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Laws that prohibit drugs are simply moral laws.

All laws that attempt to prevent people from hurthing others or themselves are moral laws, based on the ethical proposition that harm to self or others is a bad thing. There is simply no difference between a law against the taking of drugs and helmet/seat belt laws in terms of ethical justification for their existence.

The main obstacle to banning tobacco is lobbies from North Carolina and other states that profit from tobacco farming. The tobacco grower's lobby is very powerful; just look at how much effort it took to finally end tobacco crop subsidies in 2003. For this same reason, America has forced countries to unban smoking as part of trade agreements for decades.

The hypocrisy over tobacco, at least, is fueled by powerful and legal industry lobbies behind it that other banned drugs do not have.

As the consumer of the end products of multinational corporations in the belly of the empire of course you are living large, and the people making crap for you in the third world, not so much...

For example Shell in Nigeria:

"Oil Spills

Although Shell drills oil in 28 countries, 40% of its oil spills worldwide have occurred in the Niger Delta10. In the Niger Delta, there were 2,976 oil spills between 1976 and 199111. In the 1970s spillage totaled more that four times that of the 1989 Exxon Valdez tragedy12. Ogoniland has had severe problems stemming from oil spillage, including water contamination and loss of many valuable animals and plants. A short-lived World Bank investigation found levels of hydrocarbon pollution in water in Ogoniland more than sixty times US limits13 and a 1997 Project Underground survey found petroleum hydrocarbons one Ogoni village's watersource to be 360 times the levels allowed in the European Community, where Shell originates14.

Pipelines and construction

The 12 by 14 mile area that comprises Ogoniland is some of the most densely occupied land in Africa. The extraction of oil has lead to construction of pipelines and facilities on precious farmland and through villages. Shell and its subcontractors compensate landowners with meager amounts unequal to the value of the scarce land, when they pay at all. The military defends Shell's actions with firearms and death: see the Shell Police section below.

Health impacts

The Nigerian Environmental Study Action Team observed increased "discomfort and misery" due to fumes, heat and combustion gases, as well as increased illnesses15. This destruction has not been alleviated by Shell or the government. Owens Wiwa, a physician, has observed higher rates of certain diseases like bronchial asthma, other respiratory diseases, gastro-enteritis and cancer among the people in the area as a result of the oil industry16.

The Shell Police and the Rivers State Internal Security Task Force

Both Shell and the government admit that Shell contributes to the funding of the military in the Delta region. Under the auspices of "protecting" Shell from peaceful demonstrators in the village of Umeuchem (10 miles from Ogoni), the police killed 80 people, destroyed houses and vital crops in 199017. Shell conceded it twice paid the military for going to specific villages. Although it disputes that the purpose of these excursions was to quiet dissent, each of the military missions paid for by Shell resulted in Ogoni fatalities18. The two incidents are a 1993 peaceful demonstration against the destruction of farmland to build pipelines and, later that year, a demonstration in the village of Korokoro19. Shell has also admitted purchasing weapons for the police force who guard its facilities, and there is growing suspicion that Shell funds a much greater portion of the military than previously admitted. In 1994, the military sent permanent security forces into Ogoniland, occupying the once peaceful land. This Rivers State Internal Security Task Force is suspected in the murders of 2000 people20. In a classified memo, its leader described his plans for "psychological tactics of displacement/wasting" and stated that "Shell operations are still impossible unless ruthless military operations are undertaken."21 Since the Task Force occupied Ogoniland in 1994, the Ogoni have lived under constant surveillance and threats of violence. The Nigerian military stepped up its presence in Ogoniland in January of 1997 and again in 1998 before the annual Ogoni Day celebrations."

http://www.essentialaction.org/shell/issues.html

YOU don't killed and exploited by private corporations, others not so much.

Or Nike in Indonesia:

"JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Workers at nine Indonesian factories under contract by U.S. sportswear giant Nike say they have either suffered or have witnessed sexual and verbal abuse.

Laborers also say they were asked to work

The CIA factbook entry on the Nigerian economy starts "Oil-rich Nigeria, ...". Companies such as Shell have been operating in Nigeria for a long time, but not everyone is happy about it.

Give indigenous people a vast amount of crude oil.

"Smaller than a pack of cigarettes"

That those big giant cigarettes packets like these?

Shell Oil has been supporting a rather brutal military regime in Nigeria in order to extract oil. I suppose this involves killing babies.

Oh, and the original poster is an idiot for not providing some sort of reference. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof... didn't anyone tell him that?

--grendel drago

Now imagine these nations with televisions and video games. You wouldn't need the force. They'd agree to just about anything to see the next episode of "As the World Turns." That's why closing the digital divide is so important.

http://www.essentialaction.org/shell/era/era.html
Yay linux and all, but lets be careful how much we cheer these guys on....

1. Do you feel that Microsoft is actually a monopoly? Do you agree with the breakup of Microsoft? Does you organization accept campaign money from Microsoft?

2. Do you feel that the MPAA is infringing on the rights of consumers? Do you feel that organizations like this are trashing copyright law and leaving consumers with no freedom?

3. Do you feel that large multinational corporations are ruining our nations soverignty? Do you feel that they should only exist when they benefit the public, as the Constitution states, or should they be allowed to exist as long as they turn a profit and are good for the "economy"?

4. What are your views of Shell, Mobil, and other oil-companies exploitation/extermination of African Tribes to steal the oil their land rests above, as well as their support of dictator-police states in Nigeria?(see boycott shell home page )

5. Do you agree with the current U.S. policy of forcing Israel and Palestine to the peace table? Are we forcing them before they are ready? Do you think that excessive medelling by the U.S. could cause an all-out war there?

6. What is your position on internet regulation? How, where, and when should the internet be censored or regulated? Do you support internet "taxes"?

7. Do you support more work visa's for IT? Do you feel that the IT shortage is due to too few people qualified, or too few people willing; due to Dilbertesque management tecniques and a lack of a willingness to train people? What is your policy regarding these Visas?

8. Do you beleive in corporate welfare? If there is a seperation of church and state, then is there an inplied sepearation of corporation and state? Do you feel that taxpayer funds should be used to support the building of ball-parks, rec facilities and other ammenities, that will be owned by private business and not publically available? Do you feel that these rich business people have other outlets to get investment, or are they so "needy" that they must be bankrolled by the government, at the expense of education and other public responsibilities?

9. Do you think the the FBI Carnivore system is a violation of Citizens search and siezure rights? Do you think it is constitutional for such a system to be implemented? If you would make any changes to the Carnivore program, what would they be?

10. Do you feel that any of the above issues actually warrants your attention, or that they are just small issues that have no impact on your election? Do you feel that any of the above issues could alter the course of Democracy in this country? Do any of you have a pulse?

One problem is that corporations have been given the same rights as the individual. Before we can take our governments back, we need to change the laws and 'crack the corporate I.' There is an interesting article in the July/August issue of adbusters, which is also available here

Oh, and there is an interesting site on what can happen when a corporation gains too much power, as is the case with Shell-Nigeria.

Everyone has a right to be concerned about how powerful corporations have grown. Just a few bits of food for thought.

-as