Pubdate: Mon, 05 May 2008 Source: East Valley Tribune (AZ) Copyright: 2008 East Valley Tribune. Contact: http://www.eastvalleytribune.com Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2708 Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v08/n400/a06.html Author: Kirk Muse WE'RE SUCKERS FOR WAR ON DRUGS I'm writing about Bill Richardson's outstanding column: "What about all the other drugs? (Opinion 2, April 18). The so-called war on drugs is a huge industry and huge bureaucracy. Victory in the drug war is not possible, nor is it the goal. Victory in the drug war would mean that the drug war industry and bureaucracy are out of business. There are basically two types of people who support the so-called war on drugs: * Those who make their livelihood from it. This includes politicians and bureaucrats who are probably on the payroll of the drug cartels. Al Capone had hundreds of politicians and prohibition officials on his payroll. * And suckers -- taxpayers who have bought into the lies and propaganda of the drug-war industry and bureaucracy. Suckers -- who are willing to deny liberty and freedom to others but think that their own liberty and freedom will never be in jeopardy. Suckers -- who believe that criminalizing a substance will make it go away. Suckers -- who think that drug prohibition somehow protects children. Suckers -- who think that giving criminals control of dangerous drugs somehow protects children and our society. Suckers -- who think that they live in a free country even though the United States is the most incarcerated nation in the history of human civilization. KIRK MUSE MESA - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom