It's Inevitable. Some day soon, Americans are going to recognize the U.S. government's war on drugs has been a total, unequivocal disaster. I have explained the failed prohibitionist policy before, as have WorldNetDaily columnists Joel Miller, Harry Browne and others. Like most government initiatives, the war on drugs has only exacerbated our problems - increasing crime, infringing civil rights, soaking taxpayers and just generally making a bigger mess of things. Let's hope it's sooner rather than later. [continues 707 words]
WASHINGTON -- If you believe Secretary of State Colin Powell, the blame for the Peruvian air force shootdown of a plane carrying a Baptist missionary family lies with Robert Downey Jr. and other drug users in the United States. I respectfully disagree. The blame, I'm afraid, lies with the U.S. government's fruitless, wasteful and destructive war on drugs. In congressional testimony last week, Powell pointed the finger of blame at wealthy American drug users as the cause of the cocaine scourge ravaging Colombia and other Latin American countries. It is that demand, he explained, that makes the costly war on drugs necessary. [continues 631 words]
Now that the confirmation hearings for Attorney General John Ashcroft are concluded and his appointment official, I have a question for the man. I didn't raise this question earlier, not because I didn't think it was important, but because on balance, I believed, Ashcroft was a superior choice for the job. Ashcroft is a decent man. I've met him. He's sincere, down to earth. He's not power-hungry. And, generally, seems to revere the Constitution. All that is high praise coming from me. There are very view politicians in any party who would qualify for such remarks under my rigorous standards. That's why I supported his nomination and confirmation. And that's why I believed most of the questions posed to him by opponents were sophisticated camouflage to obscure the fact that they simply didn't want someone in the job who would uphold the law. They didn't want a moral and ethical man in such an important position. They preferred someone like Janet Reno. [continues 799 words]
