GOALS UNREALISTIC

Bush has just announced the goals: A 25 percent cut in the use of illegal
drugs in five years, and a 10 percent reduction within two years. White
House drug czar John Walters says, "We have to undermine the cynicism that
people are always going to use drugs at roughly the same amount that
they're using now. That's not true."

If Walters can do this, we will be happy to eat our cynical words. However,
we expect that this administration will have as much success as previous
ones have had: In effect, none.

The administration's plan calls for more law enforcement. That will work
until drug criminals maneuver around it.

Experience is a hard master, and experience says the Drug War is a flop.
(Police and attorney generals like to display the huge caches of drugs and
money they seize. If they were winning the Drug War, they would seize fewer
caches and less money.)

Bush also said, "This strategy represents the first step in the return of
the fight against drugs to the center of our national agenda."

Nonsense. The war on terrorism is at the center of the national agenda. The
Bush administration has had a good beginning with that. With the Drug War,
we will be content with cynicism until we see the promises fulfilled.