Some obscenely partisan Democrats have proposed a campaign to send dull steak knives to Wendy Vitter, so she can carry out her “Lorena Bobbitt” threat.
Have we learned nothing from Abu Ghraib? Yes, Sen. Vitter has disgraced his office, and yes, he voted with the rest of the Republicans to allow torture, but cutting off his pecker with a dull steak knife represents a degree of cruelty even John Yoo couldn’t defend. I propose instead that we send Ms. Vitter
sharp steak knives.
Moderation, my friends. Moderation in all things.
Author: Mark Kleiman
Professor of Public Policy at the NYU Marron Institute for Urban Management and editor of the Journal of Drug Policy Analysis. Teaches about the methods of policy analysis about drug abuse control and crime control policy, working out the implications of two principles: that swift and certain sanctions don't have to be severe to be effective, and that well-designed threats usually don't have to be carried out.
Books:
Drugs and Drug Policy: What Everyone Needs to Know (with Jonathan Caulkins and Angela Hawken)
When Brute Force Fails: How to Have Less Crime and Less Punishment (Princeton, 2009; named one of the "books of the year" by The Economist
Against Excess: Drug Policy for Results (Basic, 1993)
Marijuana: Costs of Abuse, Costs of Control (Greenwood, 1989)
UCLA Homepage
Curriculum Vitae
Contact: Markarkleiman-at-gmail.com
View all posts by Mark Kleiman