Daily Archives: April 17, 2017

WWII: Doolittle Raid Doomed Japanese Empire – Scout

Posted: April 17, 2017 at 1:22 pm

At noon on April 18, 1942, the citizens of Tokyo looked up into the sky and saw the impossible.

At noon on April 18, 1942, the citizens of Tokyo looked up into the sky and saw the impossible.

Zooming low over the imperial capital was a flight of twin-engined bombers. Nothing surprising about that in wartime Japan. Except that these aircraft were painted olive-drab, with red-white-and-blue stars on their wings and fuselage.

This story was originally published by The National Interest

They were American planes dropping bombs on the sacred soil of Japan. As the crump of explosions and the drone of aircraft motors faded, and the air raid sirens belatedly wailed, Tokyoites asked themselves a fateful question:

What just happened?

The Doolittle Raid seventy-five years ago was more than one of historys most momentous air attacks. It was also one of the most economical. The Allies dropped 2.7 million tons of bombs on Germany, and the United States dropped seven million tons on Vietnam. And still the Nazis and the Communists continued to fight. Yet sixteen B-25 bombers carrying perhaps sixteen tons of bombs managed to change the course of history.

It was a stunning reversal. In war, momentum is everything, and Japan was the one that had it in the early spring of 1942. Within four months, they had decimated the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, conquered Southeast Asia, the oil-rich Dutch East Indies and the islands of the Central Pacific, and were about to compel the last battered U.S. defenders in the Philippines to surrender.

America needed to reverse the momentum with a victoryanykind of victoryto bolster morale and take back the initiative. President Roosevelt had the right idea: days after Pearl Harbor, he called for the Japanese homeland to be bombed in retaliation. But how? Not with heavy bombers like the B-17, because with the air bases in the Philippines gone, land-based planes were out of range. Carrier-based aircraft? U.S. Navy carrier planes had a combat range of perhaps 250 miles, and the Navy didnt dare sail its handful of precious carriers that close to Japan.

Then a Navy officer had a bright idea: was it possible for U.S. Army Air Force land-based bombers, with much longer range than carrier planes, to be launched off an aircraft carrier sailing near Japan? It turned out that the new twin-engined B-25B Mitchell medium bomber could perform the mission.

The problem was that while the B-25s could take off from a carrier, they couldnt land. Which meant that they had return to an airfield on the ground. In effect, these bombers would be a sort of manned cruise missile launched on a one-way mission.

By stripping them down and overloading them with fuel, America could fly the B-25s from a carrier several hundred miles off Japan, bomb their targets, and then continue on to land on airfields in China. Again consider the audacity of the concept. Its as if a U.S. aircraft carrier sailed into the Baltic, and launched F-15E strike jets for a strike on Moscow, after which the Eagles would have to fly across Russia to land in Turkey.

Onto the carrierUSSHornetwere loaded sixteen B-25s under the command of Lt. Col. James Doolittle. TheHornetwas accompanied by the carrierEnterprise, four cruisers and eight destroyers under the command of the legendary Admiral Bull Halsey. The small force sailed from Hawaii and then west across the Central Pacific toward Japan. With theHornets flight deck packed with B-25s, that left only theEnterprises fighters and bombers to provide air cover. Had the task force run into Japans Combined Fleetespecially the six carriers that attacked Pearl Harborthe battle would have been short rather than merciful.

Luck was with the Americansat firstas they sailed from Hawaii. The intrepid force remained undiscovered until April 18, when it was about 650 miles from Japan. Then it ran into theNitto Maru, one of the little fishing boats that Japan had stationed as cheap picket ships. The boat was quickly sunk by gunfire (its captain committed suicide, though five of the eleven crew were rescued), but not before getting off a signal. Japanese naval forces immediately sortied from Japan, while the carriers from the Pearl Harbor raidalready en route from the Indian Ocean to Japanese watersheaded toward the area.

But knowing the short range of American carrier aircraft, the Japanese assumed that the U.S. task force would not be within range of Japan until the following day, April 19, which would allow ample time for interception. Aware from radio monitoring that their presence had been discovered, the Americans decided to launch the raid from nearly two hundred miles further out than planned. Between eight and nine a.m. on April 18, sixteen Mitchells lurched off theHornets deck.

They arrived at about noon over Tokyo, Kobe, Nagoya, Osaka, Yokohama and Yokosuka. Had they run into real fighter opposition, the bombers would have been wiped out. But Japanese air defenses that day were astoundingly lethargic; antiaircraft fire was negligible, and the few lightly armed Ki-27 Nate fighters that did manage to take off either failed to intercept or did little damage (the bombers actually shot down three fighters). Tokyos air-raid sirens didnt even blare until after the attack was over.

Bombs fell on ten targets. By the standards of the thousand-bomber raids over Germany, the later fire raids on Tokyo, and the atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Doolittle Raid barely qualified as a nuisance. A few industrial sites were lightly damaged, as were a few schools and a hospital, killing or injuring about 450 people. Militarily, the most damage was inflicted by a B-25 damaged the carrierRyuhounder construction at Yokosuka, delaying its launch.

One bomber landed in the Soviet Unionwhich was at war with Germany but had a nonaggression pact with Japanand was interned. The remaining fifteen turned southeast toward eastern China, where the Chinese were supposed to activate homing beacons to guide them to the airfields. But the U.S. Navy failed to signal the Chinese to turn on the beacons. Low on fuel, with darkness approaching and the weather worsening, the crews either crash-landed their aircraft or bailed out.

Most were saved by Chinese soldiers or civilians. But three crewmen died bailing out, and eight were captured by the Japanese, of whom three were executed by firing squad (for a fictionalized version of the executions, see the 1944 movieThe Purple Heart[3]).

There were two major consequences of the Doolittle Raid, one gruesome and one strategic. President Roosevelt declared three days after the raid that the bombers had been launched from a secretand fictionalbase in Shangri-La rather than aircraft carriers. But when the Japanese discovered that the Chinese had helped the Doolittle fliers, the Japanese wreaked a savage vengeance. The Japanese Army launched an offensive to capture Chinese airfields along the coast: in the process, they unleashed germ warfare and other atrocities, massacring as many as 250,000 civilians, according to Chinese estimates at the time.

It was a horrific price that the Chinese paid, but their sacrifice was not in vain. The humiliation felt by the Japanese was immense: why, the emperor himself could have been killed by those bombs!

What really shamed the Japanese military was the failure to prevent an American carrier task force from sailing close to the homeland. Such an error could not be tolerated. Japans original plan for winning the Pacific War had been to seize a huge swath of territory, which would be fortified into a defensive perimeter against which America would futilely butt its head before suing for peace. Yet the threat of bomber attack convinced the Japanese high command to expand the empires perimeter by launching an amphibious invasion of the Central Pacific island of Midway. Fearing the loss of Midway and the subsequent threat to Hawaii, the U.S. Navy would then feel compelled to send its aircraft carriers to defend Midway, where they would be destroyed by Japans Combined Fleet.

In the event, five aircraft carriers were destroyed at the Battle of Midway. All but one of them belonged to Japan. Loss of their elite and irreplaceable carriers marked the end of Japans offensive capability, as well as the turning point of the Pacific War.

In 2016, the U.S. Air Force announced that the B-21the new long-range bomber under developmentwould be named the Raider in honor of the Doolittle Raid. Ironically, the B-21 might be used someday to strike China, many of whose people were killed for helping the Doolittle crews.

The real recompense for the Doolittle flyers and the murdered Chinese civilians came on September 2, 1945, when Japan formally surrendered.

This story was originally published by The National Interest

Michael Peck is a contributing writer for theNational Interest. He can be found onTwitter[4]andFacebook[5].

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WWII: Doolittle Raid Doomed Japanese Empire - Scout

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Trump like all the rest – Washington Times

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ANALYSIS/OPINION:

Donald Trump promised us prosperity and security, but now has us on the brink of war with Russia, China, North Korea and Iran. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson claims that the United States is ready to use its military to punish any massacre of civilians anywhere in the world. The U.S. military recently killed more than 200 civilians in a bombing raid on Iraq March 17, which is approximately twice the number of people killed by the April 4 Syrian airstrike. President Trump suspects the attack in Syria was chemical, but it may have been a toxic gas cloud created by the destruction of a chemical-weapons manufacturing facility controlled by rebel forces. There is no hard proof that Syrian leader Bashar Assad is responsible for using chemical weapons.

The United States bombed civilians en masse during World War II using both conventional and nuclear weapons. We napalmed villages in Vietnam, and North Korea has claimed that we used germ warfare agents against them during the Korean War. That charge is not proven, but the United States certainly did use chemical weapons during World War I.

The United States is historically a war-loving country, and the Democratic Party is just as hypocritical and insane as the Republican Party in this regard. Many Americans voted for President Trump because they thought he would bring us better relations with Russia and an America-first foreign policy. By his own actions, Mr. Trump now declares we are still the policeman of the world, and our economy, our childrens future and our very lives are insignificant. The only thing that seems to matter is for politicians and generals to prove their bravery by getting us into one counterproductive war after another.

CHRISTOPHER CALDER

Eugene, Ore.

Presidents change and lawmakers come and go, but The Washington Times is always here, and FREE online. Please support our efforts.

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I’m But a Tool of Totalitarian Capitalism in ‘Beholder’ – PopMatters

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(Alawar Entertainment) US: 9 Nov 2016

Beholder casts you as a tool of an oppressive government. However, after playing Beholder for several hours, I still dont really feel like the tool of an oppressive government.

Part of me thinks this is bad design, the game being unable to properly express its themes. Another part of me thinks its brilliant design, the game making me truly feel the banality of evil; how hard it is to care about other peoples shit when youve got so much of your own to deal with?

In Beholder youre the manager of an apartment building in a totalitarian state. Youre supposed to spy on your tenants and report any illegal activity to your higher ups. Im a tool of oppression, Im suppressing speech, Im enforcing ridiculous laws like Dont wear blue jeans, Dont read, and Dont keep red apples. At least, in theory I am.

Beholder is the kind of game that sucks hours from your life because theres always something to do, and time is always of the essence. I have 72 in-game hours to find a way to get a life-saving surgery for my daughter, 48 hours to find enough money to keep my son in school, and 12 hours to buy candy for my dying daughter.

Meanwhile, I also have to watch my tenants movements, rushing into their homes while theyre out, rummaging through all their stuff for dirt. Damn, they came home before I could search the bed, file that blank spot in the back of my mind and rush back there next time they leave. And install some cameras, too, so I can watch their actions in secret. Multiply all that by six for my six tenants, then somehow cut out time for blackmail and writing profiles.

Its a good god damn lot to keep of track of at once, but it is possible. However, all that rushing around means I spend so much time working towards a level of peak efficiency that I dont have time to stop and consider what that efficiency actually means. I dont realize that Im becoming an efficient tool. I should feel ashamed or guilty, but all I can think about is the next timer ticking down. The busyness distracts from the themesunless thats the central theme.

No matter what your political or ethical ideals are, you will toe the totalitarian line in Beholder. Youll spy, lie, snitch, and steal because the truth is that your shit is more important than their shit. Your family is more important than their family, and your financial safety more important than theirs. The oppressive state creates an every-man-for-himself mentality that forces you to compromise your morals for survival. This is a how a totalitarian state stays in power.

Its also, ironically, how a capitalistic economy stays in power. The truth is that I spend so much time running around because thats how I make money, and money is survival. Money will save my daughters life, money will keep my son in school, money will keep my wife happy, and money will bail me out of trouble if Im caught doing something untoward. All my problems can be solved with money, so earning money becomes my primary goal.

The more information I gather on a tenant, the more detailed a profile I can write, and the more the government pays me for the report. So I embrace my totalitarian duties to spy and steal and snitchbut only so long as they earn me cash. When I do find someone doing something illegal, I never turn them in. I blackmail them, because thats a more consistent source of income. Then, once Ive done this a few times and I can see them in their home all unhappy and miserable, on the verge of moving out, only then do I report them to the authorities for the reward money. Im a tool of oppression for both the government and myself; economic needs supersede totalitarian duties.

In fact, money quickly becomes a bigger motivator than fear of the state, because rebel factions will pay you handsomely for your help and youd be a fool to turn them down: A rebel leader calls and says he wants to house a sign-maker in my building. I say no, its dangerous to get caught up with these people and I could get in trouble with oh wait youll pay me how much? Yea, let him come on over. Naturally, I spy on the sign-maker, gathering a good amount of dirt on him. I get him on camera making signs and then blackmail him, earning enough dough to buy groceries and keep my family happy.

When the government finds out about this (because the sign-maker is really a spy, spying on state-sponsored spies) my boss chews me out for letting a rebel operate out of my building. He calls me incompetent, but as long as he doesnt deduct anything from my bank Im fine with his threats. The rebel leader chews me out for letting his sign guy sabotage the operation, but again as long as he doesnt drain my bank account I dont care what he says. My economic concerns blind me to the context of my actions. I dont care about oppression or freedom, only finances.

Ironically, in this simulation of an oppressive communist-like state, Im actually more of a slave to capitalism.

I dont know if thats purposeful or accidental. I cant tell if Beholder is thematically confused or thematically consistent. Regardless, its certainly interesting: It presents a world in which Im a slave to the state and a slave to the economy, but I have just enough freedom of choice to distract me from my slavery.

Nick Dinicola made it through college with a degree in English, and now applies all his critical thinking skills to video games instead of literature. He reviews games and writes a weekly post for the Moving Pixels blog at PopMatters, and can be heard on the weekly Moving Pixels podcast. More of his reviews, previews, and general thoughts on gaming can be found at http://www.gamehounds.net.

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Fight against oppression, leaders tell cadre at POW meet – The Hans India

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The Hans India
Fight against oppression, leaders tell cadre at POW meet
The Hans India
She said Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched populist slogans like 'Beti bachavo' and 'Beti padavo' but in reality the exploitation and sexual violence has increased ever since BJP government came to power.In the name of Gaai (cow) bachavoo, people ...

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Israeli Government Is Petrified of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement – Truth-Out

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A BDS march held in Montreal on May 15, 2010. (Photo: Stephanie Law / Flickr)

How can we distinguish between the very real and harmful phenomenon of antisemitism, and false accusations of antisemitism used to defend Israeli state policies? Jewish Voice for Peace, a grassroots organization working for justice and equality in Palestine and Israel, has put together a collection of essays on this question, with a foreword by Judith Butler. Order your copy of On Antisemitism today by making a donation to Truthout!

The following is an interview with Rebecca Vilkomerson, executive director of Jewish Voice for Peace and the editor of On Antisemitism: Solidarity and the Struggle for Justice.

Mark Karlin: How is the charge of antisemitism used to smear critics of the Israeli government and its ignoble policies toward Palestinians?

Rebecca Vilkomerson: As Tony Lerman's contribution to the On Antisemitism book explores, Israel and its advocates have worked hard to portray criticism of the state of Israel as the "new antisemitism." However, using the charge of antisemitism to shut down legitimate criticism of Israeli policies diminishes the meaning of the term and makes it harder to combat the real thing.

Rebecca Vilkomerson. (Photo: Courtesy of the Author)In our advocacy work for Palestinian rights, we must always be vigilant for cases of real antisemitism directed against Jewish people -- as opposed to protest against the Israeli state -- just as we need to do more to combat all forms of bigotry and oppression in all of our movements.

In the current political moment, when acts of antisemitism have been on the rise, it is even more disturbing that many Jewish organizations are more focused on demonizing Palestinian rights advocacy rather than combatting the antisemitism of white supremacists empowered by the Trump administration.

How is this dynamic playing itself out in the academic world in the US?

Just recently, the pro-Israel group AMCHA released another blacklist of anti-Israel professors, a tactic that they have used for years to intimidate scholars from being outspoken in their advocacy for Palestinian rights. There has been a battle on campuses for years now over the definition of antisemitism, as some Israel advocates have tried to push the University of California (and now some state and national legislation) to codify a problematic State Department definition of antisemitism that includes legitimate criticism of Israel. Fortunately, we've been able to successfully oppose these measures and educate people on the difference between criticism of the state of Israel or opposition to the political ideology and harmful impacts of Zionism, and anti-Jewish bigotry. A section of the book -- with contributions from Dima Khalidi, Ben Lorber, Kelsey Waxman and Orian Zakai -- address the impact on students and faculty who must constantly fight accusations of antisemitism [that are used] to suppress speaking out on Palestinian rights.

Why is the Israeli government so petrified of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement that it just passed a law prohibiting anyone who supports BDS from entering Israel?

The passage of the new bill barring boycott supporters from entering Israel, the targeting of BDS leader Omar Barghouti and the investment of tens of millions of dollars by the Israeli government are all signs of how concerned the Israeli government is with the growing power of the movement to boycott Israel until Palestinians have equal rights. As with any movement that seeks to transform relationships of power for a more just and equitable future, the pushback grows stronger as the movement grows. This crackdown against BDS is the next step in the evolution of this struggle.

How do you see the fight against Islamophobia to be a partner in the struggle against actual antisemitism?

Antisemitism does not operate in a vacuum; we must fight it along with Islamophobia, sexism, classism and homophobia, as well as anti-Arab, anti-Black and other forms of racism, as part of the work of dismantling all systems of oppression. In the United States today, antisemitism is a serious concern, but it is not institutionalized in the same way that anti-Black racism and Islamophobia are through policing, surveillance and disenfranchisement. This book came out of a need among our base and our allies for resources and analyses on antisemitism that didn't equate it with criticism of Israel but did take it seriously as a form of bigotry and analyzed it in relation to other forms of oppression.

Facing the dangerous reality of antisemitism and the false accusations used to defend Israel's policies.

The way that the charge of antisemitism is used against critics of Israel often contributes to the demonization of Palestinian rights supporters in a way that often perpetuates anti-Muslim and anti-Arab bigotry. Israel itself plays a significant role in reproducing Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism, through discourses and policies that paint all Palestinians as violent, hateful or terrorists, and portrayals of Israel as a beacon of civilization in the "barbarian" Middle East. In this context, it is particularly important to be challenging Islamophobia as part of the work for justice for Palestinians and to be clear about what antisemitism is, and what it is not.

Two contributions in the book in particular, by Donna Nevel and an interview with Linda Sarsour, address these questions specifically.

What would you describe as the mission of Jewish Voice for Peace, and do you feel momentum coming out of the 2017 national conference in Chicago that was held recently?

Jewish Voice for Peace is a national grassroots organization, inspired by Jewish tradition to work for the freedom, equality and dignity of all people in Israel/Palestine. We see fighting Islamophobia, racism and antisemitism as core parts of that work. This week we held a truly historic gathering of over 1,000 of our members and partners, where we dove deeply into crucial conversations about Zionism, the security state and policing in the US and Israel, challenging Islamophobia as a central part of our work for Palestinian rights, accountability, anti-racism and building Jewish community based on love and solidarity. We know our members have taken home an enormous amount of energy and excitement about the work to come!

What is the importance of young people in increasing the numbers involved in Jewish Voice for Peace?

We know that there is a generational shift happening on this issue, as young people are far more likely to support Palestinian freedom and be critical of Israeli policies. Jewish Voice for Peace is proud to be an intergenerational organization that celebrates learning from the experience and wisdom of veterans, organizers and activists, while providing a community where young people can lead the way toward reinventing our collective future.

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The war on drugs is racist. Donald Trump is embracing it with open … – The Guardian

Posted: at 1:21 pm

General Sessions is reportedly eager to bring back the national crime strategy of the 1980s and 90s. Photograph: Andrew J Mohrer/Getty Images

When I first read the Washington Post story that the US attorney general, Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III, wants to bring back the war on drugs, I thought to myself: bring back? Where did it go? Is General Sessions himself on drugs? Because, despite a few modest reforms, somebody would have to be high to think the war on drugs has really gone away.

But the framing of an impetus to bring back the drug war is the same as Donald Trumps fantasy of making America great again and must be understood for exactly what it is: a white power grab to control black and brown people couched in the restoration of past glory.

Drugs have long been used to scapegoat black and Latino people, even as study after study finds that white youth use drugs more than their non-white peers and white people are the more likely to have contraband on them when stopped by police. As Trump plans a deportation force, a war on drugs amped up on raids will help create darker-skinned scapegoats as he rips immigrant communities apart.

General Sessions will lead this war for Trump. Standing on the US-Mexico border, General Sessions mischaracterized immigration as consisting of criminal organizations that turn cities and suburbs into warzones, that rape and kill innocent citizens. Evoking the same racialized sexual fear to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment that his boss did when he began his campaign by calling Mexican rapists, Sessions ignored that immigrants commit fewer crimes as he defiantly took a stand against this filth.

The war on drugs is itself a kind of opiate of the white masses, hustled and imbibed to stoke white peoples fear about people of color even as there already about 1.5 million black men already disappeared from US society by early death or incarceration.

If you dont think nostalgia for the war on drugs and a desire to reboot it isnt racist, consider the hillbilly elegy love affair American politics, culture and media has been indulging regarding white people addicted to opioids lately.

Many rural counties hit hardest by the opioid epidemic voted for a man whose budget and failed healthcare plan would harm people like them. These sites of drug addiction are the subjects of public sympathy and are less likely to be battlefields in the war on drugs than cities and border towns.

Thats because, when a drug epidemics victims are white, even conservative politicians tell us to understand these people, to feel compassion for them and to see their addictions as public health, not carceral, matters, in the context of deindustrialization.

We never heard any messages like that from American politicians or media during the drug epidemics of the 1980s, which rocked black America. Drugs were seen as moral failings which needed to be violently policed and the economics of addiction were imagined as disconnected from deindustrialization, poverty or unemployment.

This is what Sessions wants to bring back. Thats not because he thinks it would help black or brown America or even poor white America. Rather, the intention is to subdue the illogical fears of white America (which is Trumps base and perhaps the only major demographic in America which approves of him) that most black and Hispanic men are rapists and thieves just waiting to harm, kill and rob them.

Sessions, the nations top law enforcement officer, has no moral authority to clamp down on law and order in the first place, as he absurdly had to recuse himself from investigating the presidents ties to Russia after he told Congress under oath that he himself had had no contact with Russian officials. (He did.)

But hypocrisy is no more foreign to General Sessions than is attacking the rights of people of color. Coretta Scott King wrote a 10-page letter to help, successfully, keep him from getting a judgeship in 1986. Sessions hounded people for trying to expand the black vote decades ago just as he dropped the Department of Justices lawsuit against onerous voting burdens in Texas, and is considering letting cities whose police departments have engaged in well-documented racial violence out of federal oversight. (Fortunately, at least in Baltimore, a judge is not allowing this.)

General Sessions is reportedly eager to bring back the national crime strategy of the 1980s and 90s from the peak of the drug war, an approach that had fallen out of favor in recent years as minority communities grappled with the effects of mass incarceration. This is unethical, considering Sessions himself recently admitted that crime is at near historic lows.

The Generals approach flies in the face of humane reforms that Barack Obama made (such as pardoning non-violent drug offenders and calling for the end of mandatory minimum sentences) and is counter to even more recent criminal justice reforms, such as New York Citys plan to close its notorious Rikers Island jail and New York States decision to raise the age of juveniles charged with crimes from 16 to 18.

But its not hard to understand if you know that racism rarely gets better in America, its means just evolve and a prime means of racial control is incarceration. The war on drugs has continued an overincarceration of black people which began after the civil war. This war has made it so that, for example, nearly 90% of NYPD arrests for marijuana have been of young black and Latino men.

The war made it so that crack cocaine (more associated with black American drug use) is punished much more harshly than powder cocaine (more associated with white America). Bipartisan legislation which sought to end this disparity is opposed by General Sessions and Trump.

A friend of mine predicted that many of Trumps voters were in on his con all along: that they knew he wasnt a successful businessman, a Christian moralist or a bona fide conservative. What he was, however, was a strongman willing to enact their revenge.

By railing against the inner cities and holding steadfast to his belief that the Central Park 5 were guilty even after DNA evidence exonerated them Trump signalled he would clean up after a black president and put black and brown people in their place.

General Sessions is the henchman he has dispatched to the frontlines of this task, using the war on drugs as his battering ram.

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Trump Administration Sharply Divided On Marijuana’s Role In The War On Drugs – Daily Caller

Posted: at 1:21 pm

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Top officials in the Trump administration are taking sharply divergent positions on the issue of federal marijuana policy and its role in fueling the war on drugs.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Sunday he believes marijuana plays no role in the current war on drugs, instead singling out methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine as the primary problems. His statements are in line with previous remarks where he spoke positively about the benefits of medical marijuana for certain patients, including veterans. Kelly also stated his belief that the war on drugs can only be won by addressing domestic demand, particularly for heroin, reports The Washington Post.

The comments stand in stark contrast to those from Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who is critical of legalization efforts in the U.S. Theres more violence around marijuana than one would think, he remarked in February. Heis currently reviewing the Cole Memorandum,a set of guidelines established in 2013 that direct DOJto focus marijuana enforcement efforts on violent crimes and distribution in states without legalization laws. He recently dismissed preliminary research showing marijuana can serve as an alternative painkiller and aid those with opioid addictions.

Advocates launched heaving criticism at Sessions and the Department of Justice in March after he said marijuana is only slightly less awful than heroin.

Kelly previously served as the head ofU.S. Southern Command, often dealing with narcotics smuggling from Central and South America and the Caribbean. Unlike Sessions, who is his focusing his efforts on law enforcement and increased criminal penalties to deal with the opioid crisis, Kelly advocates prioritizing treatment and rehabilitation to address U.S. demand for narcotics. (RELATED:Critics Blast Sessions As Anti-Facts For Comparing Marijuana To Heroin)

Yeah, marijuana is not a factor in the drug war, Kelly told Chuck Todd on NBCs Meet the Press Sunday. Its three things. Methamphetamine. Almost all produced in Mexico. Heroin. Virtually all produced in Mexico. And cocaine that comes up from further south.

The solution is not arresting a lot of users, Kelly added. The solution is a comprehensive drug demand reduction program in the United States that involves every man and woman of goodwill. And then rehabilitation. And then law enforcement. And then getting at the poppy fields and the coca fields in the south.

Marijuana advocates likely wont know the true intentions of the Justice Department regarding legal pot until July, when the task force reviewing the departments policy will give Sessions recommendations on how to proceed.

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Opinion: The War on Drugs is back – Citizen Times – Asheville Citizen-Times

Posted: at 1:21 pm

Leonard Pitts Jr. Published 2:34 p.m. ET April 16, 2017 | Updated 22 hours ago

Leonard Pitts for his column(Photo: MIAMI HERALD STAFF)

Looks like the War on Drugs is back.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that the new attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is preparing a return to the same hardline strategies that have so spectacularly failed to reduce drug use since 1971. Indeed, the nation has spent more than a trillion dollars, made itself the biggest jailer on the planet and yet seen the use, availability and quality of drugs rise like a rocket from a launch pad while the cost dropped like a watermelon from a skyscraper.

That's why it was welcome news when President Obama quietly dismantled much of the machinery of the drug war. His Department of Justice radically scaled back federal involvement in so-called "civil asset forfeitures," a program wherein police confiscate your cash and require you to prove it's not drug money before you can get it back. The Obama DOJ looked the other way as states liberalized marijuana laws. It also extended clemency to incarcerated nonviolent drug offenders and declined to seek harsh mandatory minimum sentences for the ones facing trial.

It made sense, so it couldn't last. In February, Donald Trump announced there would be a new drug war and it would be "ruthless." Leaving aside that the old drug war was hardly ice cream and roses, there is no reason to believe being more "ruthless" will help.

After all, you can be beheaded for drug-related offenses in Saudi Arabia. Yet the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that in 2008 -- the most recent year for which statistics seem to be available -- the Saudis seized 12.8 tons of amphetamines.

So much for ruthless.

There is a reason the 18th Amendment, the one outlawing liquor, was the only one ever repealed: Prohibition doesn't work. You cannot arrest people out of wanting what is bad for them. But, as we've seen with liquor and tobacco, you might be able to educate, legislate and persuade them into wanting it less.

Diane Goldstein, a retired lieutenant commander with the Redondo Beach Police Department, calls the new drug war "a horrible idea." Goldstein is an executive board member of Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a group of law enforcement veterans who think that in asking police to solve a medical problem, we've made a costly mistake.

She cites a 1994 Rand Corporation study which said that using healthcare strategies to combat drugs "returns seven times the value for every dollar spent on it to the taxpayer. Shouldn't we be looking at what is not just cost effective, but also returns better results for people who are impacted by chronic substance abuse?"

Problem is, that wouldn't allow some of us to brag how "ruthless" they are.

African Americans, who have been locked up at obscene rates, even though whites are the nation's biggest users and sellers of drugs, should regard this new "war" as a clear and present danger. Pot users of all colors in states where marijuana is now legal should feel the same; from now on, the feds will no longer be looking the other way.

They, and anyone else who is appalled by this, should tell that to the attorney general.

You'll find an online contact form at: https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice.

The DOJ comment line is: 202-353-1555. The main switchboard is: 202-514-2000.

And here's the street address: U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20530-0001.

However you register your opinion, please do. We've already had a War on Drugs.

And one was more than enough.

Leonard Pitts is a columnist for The Miami Herald, 1 Herald Plaza, Miami, Fla., 33132. Readers may contact him via e-mail at lpitts@miamiherald.com.

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Opinion: The War on Drugs is back - Citizen Times - Asheville Citizen-Times

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Pitts: The War on Drugs is back, unfortunately – The Mercury News – The Mercury News

Posted: at 1:21 pm

Looks like the War on Drugs is back.

The Washington Post reported Sunday that the new attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is preparing a return to the same hardline strategies that have so spectacularly failed to reduce drug use since 1971. Indeed, the nation has spent more than a trillion dollars, made itself the biggest jailer on the planet and yet seen the use, availability and quality of drugs rise like a rocket from a launch pad while the cost dropped like a watermelon from a skyscraper.

It made sense, so it couldnt last. Back in February, Donald Trump himself announced that there would be a new drug war and it would be ruthless. Leaving aside that the old drug war was hardly ice cream and roses, there is no reason to believe being more ruthless will help.

After all, you can be beheaded for drug-related offenses in Saudi Arabia. Yet the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reports that in 2008 the most recent year for which statistics seem to be available the Saudis seized 12.8 tons of amphetamines.

So much for ruthless.

There is a reason the 18th Amendment, the one outlawing liquor, was the only one ever repealed: Prohibition doesnt work. You cannot arrest people out of wanting what is bad for them. But, as weve seen with liquor and tobacco, you might be able to educate, legislate and persuade them into wanting it less.

Diane Goldstein, a retired lieutenant commander with the Redondo Beach Police Department, calls the new drug war a horrible idea. Goldstein is an executive board member of Law Enforcement Action Partnership, a group of law enforcement veterans who think that in asking police to solve a medical problem, weve made a costly mistake.

She cites a 1994 Rand Corporation study which said that using health care strategies to combat drugs returns seven times the value for every dollar spent on it to the taxpayer. Shouldnt we be looking at what is not just cost effective, but also returns better results for people who are impacted by chronic substance abuse?

Problem is, that wouldnt allow some of us to brag how ruthless they are.

African Americans, who have been locked up at obscene rates, even though whites are the nations biggest users and sellers of drugs, should regard this new war as a clear and present danger. Pot users of all colors in states where marijuana is now legal should feel the same; from now on, the feds will no longer be looking the other way.

They, and anyone else who is appalled by this, should tell that to the attorney general.

Youll find an online contact form at: https://www.justice.gov/doj/webform/your-message-department-justice.

The DOJ comment line is: 202-353-1555. The main switchboard is: 202-514-2000.

And heres the street address: U.S. Department of Justice, 950 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C. 20530-0001.

However you register your opinion, please do. Weve already had a War on Drugs.

And one was more than enough.

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Pitts: The War on Drugs is back, unfortunately - The Mercury News - The Mercury News

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N.H. House to Debate Voting Laws, Gambling – New Hampshire Public Radio

Posted: at 1:21 pm

The New Hampshire Senate continues work on the state budget this week. Meanwhile the House will take up some contentious issues ranging from voting laws to gambling.

A bill to tighten residency requirements for voting purposes gets a public hearing in the House Tuesday. Under the measure, people lacking proof of residency would have to fill out a form and provide proof within 10 days. If they dont, an election official could stop by their house to check.

Those for the measure say this will prevent voter fraud but those against say it could disenfranchise voters.

The Republican backed bill cleared the Senate last month along party lines.

The House will also hold a public hearing on a bill to expand full-day kindergarten to low-income school districts statewide. A similar proposal was part of Gov. Chris Sununus budget plan.

Theres also a hearing on a bill to legalize casino gambling in the state a similar measure has passed the Senate before but has historically fallen flat in the House.

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N.H. House to Debate Voting Laws, Gambling - New Hampshire Public Radio

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