Coyote Blog

10 Comments

1. Matthew Slyfield:

   The Zamboni is for raiding hockey rinks.

   October 8, 2014, 10:52 am

2. Nehemiah:

   Whoa, scarey funny.

   October 8, 2014, 11:54 am

3. bigmaq1980:

   Two Thumbs Up!

   (Or should that be Down?)

   October 8, 2014, 2:21 pm

4. NL7:

   I streamed this one last night. It seems like the major story from half the episodes could've been ripped off of reason. He did the prison system and a spin on sesame street, which was quite well done.

   Whereas some of the major stories have pretty stupid perspectives - like the argument that poor people should avoid using payday lending and instead do... something else. If borrowing is out, I guess that leaves beg or steal?

   Even the prisons story gets off on a weird tangent about for-profit companies. But the problem with prisons is not shareholder dividends, it's that you're trying to create miserable conditions. All the prison guards in a state-run prison are there for the salary (i.e. the employee version of profit). If prisoners could select which institution to serve their time in (and even pay extra for the privilege) then we'd see for-profit prisons being wonderful. But the state pays prison providers to be awful, so both private and public prisons are generally awful. Arpaio keeps getting reelected with that desert concentration camp.

   My overall read is that John Oliver is some weird blend of anarchist, leftist, and cynic. He's still quite entertaining, and the stuff I disagree with is sufficiently outnumbered by the neutral stuff and the stuff I agree with that I stay. Plus some of the things he says are libertarian-compatible and also really quite extreme, so I mentally award him extra points for being provocative.

   October 8, 2014, 3:46 pm

5. Canvasback:

   Great pig roast, Johnny. Keep up the good work!

   October 8, 2014, 5:50 pm

6. sch:

   Just another benefit of the "War on Drugs", which now has so many supporters that getting rid of it will be impossible. Police at all levels from smallest local to the DEA/border patrol
   have a vested interest inconfiscation as they most directly get the goodies. But prosecutors, the military who operate the drones and radar systems, and not least those who benefit from jailing all these miscreants have strong incentives and political contacts to make any legal changes difficult. Finally, Colorado and Washington state have given us a glimpse of
   what some of the consequences of 'legalize and tax it' approach will be: if you tax it heavily, then it will be easy to undercut the price with non-taxed MJ and hence continue the
   black market. It is estimated that 25% to 40% of cigarettes sold in very high tax states are contraband.

   October 9, 2014, 5:05 am

7. jimc5499:

   In the late 80's I was in the Navy, stationed in Florida. We shared a hangar with Customs / DEA. Those of us working night shift had a habit of bringing a few coolers of beer with us on Thursday night, which was the start of our weekend. Sometimes the Customs / DEA guys would come out and have a few with us. One night, one of their senior guys, after having more than a few, told me that the Drug War would go on forever. "There was too much money to be made in selling the stuff and there was too much money to be made in fighting it and both sides owned Congresscritters."

   October 9, 2014, 6:00 am

8. Daniel Barger:

   While this clip does a good job of poking fun at the issue if you stop and think about it you really should become angry, livid in fact. It underscores just how corrupt, abusive and evil the government has become and shows why we as a people simply MUST destroy the existing government, hang ALL those who were part of it for their complicit criminality and wipe the slate clean.

   October 11, 2014, 12:48 am

9. Trophy:

   Quite some time ago, this was done. The high judge and local law enforcement would accuse someone of a crime. Once the person was imprisoned, their property was forfeited to the judge and law enforcement. Of course that was during the Salem Witch Trials, so that could never happen again.....could it?

   October 13, 2014, 8:31 pm

10. jdgalt:

    A lot of people want that to happen, but the tide to stop it won't be held back. Eventually we'll follow the dirty money to each of those Congresscritters and have ourselves another Watergate.

    October 22, 2014, 3:51 pm