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Silk Road Drug Dealer Pleads Guilty After Federal Sting
Ars Technica reports that
A 26-year-old Columbus, Ohio man has pleaded guilty to selling drugs through the Silk Road website. David Lawrence Handel apparently obtained methylone and other drugs from a supplier in China, which he then sold to buyers on the online black market. Among those buyers were Maryland federal agents, who were making undercover purchases. Handel shipped the drugs to them through the US Postal Service, according to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. ... Handel faces up to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking and up to life for using and possessing a firearm. His sentencing is scheduled for May 15.
The U.S. government has a higher percentage of its citizens in prison than any country in the history of the world. (The rate of 707 prisoners per 100,000 population is artificially reduced because of all the exclusions.)
Part of the reason the prison rate is so high is that, in the U.S., prisons are a very profitable business, with little oversight and plenty of chances to be abusive. For some detail, see Matt Taibbi's book, The Divide.
And the NRA is fighting to make sure felons who have served their time can buy guns and kill their wives.
You are welcome on my lawn.
Ah yes, the conservative myth about Social Security that just will not die: "Social Security is broke because government's been raiding it!"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jo...
http://www.dailyfinance.com/20...
http://money.cnn.com/pf/featur...
Social Security benefits are not paid out of a "trust fund". They are paid out of payroll taxes on an "as-you-go" basis. The "trust fund" represented the massive overpayments that were made in preparation for the large number of baby boomers who are now retiring. And by the way, in case you're worried, they aren't making any new baby boomers, so every year, their number shrinks.
Social Security is not only perfectly fine, but is without a doubt the most popular and successful US government program in history. It's one of the main reasons the US has had such high standards of living since WWII. And the GOP/libertarian desperation to undo Social Security is the best proof that they are too dangerous to be allowed to govern.
You are welcome on my lawn.
clearly that isn't exactly true, just look at the state china got into due to the British feeding opium into the Chinese market for a century. The level of drug addiction reached due to that open and free market brought the entire country to its kness with a nation of addicts.