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America used to have this vague sense of fair play, religious tolerance, transparency, which went along with a good work ethic and quiet honesty. Remember? All that shit’s out the window now.
But there was a time where the USA was really something exceptional. The facts are staggering. We created a constitution that basically changed what it meant to be a country on earth, and thereby what it meant to be a human being on earth. We invented 90% of everything. We at crucial times exhibited real moral leadership where there had been none. Before there was exceptionalism, we must remember, there was simply the fact that we were exceptional.
JOSHUA ROBERTS / Reuters
Bernie Sanders Calls for an End to Federal Prohibition on Marijuana
I’ve been waiting for this since George Washington and I used to kick on back at the end of a long day building the nation and smoke hemp on his back veranda. Seriously. This. Is. Paydirt. Bernie Sanders is coming out for total federal marijuana legalization. No major candidate has ever done this before. Imagine if this guy was our president. So if you are reading this, would you please consider not giving up on him? At least not before you give something of yourself. There’s never been a guy this good this close. Oh, and the fact that for the first time, a politician is drinking water from his own water bottle, not a disposable plastic water bottle, is nice too.
I am today announcing my candidacy for the presidency of the United States.
I do not run for the presidency merely to oppose any man but to propose new policies. I run because I am convinced that this country is on a perilous course and because I have such strong feelings about what must be done, and I feel that I’m obliged to do all that I can.
Putin is ascending, insofar as he is expanding his and Russia’s power and sphere of influence. It continues to be unlikely that sanctions will drive him to the bargaining table. His popularity will grow, and the stakes will seem too high to directly oppose him. Thus, he will be successful with his strategy of territorial expansion in the name of refighting WWII. The West’s only response will be to whine and impose limited monetary and trade sanctions. What Putin offers back is a clear goal of Greater Russia that makes historical sense to his constituency. His behavior reveals a nuanced and polemical understanding of the trajectory of these historical forces and a willingness to play his hand out on the world stage.
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