Pubdate: Thu, 09 Nov 2000 Date: 11/09/2000 Source: Guardian Weekly, The (UK) Author: Mike Plylar General Barry McCaffrey remains, to the bitter end of his tenure as the United States' drug czar, a consummate bureaucrat (Hardliner quits US war on drugs, October 19). His idea of success is based entirely on the growth of his budget, staff and political profile. Gen McCaffrey and his policies have caused havoc, both here and abroad. The US has the dubious distinction of housing in its jails more of its own citizens than any other country in the world. Many of these people are non-violent drug offenders. Gen McCaffrey has involved us in a quagmire in Colombia that is guaranteed to cost us billions of taxpayers' dollars and countless innocent lives. We can now begin anew. We should appoint someone who has actually studied the world's drug policies and understands the history of drug prohibition in the US. No vested interest, no pie-in-the-sky rhetoric, no government-sponsored propaganda campaigns, no more corrupt law enforcement and government officials, and no more distorted data. Mike Plylar, Kremmling, Colorado, USA Referenced: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1577/a02.html http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v00/n1577/a01.html Bookmark: cannabis clippings http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm