DEMAND ASSURES SUPPLY

Oakville, Ont. -- Before sending hundreds of millions of dollars in
military aid to Colombia, perhaps Bill Clinton should study some basic
economics (Colombia Not New Vietnam: Clinton -- Aug. 31). Namely, whenever
you have a strong demand for a product -- as the United States does for
illegal narcotics -- someone will be more than happy to supply that
product. The harder you try to stop them, the more lucrative the supply
business becomes, and so on.

Even if the Americans succeed in harming the Colombian drug trade, no doubt
slaughtering thousands of innocent civilians in the process, so what?
Production will simply move to another equally desperate and impoverished
nation.

If Mr. Clinton is indeed so gravely concerned about drugs, perhaps he
should work on reducing the demand that exists for them within the borders
of his own country instead of bringing failed American policies to another.

Christopher Price