OPIUM DREAM

A Dec. 5 article reported that poppy fields are being sprayed with a toxic
chemical in Afghanistan. Here is the democratic alternative: the fledgling
democracy could create poppy quotas.

Then, poppy buyout legislation can be modeled after the U.S. tobacco buyout
program. The warlords and governors who control production are granted a
one-time tax break if they invest in the community and halt production.
(They may even be encouraged to start a university.) The Afghan Department
of Education trains unemployed farmers. Graduates are connected to the
Internet to run help desks. The Afghan Department of Commerce starts a Rugs
are Better than Drugs campaign to develop new markets.

Richard J. Homovec

Raleigh