Even worse, I’m becoming cynical about whether any kind of real conversation can happen between people like me and people like the folks in this video.  The conversations I’ve had with folks like this I know personally have not gone well.  I think I need to spend more time studying Sen. Al Franken’s techniques for communicating.

EDIT:  Removed portion of text regarding the title that I can remove. (5:02pm)

Mexico enacted a controversial law Thursday decriminalizing possession of small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs while encouraging free government treatment for drug dependency.

The law sets out maximum “personal use” amounts for drugs, also including LSD and methamphetamine. People detained with those quantities will no longer face criminal prosecution when the law goes into effect Friday.

The U.S. needs to follow Mexco’s lead on this.  The “Drug War” is a failure that has helped corrupt our police forces, filled our prisons with non-violent offenders, and created a self-sustaining prison industrial complex that now lobbies to maintain and increase their “industry” at any cost.

America has a responsibility to work with you as a partner to advance this vision, not just with words, but with support that strengthens African capacity. When there’s a genocide in Darfur or terrorists in Somalia, these are not simply African problems — they are global security challenges, and they demand a global response.

And that’s why we stand ready to partner through diplomacy and technical assistance and logistical support, and we will stand behind efforts to hold war criminals accountable. And let me be clear: Our Africa Command is focused not on establishing a foothold in the continent, but on confronting these common challenges to advance the security of America, Africa and the world.

In Moscow, I spoke of the need for an international system where the universal rights of human beings are respected, and violations of those rights are opposed. And that must include a commitment to support those who resolve conflicts peacefully, to sanction and stop those who don’t, and to help those who have suffered. But ultimately, it will be vibrant democracies like Botswana and Ghana which roll back the causes of conflict and advance the frontiers of peace and prosperity.

President Obama, you say America stands ready to help African nations hold their war criminals accountable, but you aren’t  willing to investigate the war criminals we have here in the United States. I speak of former President Bush and former Vice President Cheney.  Pres. Obama, your administration has shamefully pursued the same extravegant powers of detention and surveillance that Pres. Bush and V.P. Cheney instituted during their administration and continues to obstruct all attempts in our courts and in Congresss to investigate these illegal programs and bring them into the light.  You’ve failed to uphold your promises for increased transparency in and bring changes to the Federal government.

Now, we’ve learned there are more secret programs under operation by the  CIA.  What will you do with these?  Will you bring them into the light and help reform them, or will you let them stay in the dark?

I was so hopeful whenyou took office that we would see a real change in our government.  I’m deeply saddened and frustrated by your continued support of Bush-era policies and government positions.  I believed you were a better man than you’ve shown yourself to be.

Edit: Updated spelling in title

U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan ruled the government cannot keep the documents known as factual returns from public disclosure and must seek court approval to keep specific information secret.

“Public interest in Guantanamo Bay generally and these proceedings specifically has been unwavering,” Hogan wrote. “Publicly disclosing the factual returns would enlighten the citizenry and improve perceptions of the proceedings’ fairness.”

I knew this was going to be a problem when Obama picked him for VP.

I don’t care about any repurcussions such an investigation might have.  I don’t care that it might cause a “tit for tat” response from the Republicans when next they hold the Whitehouse again.  That doesn’t matter.  Investigating and prosecuting the men and women who brought our country to this storry state is more important.

Malcolm Nance has a biting op-ed piece in Sunday’s New York Daily News that coldy and calmly lays out the reasons why the Bush torture architects need to be prosecuted.  Everyone should read it.

Gershengorn, left, a partner with RIAA-firm Jenner & Block, represented the labels against Grokster (.pdf) and will be in charge of the DOJ Federal Programs Branch. That’s the unit that just told a federal judge the Obama administration supports monetary damages as high as $150,000 per purloined music track on a peer-to-peer file sharing program.

How is this not a conflict of interest?  Gershengorn is going to direct the people that are involved with current and future cases of copyright infringement.  I guess Obama’s rules covering the ethics commitments of executive branch personnel don’t apply here.  I’m sorely disappointed by these appointments.