Drugs
The fake-sheik strikes again, with Tulisa in the clink
The ‘fake-sheik’ has pulled off another classic sting operation, worthy of his time at the News of the World. Mazher Mahmood can add Tulisa Contostavlos, the ‘musician’ turned X-Factor judge,… Continue reading
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Vice is vanishing from Britain
In this week’s issue of the Spectator, Leo McKinstry argues that Britain is dropping all its most harmful habits. Here is an excerpt: ‘According to the pessimistic narrative of national decline, Britain… Continue reading
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Cricket is more than a game
Does this advert ring a bell? It showed a handsome young man hitting a cricket ball far into the distance. It appeared on the Tube last spring. The tagline read:… Continue reading
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Margaret Thatcher: An Accidental Libertarian Heroine
It is 34 years since Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister. Coincidentally, she entered Downing Street 34 years after Clement Attlee won the 1945 general election. The whole history of post-war… Continue reading
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Does addiction exist? Peter Hitchens vs Damian Thompson in our new View from 22 podcast
Should we be doing more or less to help to tackle drug addiction? And does addiction even exist? Are addicts just selfish people? In this week’s View from 22 podcast,… Continue reading
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The only way to help addicts is to treat them as sick, not bad
In this week’s View from 22 podcast, the Mail on Sunday’s Peter Hitchens takes on the Telegraph’s Damian Thompson about Russell Brand, drugs, and whether addiction even exists. Click here to listen. … Continue reading
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How could carcinogenic drugs have got into the food chain? Ask Defra
Shadow Defra minister Mary Creagh told MPs today about her fears that a carcinogenic drug commonly used as an anti-inflammatory in horses could have entered the human food chain. Speaking… Continue reading
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Lance Armstrong, the Greatest Cheat in the History of Sport, Prepares to Admit His Sins - Spectator Blogs
The news, reported by the New York Times, that Lance Armstrong is preparing to confess his sins reminds me of this passage from the Book of Daniel: Thou, O king,… Continue reading
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The War on Drugs is as pointless as it is immoral; obviously it must continue. - Spectator Blogs
Like Tom Chivers I’d not planned to write anything about the latest suggestion our drug laws are sufficiently confused, antiquated and beyond parody that at some point it might be… Continue reading
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Drugs report looks destined to languish on ministers’ shelves
The Home Affairs Select Committee spent a year on its drugs inquiry, and its hefty report is finally published today. During the inquiry, MPs heard from charities, ministers, and Russell… Continue reading
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Amidst Obama's Triumph, America Enjoys A Libertarian Moment - Spectator Blogs
Amidst last night’s Democratic triumph and the confirmation that Obama is, in many respects, Ronald Reagan’s heir let’s not forget that this election was also a triumph for libertarians and… Continue reading
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Interview – Patrick Hennessey, Kandak: Fighting with the Afghans
“It always struck me that it was a much easier war to support the closer you got to it,” says Patrick Hennessey of the war in Afghanistan. Hennessey, who served… Continue reading
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Lance Armstrong: It Wasn't Just About the Bike - Spectator Blogs
In one sense, I have some sympathy for Lance Armstrong. He has been hounded by the American anti-doping agency USADA who, like other federal agencies, are remorseless foes. Once they… Continue reading
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The View from 22 — Hunger strikes, a psychedelic return and Paul Ryan
Are we about to see revolutions on the streets thanks to crop prices? John R. Bradley argues in this week’s cover feature that crop price rises this year are going… Continue reading
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Sinophobia, the last acceptable racism
The Chinese have excelled at London 2012, much to the annoyance of their Western rivals. In this week’s issue of the Spectator, Ross Clark argues that the claims against swimmer… Continue reading
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Government minister admits policy is insane; admits that insanity is only option
I like Ken Clarke. He remains a Class A act in a government that could do with more heft and bottom. So there’s that. And his candid admission that the… Continue reading
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Amis’ hazy biography
With Martin Amis’ Lionel Asbo: State of England — the horrific account of a hard-living career criminal turned celebrity lottery winner — climbing the bestseller charts, Li and his creator… Continue reading
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Thriving on skag
What is the best way to describe families who hitherto have been known by the horrible and demeaning term &”problem” families? These are families full of either psychotic, bad or… Continue reading
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How to get around the EU (and weed smokers)
The Dutch government has just banned foreigners from the country’s ‘coffee-shops’ — aka, cannabis cafés. Given how often we’re told that you can’t ban EU members from doing anything, how… Continue reading
21 CommentsDrug War Madness: Canadian edition
Most of the time the most lunatic examples of Drug War mania, at least in the English-speaking world, come from the United States. but not always! Today’s villains are Canadian.… Continue reading
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