First, Obama's blowing off of this question was fundamentally no more egregious than his blowing off of those who challenged his FISA flip-flop. In both cases, his response was disingenuous, and totally in line with Versailles thinking. They asked "Which side are you on?" and he told them: "The Establishment, baby." Well, fuck, he's the President, what did you expect? A President who realizes the Establishment needs to change? Maybe a bit around the edges. Tighten up the ship. But in the end, he's all the change he thinks they need. And this little pretend-to-listen-to-the-people moment spells it all out for you, if you care to read.

Second, there's quite a precedent for this sort of proposal. In the 1932 election, FDR got support from Pierre DuPonts because of his support for repealing Prohibition. Repealing Prohibition would bring in a whole new revenue source, which could be used to replace the income tax, which at that time was extremely progressive, falling largely on the super-rich like the DuPonts. DuPont had explicitly campaigned for repeal of Prohibition on that basis prior to 1932, and voted for Roosevelt because of it. Of course, things didn't exactly turn out that way, but alcohol excise taxes certainly did generate a great deal of government income, and they continue doing so to this day. Taxing marijuana certainly would do the same, which is a far better deal for government than wasting millions--no billions--chasing down, prosecuting, and imprisoning ordinary users.

In short, it would grow government revenues for certain--as the DuPont's realized back in 1932--but you're not the DuPonts. You're just a DFH.

Obama also lead the snickering, but about universal/single payer healthcare, at his healt care conference. Remember the crack about "bleeding liberal hearts"?

He's just not that into us, DFHers.

Now the big question is when will the OFB realize just how he's treating them now and how he used them? Will there be that realization? How will those who see that light react? Or will they remain blinded by the Lightbringer? How long will it take, if it happens? Small numbers growing disillusioned, or a mass change?

A friend who last February told me that I wasn't a big supporter of Obama bcz I hadn't had the chance to see him live (if I had, clearly I would have "seen the light"), began to be slightly disillusioned during the general election campaign and now is completely disappointed about Obama's Iraq War gamesmanship, but still, slightly, hopeful domestically....

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Paul also mentions Kegan's Level 4 and the link goes to Paul's post about the Kegan chart on levels of cognitive complexity. Interesting and new to me.