Yes, you put it rather well, and I agree that the U.S. is indeed underdeveloped in this way.

To piggyback on your comment: While I agree with the general sentiment of what Parenti, et al intend behind the phrase, at this point in time “underdeveloped” is often used to refer to nations/people/land that are actually “under-extracted” in the eyes of capital.

“Underdeveloped” acts as a euphemism by which capitalists can justify their presence by claiming to be contributing to so-called “human development” by way of industrial development, when in reality they mean “further resource extraction” and “wealth accumulation.”

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Hexbear is one the last truly decent places on the internet.

She was among the first of the current era dems to grow a spine and be hyper critical of Israel. The party almost ate her alive after her “all about the Benjamins” comment. Glad she made it through and is still kickin ass. One of the few major politicians that’s probably actually a Good Person.

This man is literally ONLY alive because a small handful of mostly nonwhite people helped usher him through the crowd to his hotel. If Jake Lang was actually capable of experiencing shame, I’d imagine he’d be pretty ashamed right now. Alas, he is not.

They’ve been railing against MN since… well, when was the last time MN voted red, Nixon? They’ve been railing against Somalis since Ilhan Omar came on the scene (and was the first national politician to really talk shit about Israel). Laura Loomer, Ali Alexander, and Jacob Wohl went to MPLS ca. 2018/19 and made a “documentary” about her which really put MNs Somali population in the national discourse for the first time.

Yes, I’m aware, but I’m saying this whole situation traces its history back to several years prior.

Also, I’m of the mind that the kid was paid to make that video and it was used to manufacture consent for what we’re seeing today.

They truly do not care at this point

If by YouTube video, you mean the video of George Floyd being murdered by a cop, then yes. That situation was the beginning of the Trump-Walz vendetta. Then Timmy had to go and run for VP which really pissed Donny off. This whole situation is retribution.

Don’t forget, many people in Trump’s inner circle currently are from Minnesota (Hegseth) and the upper Midwest in general (Noem). Easy for Trump to hit ‘em where it hurts.

Okay, first off: fuck the Atlantic; second: fuck this article; third: fuck this writer.

I agree with the general thesis that rescheduling is no bueno, but I disagree with their argument entirely. The author effectively says “enough research has been done, green plant bad, we don’t need more research. Green plant is drug and drugs are bad, mkay?” While cannabis use has been shown to have some pretty gnarly drawbacks for certain groups of people, that doesn’t discount the potential benefits. Further, more research is a good thing. We have spent how many billions of dollars researching the most useless garbage on the planet, so maybe we can spend some more to research something that’s maybe a net-positive for society.

Even after you disregard the use of antiquated and racist fear-mongering language like “pot” or “marijuana”, it’s still kind of a load of horseshit. They’re correct that this will not reduce use, it will not reduce incarceration, and will provide some massive tax breaks to some major dickheads, but that still misses the mark entirely…

Schedule III allows major players like Pfizer, Bayer, Johnson & Johnson, etc., to get in on the action legally, produce bullshit cannabis products, and basically destroy the (albeit, disastrously fucked up) local and national markets. These massive corporations likely have more cash on hand than the net valuation of the entire American cannabis industry as it currently exists. Further, this will allow those aforementioned megacorps to effectively determine what the cannabis industry is. They will be the ones writing the laws. They will be holding the bag and lining pockets.

If you like smoking flower, or consuming real plant products, this is a bad thing. If you’re a grower, producer, whether big or small, this is a bad thing. If you like supporting your neighbors who grow, or buying from your friends, this is a bad thing. If you hate cops, prisons, the war on drugs, etc., this is a bad thing. Cannabis will simply be scheduled equivalent to codeine, ketamine, oxycodone, etc., and the purse strings of the industry will be controlled by some of the most evil companies on the planet.

The authors closing paragraph, when edited slightly, is actually perfect:

Rescheduling will not lead to meaningfully more research, more healing, or more Americans avoiding prison. […] it will certainly lead to more money for a massive industry. Big [Cannabis] is about to get even bigger.”

Yall remember when bibi came to town and this clown put on a suit for the first time in his life? If that’s not a sign of being a nazi, I don’t know what is.