Comments on: David Frum Just Makes up “Facts” to Argue Against Marijuana Legalization

By: tammanytiger

tammanytiger — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 21:35:16 +0000

One more point worth mentioning: there seems to be little correlation between the severity of penalties for using marijuana and the prevalence of use. U.S. jurisdictions are on the harsh end of the scale, yet a higher percentage of Americans use the drug than residents of Portugal or The Netherlands, which are on the lenient side. (There also doesn’t seem to be a difference in prevalence between states like California that treat simple possession as a non-criminal infraction and those that still treat it as a criminal offense.)

As for Frum’s traffic crash data, not only were there one-third fewer traffic deaths in the U.S. in 2011 than 1971 but the number of deaths per 100 million miles travel stood at an all-time low of 1.11, less than one-fourth the 1971 figure. Maybe we’re better at managing risky activity than Frum thinks we are.

By: wynota skunk

wynota skunk — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 20:20:13 +0000

But you see, David doesn’t have to be correct or even in the ball park, statistically speaking. David has been anointed and blessed as a VERY SERIOUS PERSON. By other VERY IMPORTANT PEOPLE. Why, I’ll bet other deep thinkers who have taken Elementary Probability and Statistics at a major university, and receive foundation money, could fudge numbers pretty similar to these. They would be way off the mark as well, but hey, that’s beside the point, really. What is important, really, is control and its’ favorite sidekick, fear. For control makes the snowflake eventually into the snowball ( insert physics and hydrology here ) and, eventually, that rolls down hill and squashes everything in its’ path. So, even if you don’t live any where a snowy mountaintop; be afraid, be very afraid. Because SERIOUS and IMPORTANT PEOPLE will fudge the numbers, scare you, control the debate and lie through their teeth if necessary. And to maintain the police and security state, it is always necessary. ” It is hard for a man ( or woman ) to be against something they are being very well paid, to be for. ” I think I have statistics to backup this postulation(axiom). Just doin’ the math as David, Bill and Barack would want me to.

By: mafr

mafr — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 20:15:01 +0000

does David Frum hate America?

By: AitchD

AitchD — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 20:06:39 +0000

Americans (by and large) watch TV more than they (by and large) do anything else except breathe. Frum has to watch a lot of TV so he can be tuned in to the American psyche. It’s a safe bet that he gets his notions about Americans’ behaviors from the sensationalist, narrowly skewed TV programming. He’s savvy enough to realize that most TV-watchers have the same perceptions. Duh.

By: Thad Stevens

Thad Stevens — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:51:59 +0000

I decided to remove my scare quotes, but these days, I’m afraid he’s what passes for a liberal in the national “debate.”

By: magilla

magilla — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:49:52 +0000

Also, the US has a murder rate lower than the world average, about 6 per 100K compared with 9 per 100k (UN stats). Mexico, Brazil, Jamaica and many others are far more murderous than the U.S. Highly emotionalized issues tend to short circuit annoying truths that interfere with preconceptions. Frum isn’t even very good at it either..

By: Jane Hamsher

Jane Hamsher — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:23:15 +0000

I don’t think David Frum is much of a liberal.

By: Thad Stevens

Thad Stevens — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:17:47 +0000

I always assumed that liberals’ opposition to legalization was based, as most of their policy stances are, in cowardice. Now, it can’t even be justified by cowardice.

By: fitley

fitley — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 19:16:39 +0000

By just invoking “David Frum” , that serves as an automatic disclaimer for anything that follows.