In reply to Galileo's Universe:

Indeed! And there is also the dreadful consequences of the whole system of production and distribution of this drug to bear in mind. To hear of some of it can be quite horrifying.

In reply to Karl Fuler:

....and add to that what is in the way from one of the new EEC members...a new utterly devastating chemical called the 'wonder' drug...!...God help us !....
The irony is that drugs have always been around and utterly impossible to vanish, it is always up to each individual to use his/her common sense. In the 1920's it was opium when many relevant/important figures of the social, artistic and aristocratic elite of the time were regular and well known users of it, perhaps today is a lot more visible because as Sandrine put it " It is a journalistic conceit; a trope just to write something, anything pressworthy "...In this case it happens to be KM....therefore an easier and vulnerable target, but perhaps the press should dedicate a lot more time to the issue itself by being really sincere about it and make a more positive contribution by perhaps donating a whole free page on weekly basis in every newspaper to campaign against the use and abuse of such substances....because what always bothers me about the press in general...is the whole insincerity issue that surrounds the almost schizophrenic attention and religiously dedication paid to KM when it comes to such important and serious issue, when in fact a lot more so called ' important' public figures seem to be at it as well...

In reply to Sandrine:

...excellent referee ...LOL !

In reply to Galileo's Universe:

I wonder if Nick knew posting this subject on the forum would start the ongoing discussion of the expected issues.

In reply to KaWai:

For better or for worse... that's the absolute beauty in the freedom of speech !.. We can agree and disagree but in the end we will always find somehow a common ground...I hope !... and we all can still be amicable towards each other ... and never kill the exercise in ' The Art of Thinking ' because is far to valuable. And Mr Nick Night is a very inspiring and a brave human being who is making a great contribution in a time were there are so very few who care about the ' Art of Thinking ' and he is very generous in making this forum available to those who care to think......

In reply to KaWai:

erratum ; ............. 'Nick Knight ' ....( I definitely was not thinking... !!!) :):):)

In reply to KaWai:

"she is a reflection of today's UK popular culture" - exactly! trash culture! - not to say that she isn't a good model, but what role model to young women is being a model?? How many female fashion photographers are at the top? Princess Diana was an icon too wasn't she? isn't she? Great stuff! starving herself, sending her kids to boarding school so she could spend her time shopping and holidaying.
Nick Knight is a obviously quite a clever man but must blinker himself for to acheive a comfortable life.

In reply to Karl Fuler:

Culture is culture, we are right in the middle of it, it's not about moral. I don't want a so call perfect person with perfect morals to be a role model, I can turn to religion for that, which is really ideas without human forms of representation, but icons are often complexed and imperfect beings-Elvis, Monroe, James Dean, famous writers and artists, most of them lived self destruction lifestyles. I think Kate Moss is inspiration to many, for whatever reasons, that's what icons are about-loose, yet collective ideas of representation-again, we are not talking about moral, this has got nothing to do with morals. I was never confused about popular people and drugs, just because some famed person who is perceived to be cool has done drugs, didn't and doesn't mean young people would follow, I think we give young people far too little credit, I don't think young people like Kate Moss for her drug past(or present), they like her(if you read blogs and webpages dedicated to her) for her sense of independence and style. Young people are not that stupid.

In reply to Karl Fuler:

I'm just wondering what is indeed " popular culture" today ?.... how can those two words be reduced to just one name ?.....KM ?....
If you analyse the state of the Music 'business', the state of the Art 'business', the state of the 'Talent business'...I think there is no such a thing as popular culture... but a ' Business Culture ' everything is totally dominated by the Business ' Culture'...I think popular culture does not exist anymore in the context it used to be and the way you are trying to pin it down or place it.... that's is my way of looking at it....

But then were would you place ...... Amy Winehouse ?... what does she represent ?... just out of curiosity ....