>I expected the defensiveness about mj.
If explanation to rectify assumptions made with insufficient data is "defense", then yes I'll defend my right to do what I need to do in order to survive, in the hope I may be "allowed" to thrive one day. The MJ is not the issue here, nor is the H2O or any other substance that's freely available. It would not surprise me if hypericum [St. John's Wort] was eventually "banned" because of some negative effect if had on "the system", even if only because it grows freely in "the wild" and thus requiring protection for the pharmaceutical industry to prevent it from going bankrupt.
>I note some "death wish" in the post. I do not think that entropy
I'm genuinely interested in how you diagnose "death wish" from my post?
>From a personal perspective, I can only but assure you I have no death wish.
I once did .....
On the other hand, I admit I have a very urgent need/desire to make changes to the part of the system that I happen to live in, namely Southern Africa and Africa as a whole, where micro-violence has long ago reached epidemic proportions, and the logical/responsible/traditional ways of making adjustments to the system (by getting a degree, a job and status/title or violent revolution) within the system's operating rules are simply not working quickly enough so as to make for a secure environment for my daughters and their friends, regardless of skins colour, belief systems etc..
So yes, I suppose I do wish death upon the system, but ideally to make it more efficient and enable everyone to achieve their own potential and not just be good for those "in the know". The dumb and stupid also have a right to achieve their full potential.
>BIO: http://members.theglobe.com/bretthay
I read through your bio to understand where you're coming from. To be honest, I'm not sufficiently qualified/educated to debate philosophical technicalities at this point without making a complete fool of myself and contributing nothing .. if only because I've picked up the stuff I think I need to know and more importantly want to know, and there are only so many hours in a day. So I may only be able to respond in a few weeks/months/years. BUT you have given me some stuff in a nice structured format to think about .. thanks.
Dave