The point for security is that right now, the major cash crop for gangs and cartels is marijuana. Just like Alcohol and Al Capone during prohibition, they had so much money it was hard to fight a war against them. Instead we legalized alcohol and shut them down for tax evasion.

If we legalize marijuana, the black market profit margin goes away, so theres no incentive for them to do it. They lose a huge amount of their income, and as a result have many less resources to fight against law enforcement. Cause -> Effect. You give stoners the option to go to a legal store and buy from a trusted brand instead of deal with some shady dealer, and they will. The black market only exists because the government imposes restrictions on things the public uses, you undo the restriction, you destroy the black market.

I know you're being funny, but do you mean modern or contemporary? An important distinction.

This thing reads like a middle school compare-contrast paper. Isn't this guy allegedly a professional journalist or something?

I can understand not reading the article, but at least give the summary a good once over. "all of Google's sites combined"

It's only claiming first IMAX 3D porn.

I suppose these things haven't occurred in a country yet then? There's certainly still poverty and hunger in the western world too. Turns out, even with democracy and free speech, you still need money and food to fix poverty and hunger.

I used to work a different major polling company, and I can assure you R2K is not alone in just making up numbers. Easily 80% of surveys that went through my region were completely falsified, and the remaining 20% rarely matched the demographic they were supposed to be answering for. Survey administrators have quotas, and then get paid extra for additional surveys past that, but there is basically nothing done to verify any of the surveys turned in, and everybody in the company knows it. Don't always trust what you read, especially not statistics.

It doesn't beg the question. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Begging_the_question

So I shouldn't be allowed to gamble because someone else can't handle it? Remember, anything is addicting to the right person. Where would you draw the line? Chocolate? Maybe running should be illegal, because people could get hooked on the high?

Yes.

While true, it is not necessarily true. We could (and do) produce a lot of electronic components domestically.

I would agree with that statement. That's their first amendment right to do so. (Apologies to those reading from countries without free speech)

Almost every single item i own and use was produced within 50 miles of where I live. We don't need china. Many people simply prefer to save a few dollars, even when the real cost(environmental impact, human rights abuses, etc.) may be higher.

You of course realize that actually clicking the story and viewing it is entirely optional?

I always just figured it was probably a phishing scam, or some other nefarious scheme. Maybe i'm just paranoid though...