Biden on the Horizon

''With our gift for language and willingness to stand up and be counted, as well as heaps of charm and charisma, we Irish have long been an integral part of American political life''

~ Rashers Tierney

F*ck You, I'm Irish: Why We Irish Are Awesome 

#BlackLivesMatter

"Until the philosophy which holds one race superior and another inferior is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, everywhere is war. And until there are no longer first-class and second-class citizens of any nation, until the colour of a man's skin is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes. And until the basic human rights are equally guaranteed to all without regard to race, there is war. And until that day, the dream of lasting peace, world citizenship, rule of international morality, will remain but a fleeting illusion to be pursued, but never attained... now everywhere is war."


- Popularized by Bob Marley in the song War”; Haile Selassie I, Selected Speeches.

Stereotypes

A great example of in-groups versus out-groups.

In a study from 1942, Americans were asked to describe the top two features of Russians. And they described them as 'brave and hard-working'. In 1948, during / coming to the end of the Cold War, they were asked the same question. They described them as 'cruel and conceited'. The Russians didn't change, what changed was their relationship to them over the intervening years. They went from being part of a group that they were, to being part of the out-group.


~ Paul Bloom 'The Psychology of Everything'

Hurricane Blow

After hurricane Katrina in 2005, 1,836 people died and over 214,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Many suffered depression and post traumatic stress, and as a result the demand for illegal drugs sky-rocketed. Squatters raided the abundant empty properties that now lay vacant for anything they could get their hands on. Favourites included prescription meds such as Adderall and Ritalin. Addicts described their delight at pill bottles that lay scattered in the streets after the flood waters subsided. They were now consumers of a derelict environment that was a mecca for drugs.

 

Before Katrina hit, over 67% of the population was African-American, one in eight did not return. One drug dealer stated that, ''after Katrina the skin colour of my clients changed'' and stating that most of his clients are now 'gutter punks' - young, white, homeless travellers.

 

The murder rate in New Orleans is ten times the national average. It was a violent city before the infamous storm, but with the explosion of small time drug dealers fighting over turf, violence has spread to new parts of the city.

Did the drugs flow help re-build New Orleans? Citizens found themselves awash with government relief money. Many used it to get back on their feet but some used it to self-medicate. Money that was handed out for things such as rent allowance didn't always find it's intended use. One man spending his $5000 relief money on an instalment of $2000 of marijuana to become a small time dealer.

 

Hurricane Katrina dramatically changed the drug trade in New Orleans. After the hurricane people were devastated and drug dealers saw this as an opportunity. New Orleans is not the city to kick a habit. Small time dealers are now scattered across the city making more drugs available to more people. Until the next hurricane, The Big Easy will remain the city that sobriety forgot.

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Louis Armstrong smoked weed everyday, so what's new?