DRUG WAR CREATES GOVERNMENT JOBS

I'm writing about Charles Byrnes' thoughtful letter: "Why waste money
on the drug war?" (July 15). In a sense, Byrnes answered his own
question. It's because the drug war is a wasteful, counterproductive,
government jobs program.

The United States is the most incarcerated nation on the planet and in
history, thanks primarily to our counterproductive drug war. Our two
million prisoners create hundreds of thousands of relatively
high-paying government jobs.

Those with government drug war-created jobs will do anything and
everything in their power to make sure the drug war never ends. They
know that the drug war stands between them looking for a job or
working at a quickie mart.

Both drug warriors and drug dealers want the drug war to
continue.

Kirk Muse

Mesa, Ariz.