Pubdate: Thursday,July 29,1999
Source: Orange County Register (CA)
Copyright: 1999 The Orange County Register
Contact:  http://www.ocregister.com/
Author: Jim Corbett

$1 BILLION MORE FOR MCCAFFREY'S DRUG WAR WILL GO UP IN SMOKE

Has anyone noticed that the War on Drugs is becoming eerily
reminiscent of the Vietnam War? General McCaffrey says another $1
billion for Colombia will help stem the avalanche of cocaine[Colombian
drug war defended,"Second Front Page,July 27].Why not? Everything else
we've done has worked so well that, 30 years after Richard Nixon
announced the "war," drugs have virtually been eradicated.Right?

There's like piling success on success.I'm sure $1 billion more will
push us over the top,and I'll bet the drug cartel's leaders are
shaking in their Guccis.

We've got to admit there is something wrong with our approach before
the enemy achieves total victory,with the last Drug Enforcement Agency
agent leaving Colombia clinging to the skids of an evacuation helicopter.

The first step is to depoliticize the issue.It makes our elected
officials feel good to vote for anti-drug money,but do they really
believe more money will solve the problem?

The press should ask every senator and representative who votes to
increase Drug War money this simple question:"Do you believe that a
billion more dollars will significantly reduce the flow of drugs
coming to the United States?" Anyone who answers yes should be
recalled as intellectually unfit for office.Anyone who answers no but
votes for the money is a wastrel and should be recalled for fiscal
irresponsibility.After those guys are removed perhaps the rest can
deal with the problem before another generation is damaged.

JIM CORBETT
San Clemente
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