Pubdate: Sun, 05 May 2002 Source: Tampa Tribune (FL) Copyright: 2002, The Tribune Co. Contact: http://www.tampatrib.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/446 Author: Myron Von Hollingsworth DRUG SUMMIT Regarding ``Drug Summit Sensitive Topic For Bush'' (Metro, May 1): He cries as much for his dilemma as he does his daughter. Truth be told, the drug-warrior police, politicians, officials, media and civilians (secretly) don't list victory as an objective in their expensive and oppressive trillion-dollar war. When they do spout their ``zero tolerance/ total victory'' rhetoric, how many of your readers actually believe them? How many actually believe that this year's multibillion-dollar drug war budget will be the one that will achieve total victory after decades of billion-dollar budgets have totally failed? Just remember that the drug czars' and warriors' jobs depend on the perpetual prosecution of, but never a victory in, the drug war. Also, remember that the politicians depend on the drug war and its rhetoric to scare up votes - by scaring voters. The politicians also rely on the drug war to sustain their constituent industries and institutions that depend on the economics of prohibition in order to make generous profits and campaign contributions that keep the drug warrior politicians in power and, therefore, keep themselves in business. MYRON VON HOLLINGSWORTH Ft Worth, TX - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFlorida)