If it weren’t for the other horrible stuff being done by Krasnov’s folks, this one wouldn’t be worth making a big deal about.
In other circumstances, most people would agree that the rules/regs requiring this language in federal contracts is redundant with laws.
Given how large and complex the law and regulation books are…getting rid of archaic, no-longer-needed items isn’t unreasonable.
It is no longer needed. Having the regulation there does nothing, getting rid of it does absolutely nothing either in terms of reduced regulation, cost savings, etc. Like Samantha said, it’s performative. It’s pure signaling.
Trump plans to label fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction
I see that they are trying to equate WMD (Fentanyl) = National Security Emergency (So they can keep doing unilateral tariffs and immigration moves)
It would be a hilarious episode of South Park if the entire thing was not so completely batshit insane.
Why on Earth is that change needed? I’ve got a good idea who pushed it, but I don’t understand why Trump et al would go along with it.
That’s going to make things pretty uncomfortable in hospitals…
We won’t need hospitals anymore once we get rid of poisonous vaccines and start eating more veggies
It would also give the US the grounds to invade Canada and Mexico to attack labs…had wondered what pretext Trump would use to invade Canada when his economic warfare failed.
This is where I immediately went as well. There’s precedent for invading based on fake WMDs after all.
Yeah, and that worked out so well last time.
This.
The definition in the relevant law is:
(2)
The terms “weapons of mass destruction” and “WMD” mean chemical, biological, and nuclear weapons, and chemical, biological, and nuclear materials used in the manufacture of such weapons.
Certainly, fentanyl is a “biological” substance. Is it a “weapon” when it is smuggled into the country and sold to willing buyers?
No. Biological/Chemical weapons (like say Sarin) are designed to kill humans and cause mass casualties in a short period of time.
Fentanyl is simply a potent opioid. It cannot be delivered at scale because it doesn’t travel via aerosols. It is only really dangerous if you bust into a house with it (say police) and you get some on you (skin or inhale). Then because its so potent it can kill you.
Their EO is effectively batshit (but of course they now have to go to a judge to rule that its not and this takes time)
This is also a stalling tactic. Legal cases are catching up to them so they are throwing another wrench into the works.
Trump doesn’t care about definitions. He will do what he wants until he is stopped. Could be a lot of damage by then.
Even this is mostly bullshit.
Fentanyl is very dangerous because it is being mixed into so many street drugs in unknown quantities causing people to OD. The passing through the skin and inhalation stuff is pretty much cop propaganda.
You’re right. It cannot be casually absorbed via the skin.
I was confused between the patches (which do carry some risk) and casual exposure.
Canada is partnering with Australia on its Arctic security infrastructure. Australia is now viewed as a more trustworthy partner than the US. The start of a $6 billion project and the US will lose a lot of other future military projects from its former allies.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/canada-early-warning-detection-arctic-1.7486640
Yep. Basically zero topical risk in standard formulations.
The inhalation exposure risk is also minimal. There’s some minimal inhalation exposure, but you’d need to be breathing in large quantities to have an effect. The stories of a cop walking into a room or opening a car trunk and overdosing are not reality.
A doctor talking about it
It’s a weird phenomenon: the cops say this stuff is everywhere and people are taking it all the time (true), but simultaneously if you touch or breathe a molecule of it you’ll OD (silly).
I don’t know what rationale there is for fentanyl=WMD, but the opioid epidemic is real and has probably killed more people than most other WMDs.
If you’ve read Vance’s book, you know he’s got personal experience with the opioid epidemic.
That said, it’s an unusual way to characterize a WMD, certainly.