I've been meaning to post about this for a while

[whowouldknow]

I assume that most of you have seen (or at least heard about) the anti-drug ads that have pot smokers taking the blame for terrorism. The ads feature people saying things like "I helped terrorists to blow up buildings, I helped kill a judge" et cetera. Another one ends with a screen saying "Where do terrorists get their money? If you buy drugs,

Comments

[benjasattva]

An argument I have heard from many foreigners while dictators may come to power in their countries they are powerless, in America we elect our leaders and are therefore culpable for our leaders actions. It's true.

A problem with anti--drug ads is that prior to the big tabacco settlement, tabacco companies discovered that anti-smoking ads and propaganda actually encouraged use in youths and adolescents. The Truth ads are actually bringing in new customers. Worse yet, these new customers will not be able to recover against big tabacco, since this issue has already been settled. Children have always been the target, now cigarette companies can get access to them on through television specifically. (Sorry for that rant).

As for the Detroit ads, I find them suspect. Why target SUVs? Its hard to see an expensive ad campaign that is not in someone's interest. I would suspect some of the donations to the project are from companies that would benefit from less SUV's on the market. I am talking out of my ass in that prior statement. However, SUV's arent the problem, the problem is poor fuel economy. The solution is hybrid and electric cars. Furthermore, SUVs aren't the problem they once were, with the entrance of japanese car companies into the SUV market many SUVs are 4 cylinder and have better fuel economy than most sedans.

I would rather see a PAC with anti-war commercials saying, I elected a terrorist. I assisnate leaders. ... etc ... I claim responsibility for the actions of my leaders whose actions I was too apathetic about to care until he came for me. (With a fade out to: Your next!) (Its a little extreme but true)

[eyeteeth]

in America we elect our leaders and are therefore culpable for our leaders actions

We didn't elect this one.

[whowouldknow]

Eyeteeth pointed out the obvious problem, which is that most of us didn't vote for Bush. I know I didn't. Of course, the sad part is that most of us didn't vote. Although it would be tempting to run an ad like that in the states where most people did vote for Bush.

If you look at the Detroit Project's FAQ, it talks about how they got started. Huffington is a political opinions columnist, she's been writing stuff like this for a while, although she used to be a conservative. And as for considering things like this suspect, what about Bill Maher's new book, When you ride ALONE you ride with bin Laden: What the Government SHOULD Be Telling Us to Help Fight the War on Terrorism? Are his motives suspect too?

Poor fuel economy and SUVs go hand in hand. Legally, they have lower fuel-efficiency requirements, so most of them guzzle oil. Check out question #12 on the FAQ. And while there's been a big advertising blitz to encourage us to buy SUVs, car companies barely run any ads encouraging us to buy their hybrids.