European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 07, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 columns Jim Fain the stars and stripes thursday september 7, 1989 same old rhetoric won t win War on drugs a web by in be if words could halt drug traffic Urban America. Colombia Bolivia Peru Panama and Mexico would be a lot More peaceful. President Bush s prime time hype for a new War on drugs is simply More of the same. Presidents Nixon Ford. Carter and Reagan used much the same words and techniques. Indeed. Bush was in the silly sound bite of to politics Reagan s drug Czar. He ran our last new War on drugs abetted by Nancy s girl scout oath battalion. The most notable innovation on his watch crack cocaine. None of which is held against him. These Days we a chorale our losing generals and Send them on to higher com Mand. Sterile As they prove in the real world harsh words against drugs arc politically profitable. At limes they produce a higher Vole yield per syllabic than coming out four Square for the Flag. As a result you Don t find Many politicians taking the other Side. The democratic Congress which ordered up an anti drug program earlier this year will give the president what he asks. Yet. If the last 20 years of drug epidemic taught anything it is that trying to Cut pit Supply at the source or by inter diction does t work. The Mega billion Dollar drug Irac is a Triumph of capital ism a showcase of free Enterprise s Vic tory Over a collective society s police and even its armies a convincing example of tree Market a bar Allis. There Are millions of addicts Des Perate to buy thousands of Farmers eager to produce and legions of entrepreneur Sable to organize distribution systems that can circumvent police and not even wince at the minor losses police action inflict. Such gains As have been made against this Scourge have come through decreasing demand by educating con Sumers. Middle class usage of cocaine has dwindled As its dangers have be come More evident. Kids now arc smoking less marijuana much As Many americans have kicked cigarettes and arc drinking less booze the two drugs that exact the biggest toll in our society. But the underclass is growing As the Robert Shepard of. Non we begot an outline of this $1 billion drug Pun vie mom outline  $ 500 million $500 million Economy leaves it behind and losing Hope As government becomes less com passionate. This is where crack cocaine now often laced with heroin is epidemic. It s Why Many of our Central cities arc cesspools of crime. Rhetoric about War is totally irrelevant to this reality. Citizen mobilization within the communities is the Only out and there s not much of a base for it in the failure residue we be left them. Police actions in these zones arc commando raids from an alien society. Probably the most workable idea would be to legalize and regulate drugs taking the profits away from criminals As we finally did with alcohol after prohibition and using the proceeds for civic action and drug clinics. Politically that s impossible. Our notions of Justice insist on punishment. We probably could focus better by regulating marijuana which is far from healthy but less lethal than whisky and tobacco and concentrating on the hard stuff. In any Case it s unpardonable that even under the Bush plan we will not be Able to provide treatment on demand for addicts seeking help. Pulling out of this calamity will be a slow process nothing melodramatic like a War. Ultimately it will hinge on giving Hope to people who know Only despair. Meanwhile there s something to be said for voting against every medi Cine show politician who claims to have bottled a magic elixir Cox news set vice drug War could get bogged Down in Congress As the administration launches its new attack on illegal drugs in the United states some people worry that the Leader of the fight drug policy director William Bennett Wil be so Busy dealing with Congress he will not be Able to do his Job. That was a concern expressed repeat edly by rep. Larkin Smith r-miss., be fore his recent death in a plane crash. Ina series of Brief daily speeches to the House Smith warned that jurisdiction Over the drug problem and related issues is spread among dozens of committees of Congress. He said Bennett and others face a drug War Maze in the Halls of Congress. Smith was not alone in his concern and other members have been taking up the crusade to narrow jurisdiction Over the drug Issue. Not surprisingly most of the concern has been voiced by republicans. Democrats arc no less worried about the drug problem but they have a vested interesting the status quo in Congress. Democrats arc in the majority in both the House of representatives and Senate and As such they control All the committees. The chairmen arc All democrats and a major Ity of the members is democrats. However even Many of the minority republicans respect one of Capitol Hill s most sacred rules never give up any turf. It is unlikely that any committee will voluntarily give up the Opportunity to be involved in the drug Issue with All its potential for Media exposure. But the argument is made that the drug War needs a focused Effort and those involved need to concentrate on the War not on making reports. Rep. Matthew Rinaldo r-n.j., is one of those backing a Bill to limit the Juris diction of congressional committees Over the drug Issue. Rinaldo says Bennett will be unable to wage the Field War against drugs if he i kept Busy testifying before congressional committees. At least 23 committees and subcommittees claim primary responsibility for overseeing the drug War. But Rinaldo argues As did Smith that at Leal 80 panels could have a claim on some aspect of the drug War and therefore expect Bennett Todeal with them. If Bennett spends the next six months explaining and defending every step in the drug War to All those panels he will be chained to Capil Hill while the various Federal agencies muddle along without Clear direction Rinaldo said recently. The plan backed by Rinaldo an others in the House Calls for establish ment of a single drug committee Intlehouse and one in the Senate. The committees sole function would be to Over see Bennett s activities. Under the present system Bennett faces the Prospect of testifying before dozens of committees starting with those dealing with foreign affairs and the judiciary committees of the House and Senate. If drug smugglers arc tracked by  agencies Bennett would be expected to report to the intelligence committees and the armed services committees of both Chambers. In Addi Tion there Are select committees on narcotics on both sides of the Capitol and both appropriations committees would want to know How Federal funds arc being spent in the drug War. If drug smugglers land shipments in a National Forest the agriculture commit tees would take an interest and if traffickers commit offences involving . Currency transactions the banking committees of the House and Senate would want to hear about it. That s just scratching the surface Rinaldo has warned virtually every committee in Congress might be tempted to get in on the act and Bennett might decide he needs roller skates just to get from one committee room to the next. United or �  the opinions expressed to the column Sand cartoons on this Page represent those of the authors and Are in no Way to be considered As representing he views of the stars and stripes or the United states government