Pubdate: Fri, 26 Apr 2002 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) Copyright: 2002 Lexington Herald-Leader Contact: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240 Author: Howard E. Marlin NO DIFFERENCE On a recent television interview, Condolezza Rice, President Bush's national security advisor, gave voice to her biased thoughts about primitive Afghanistan agriculture. Rice believes it would be a more wonderful world if the farmers in that ravaged country would abandon their one meaningful cash crop (opium poppies) and grow some fruit and vegetables for sale in the local marketplace. Supposedly, it would be much better for the struggling farmers and destitute shoppers if Afghanistan adopted the Rice Farm Initiative. Does the Bush adviser have like thoughts about the cash crop (tobacco) of Kentucky? Afghan opium gives a foolish consumer outlandish hallucinations, but in a non-lethal fashion. Tobacco furnishes the consumer temporary relief from nicotine addiction but with dire consequences. Relief is very often finalized with death. Is the growing of opium poppies, which may result in the transitory bewilderment of too many people, worse than the harvesting of tobacco and the making of cigarettes that eventually results in the early, painful deaths of people by the millions around the world? Is it wrong for the humble farmers of Afghanistan to grovel out an existence by providing momentary pleasure to countless downtrodden, but acceptable for American corporations (Big Tobacco), with Washington connivance, to fatten their bottom lines, while selling death around the world? Howard E. Marlin Lexington - --- MAP posted-by: Beth