Demagogue

An Australian woman just got sentenced to 20 years in an Indonisian prison for smuggling 9 pounds of marijuana into the country. As draconian as that sounds, apparently the death by firing squad was on the table as well. The Australian government has come to her aid, giving money to her defense, are helping her with her appeal, as well as trying to get her transferred to an Australian prison. The whole thing reminds me a little of the so-so movie Brokedown Palace. By comparison, Southeast Asia's war on drugs makes America's look like a nasty skirmish.

Twenty years in prison for smuggling a plant that, when smoked, makes people giggle, sleepy or hungry, at worst. It's stupifying.