretty sure the Israelis would love for Hamas to start playing by it- even though that would result in Israel being compelled to hand off the West Bank, and move out of it. hey! wait a minute.

[Gattigap]

LA Times:

A new Times/USC poll offers an unusually detailed look at who is using marijuana in California.

Among the 1,506 registered voters surveyed May 19-26, 37% said they had tried pot -- a figure roughly consistent with federal surveys of drug use -- and that group strongly supports the initiative. The 11% who had used marijuana in the last year favored legalization by a landslide, 82%.

By contrast, the 57% who said they have never used marijuana oppose the initiative.

For Atticus, who I think has pointed out before the dual-California divide between the godless cities and red-state-ish Central Valley:

The chance that a California voter has used marijuana is higher for college graduates than high school graduates and rises with income. Use is highest among single voters and lowest among married ones. Voters north of the Bay Area, home to the weed-raising Emerald Triangle, are most likely to have used marijuana, while voters in the Central Valley are least likely.

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by Gattigap

LA Times:



For Atticus, who I think has pointed out before the dual-California divide between the godless cities and red-state-ish Central Valley:

"By contrast, the 57% who said they have never used marijuana oppose the initiative."

I can't believe that's actually all the LAT had to say about it--how many of the 57% oppose legalization? All of them? 51%? It's sort of a key fact, no?

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Hank Chinaski

Hamas doesn't understand Ghandi's playbook, but I'm pretty sure the Israelis would love for Hamas to start playing by it- even though that would result in Israel being compelled to hand off the West Bank, and move out of it. hey! wait a minute.

No sense of irony around here.

The point is that Israel has positioned Hamas in particular as a victim here, which took some doing.

As to intermixing weapons, it doesn't seem the folks who got shot up on the boat were particularly well armed.

[Gattigap]

Originally Posted by Cletus Miller

"By contrast, the 57% who said they have never used marijuana oppose the initiative."

I can't believe that's actually all the LAT had to say about it--how many of the 57% oppose legalization? All of them? 51%? It's sort of a key fact, no?

True. FWIW, I read it as saying that all of the 57% who responded no, I've never touched the Devil's weed also said and I plan to vote against the initiative. If so, that would be bad news indeed for the millions of admitted law-breaking Californians looking for absolution.

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

As to intermixing weapons, it doesn't seem the folks who got shot up on the boat were particularly well armed.

Physically or mentally.

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by Gattigap

True. FWIW, I read it as saying that all of the 57% who responded no, I've never touched the Devil's weed also said and I plan to vote against the initiative. If so, that would be bad news indeed for the millions of admitted law-breaking Californians looking for absolution.

That's how I read it, too. Didn't realize that Tribune Corp. had named Col. zombie-McCormick editor of the Times.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Cletus Miller

Physically or mentally.

Egypt is opening Gaza. I'd say Israel managed to thoroughly screw themselves.

Now the crossing to Egypt is open, and I'm betting Israel will not stop another boat, so it will become clear they're no longer able to act. And Israel's relationship with both Turkey and Egypt is in trouble.

Idiots. It's like they asked George Bush to come out of retirement to help them out.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Cletus Miller

"By contrast, the 57% who said they have never used marijuana oppose the initiative."

I can't believe that's actually all the LAT had to say about it--how many of the 57% oppose legalization? All of them? 51%? It's sort of a key fact, no?

What makes no sense to me is that 37% said they've tried pot and 57% said they haven't. It's an either-or question, so the resposnes should total 100%.

I'm guessing that the other 6% really fit with the 37% but were too stoned to respond.

[Sidd Finch]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Egypt is opening Gaza. I'd say Israel managed to thoroughly screw themselves.

Now the crossing to Egypt is open, and I'm betting Israel will not stop another boat, so it will become clear they're no longer able to act. And Israel's relationship with both Turkey and Egypt is in trouble.

Idiots. It's like they asked George Bush to come out of retirement to help them out.

I have to agree, despite my generally skeptical view of people claiming to deliver "humanitarian aid" to Hamas-controlled Gaza. In the NYTimes today one Israeli, can't remember who, was quoted as saying "this action failed the test of results."

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by Greedy,Greedy,Greedy

Egypt is opening Gaza. I'd say Israel managed to thoroughly screw themselves.

Now the crossing to Egypt is open, and I'm betting Israel will not stop another boat, so it will become clear they're no longer able to act. And Israel's relationship with both Turkey and Egypt is in trouble.

Idiots. It's like they asked George Bush to come out of retirement to help them out.

Yeah, the Israelis stepped in it, big time--they too often overreact without considering the diplomatic consequences, but living under (the perception of, at a minimum) siege for 60+ years will do that to anyone.

But the folks on the "humanitarian mission" have all the markings of patsies and--if they didn't see themselves as potential martyrs to Hamas' cause, were either stupid or willfully ignorant about their role (cf. the guy I heard on the radio and paraphrased).

[Atticus Grinch]

Originally Posted by Cletus Miller

What federal constitutional policies do HOAs have the power to violate? Feel free to ignore the "state action" piece, except as it regards a taking.

"Welcome to Placid Acres -- A Gun-Free Neighborhood."

I suppose you'd need an injunction to enforce it, creating a Shelley state action, but could a neighborhood agree in CC&Rs that it's going to be a gun-free zone? If not, why not? Same goes with lawn signs. Why can't I choose to live in a neighborhood that bans political speech?

It's all about getting down to a granular level. If a family has a gun ban in their house, that's okay, and so's a lease document with an apartment owner that says "no guns." Why not a homeowner's association? You have to live in a state; no one makes you buy in an HOA neighborhood.

[Cletus Miller]

Originally Posted by Atticus Grinch

"Welcome to Placid Acres -- A Gun-Free Neighborhood."

I suppose you'd need an injunction to enforce it, creating a Shelley state action, but could a neighborhood agree in CC&Rs that it's going to be a gun-free zone? If not, why not? Same goes with lawn signs. Why can't I choose to live in a neighborhood that bans political speech?

It's all about getting down to a granular level. If a family has a gun ban in their house, that's okay, and so's a lease document with an apartment owner that says "no guns." Why not a homeowner's association? You have to live in a state; no one makes you buy in an HOA neighborhood.

Fair enough. But I can't imagine an HOA banning only political signs, and any content-neutral ban would be okay, no?

The "gun-free" neighborhood would be interesting, constitutionally, but I doubt the association would ban law enforcement personnel from entering the property (or buying in the HOA) and then you have an issue that's not pure 2A.

I guess I forgot the "plausibly".

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Sidd Finch

I have to agree, despite my generally skeptical view of people claiming to deliver "humanitarian aid" to Hamas-controlled Gaza. In the NYTimes today one Israeli, can't remember who, was quoted as saying "this action failed the test of results."

There can be no doubt that a wide range of humanitarian aid is needed in Gaza and that Hamas itself delivers much of it. Hamas, of course, has multiple reasons for doing so, political and military as well as humanitarian.

So I'm not sure why the quote marks. It's just as humanitarian as the aid we deliver to Afghanistan and Iraq that serves our other purposes.

I think Turkey was looking for an excuse to move away from Israel, and may well have encouraged this. It also gives Turkey cover with the EU, which is very important to it. However, I think Egypt is being forced away. So while I'm not sure Israel could over the long term salvage the Turkey situation, I do think this really screws them as far as Egypt is concerned. The last thing Egypt needs is a hostile Hamas with the ability to move beyond the Gaza border into Egypt proper. This could be a big geopolitical disaster for the US in the Mid-East if Egypt's stability is threatened.

[Greedy,Greedy,Greedy]

Originally Posted by Cletus Miller

Yeah, the Israelis stepped in it, big time--they too often overreact without considering the diplomatic consequences, but living under (the perception of, at a minimum) siege for 60+ years will do that to anyone.

But the folks on the "humanitarian mission" have all the markings of patsies and--if they didn't see themselves as potential martyrs to Hamas' cause, were either stupid or willfully ignorant about their role (cf. the guy I heard on the radio and paraphrased).

I don't know that you have to be patsies to side with the Palestinians in this one, especially coming out of Turkey. But this really helps Hamas reinforce its governance role in the Authority.