Shortsightness Causes More Damage Than Good

Big picture is too blurry. Thinking further than 5 minutes in to the future is also difficult.

First of all, I must apologize for this old, soon-to-be-dead -type opinions I might blurt out here. I am only one person, and I still use the old-school tactics when trying to solve problems: Logic. I know this is not so popular nowadays, but I have found it to work for me so it's difficult to let go.

I wrote about the liquid ban way back in 2006. We've seen and heard many interesting stories where breast milk has been too dangerous to be taken on-board. I am surprised we haven't had any casualties because of this. It took until December 2007 before we see news articles that someone has killed a whole litre bottle of vodka because he couldn't get it on the plane when he was switching planes. If you got it once, you should get it to the continuing flight too. If you use normal logics. Unfortunately normal logics don't work on this planet anymore.

It is remarkable we haven't had more this kind of incidents. Nowadays going to plane is pain. Last time when I was going past the security I was taking my shoes off, since they beep every time. They told me not to. I said they're gonna beep, but they wanted to hear it themselves. After my shoes beeped, the conversation was something like:
- Take your shoes off, please.
- Sure. Told you so. They're worker shoes, so they have protection in soles and they always beep.
- Where did you get these shoes?
- From my old job. You know, had to have them in the harbour. Dangerous job.
- Why do you have protection shoes?
- 'Scuse me, why do I have my shoes?
- Yes. Why do you need them?
- Um... I don't know. They keep my feet warm, I guess.

I seriously couldn't understand why they were asking me why I need shoes. Maybe they were being philosophical, but I doubt that. It would require that the IQ exceeds my shoe-size. Of course I could do funny jokes there about this, but as I don't talk about politics with a paranoid schizophrenic, I don't make jokes with airport personnel. They just have their mental disorders that prevent them understanding these things.

But I surely would like to know also about my bags and what they plan to do with them when I'm at the airport answering to all the questions the Spanish Inquisition decides to ask.

"Have you packed the bags yourself." - "Why, yes. I gave Jeeves a day off, since I fly today with RYANAIR!" - How many servants can I afford if I fly with friggin' BlueOne?
"Have you left them unattended at any point." - "Um... no. I still got them, don't I? Who leaves his bags and expects them to be there when you return? But are you going to leave my bags unattended? I want to have my CDs in my bag when I'm in my destination. And I would like the bag to be there, too. Intact. Can you do that? Are you going to do that? Or is some underpaid college-student gonna throw my bag carelessly right after he has checked my CD collection for anything good?"

But I won't... Not that I wouldn't say this otherwise. I just don't feel like spreading my cheeks at the backstage. Like I said: No politics with paranoid schizophrenics and no jokes with airport personnel. Same disorder. But this shortsightness goes further. Just the other day I read about changes in the drug laws in the Netherlands.

The new government in the Netherlands have decided there's not enough Class-A drugs on the streets. Where in the past those tourists who want to take psychedelic mushrooms have had the opportunity to go to a shop, without being a criminal, got the mushrooms and a note of instructions, as well as verbal instructions from knowing personnel about the safe use of mushrooms. Of course some idiots don't want to hear that and they munch away more they can handle - mixed with alcohol and who knows what. But most users have been safe. I have nothing against that. Do what you will, it's your body.

Now they decided the mushrooms are too mild and too controlled. They want to push the drugs on the streets. They'll ban the controlled and info-giving sales in Smart-Shops, which only means the sales are going to move on to the streets. But buying fresh mushrooms on the street is ridiculous. Most likely some hustler/dealers are going to sell something that resembles of dried mushrooms, but it is going to go towards LSD. The demand for psychedelics is not going away, only the supply is changing. And for a hustler/dealer on the Red Light District it's easier to deal couple of postage-stamps than x-amount of some mushrooms.

This is a perfect way to make few isolated nutcases worse. And to make more of those isolated incidents. Way to go. I already avoid city centre because of the drug-using tourists. After the government has managed to promote Class-A drug use enough I won't be going anywhere near the city centre.

Thanks for all this.

Making the world more illogical and paranoid place to live in.

Every little helps.