It takes a lot to surprise us these days, but this news articles about the Air Force providing combat pilots with speed certainly did.

"Not only is the Air Force making the amphetamines widely available to combat pilots, it also has informed them they could be considered unfit to fly certain missions if they don't voluntarily take the amphetamines."

It's not that we object to the pilots taking speed. It's the unbelievable hypocrisy of the goverment which on the one hand puts people in jail for taking amphetamines without a legitimate medical prescription, and now it appears, with the other hand, dispenses the pills for no reason other than to increase alertness and stamina--which is not a recognized medical use for the drug.

Terminally ill cancer patients can't smoke pot to relieve unbearable pain, but pilots can (must?) take an upper to do their job? Give us a break.

Does the Air Force give the pilots Xanax after the mission to calm down?