the overall number of people has continued to climb and, although most western populations are "aging" in percentages, I'm not sure how big an effect that would have on a fairly circumscribed market. It also appears that production has at least "kept up" -- despite what sound like genuinely aggressive efforts at eradication/interdiction.

It would seem that there is a limited appeal for these products ... a circumscribed life span use cycle for most users ... that curtails the sort of exponential growth such bargain basement pricing might suggest.

Of course, the availability of these drugs varies widely AND some may be experiencing competition from blackmarket pharmacuticals, see also Anna Nicole Smith and other Broadway Babies who appear to have ready access to Dr. Feelgoods, while chronic pain sufferers and the doctors who treat them are under seemingly everincreasing scrutiny.

Sheesh, I don't know.

by people who I suspect were long-time binge users (employed aging hippie types, food service/bar industry) and I suspect that over time high availability and low prices will perceptibly kill off some of the market...

Out of control addiction (satiated or not) is likely to result in family or state intervention leading to cessation of use (at least temporarily) via rehab or incarceration.

Most people don't want to die and/or alienate everyone who cares about them and/or otherwise lose everything when simply holding a job is in jeopardy -- so people practice self-control.

For the most part, big users fit a narrow profile of people with access to money, nothing better else to do, under little or no supervision/commitments ... young singles fit well ... most everyone else has varying levels of other commitments, usually increasing with age -- job/future plans, spouse, kids, house, car payments.

I agree there's an enormous population that wouldn't consider touching the stuff -- even if it were free and legal.

I think that there was a "natural inclination" on a lot of peoples' part to take down Saddam ... we had already invested a lot of time and energy in almost-getting-there and Saddam was in-our-face in his contempt of us and our power ... and our sanctions and our no-fly-zone (he was faking bravado, even more than we guessed.)

I think that as happens in any such situation where you make a PROS vs. CONS list, the prewar PRO list grew and grew and grew ... it became a pipe dream and that pipe dream was heartily aided and abetted by the PNAC signees and the PNAC document makes "ensuring the stability of energy resources" in that New American Century - JOB #1 WITH A BULLET.

What anyone will claim to have known, not known or "believed" is mutable.

The rushed elections and the push for ratification of the incomplete, still disputed constitution were either foolhardly wasteful expediency OR -- if you ask "cui buono" -- they were done to permit consolidation of anticipated oil interests -- which demanded a "legitimate government" in order for it to enter into legal contracts.

Recall, if the constituation was not ratified by that date, new elections would have been required, which as I argued at the time, could have been seen as an opportunity to do-over with real sunni participation yielding a much more legitimate government.

Oh, and imho it doesn't matter how big or small or how good or bad the oil reserves "really" are -- I think not letting anyone else have a chance at them is as good as a score. Yes, Iraq needs billions to rehab its oil facilities -- but see also Russian and Iran and China who are also willing and able to compete for the privilege of investing that money ... We'd be the poor relation at that bargaining table. But it's all moot until the revenue sharing bill is ratified ... and that's not happening anytime soon. They can't even give us the contracts in exchange for our departure ... and I think if we leave without those solidified, we won't get a second chance.

Don't forget -- the surge was enacted to stabilize Baghdad so that the government could work more effectively to achieve "reconciliation" (fat chance) and that oil revenue bill.

That's them talking.

There's always someone eager to make a buck off of at-risk populations -- children, the elderly, the mentally deficient, the mentally ill -- all of them -- You don't even want to think about your tax dollars going to privatized state-funded facilities.

The only thing that keeps the abuse, neglect and thievery in check is regulating agencies and inspections and fines and the threat of criminal prosecution. We destroyed what was at best an already corrupt regime and nothing has risen in its place.

It's likely the only reason we don't have comparable horror stories here is simply that "we" no longer use orphanages for our abandoned/orphaned children ... consider instead our glorious "foster care" system -- in our stable and rich United States of American -- before you decry the barbarity of Iraq.

Now's not the time for your tears ...

and religious fundamentalism being treated as if they were communicable diseases ... actually, they're not. Nor are they "unfathomable" ...

We can get there ... together.

just to fuck your comatose body --- oh yeah -- it's the hot accessory for the "legend in their own mind" club ...

as well as the ever-popular self-righterous legs-tightly-crossed you-ain't-getting-in-here-with-that-thing ....

both groups having a lot in common -- mostly that they primarily live in their imaginations

the things women these day are announcing about themselves ...

so glad Salon's and Broadsheet and Cary Tennis exist to let me know about these frontline issues....

Thanks, I think I'll watch my drink the old fashioned way ....