1. Only a minority of drug users (~20%) have an addiction problem. It is unconscionable to force the rest into treatment.

2. No evidence exists that government-coerced treatment works. Studies that have shown positive effects of treatment involve voluntary populations.

3. Prop. 36 is a full-employment bill for addiction counselors. The professional success of these counselors should be a function of consumer satisfaction, not of government mandate.

4. Most individuals who have overcome drug problems have succeeded on their own, without the help of treatment.

5. It is wrong to finance drug treatment by taxing people who would otherwise have used this money to help their own families, rather than for this lower priority in their personal budget.

6. The history of alcohol prohibition in the U.S. demonstrates that drug-related crime results from drug prohibition, not from the lack of forced treatment.

_________________________________________________

Mainland China is extremely important to Americans for a multitude of reasons. With over a billion citizens, it could, with a democratic government, easily be an extremely influential political and economic power in Asia. Unfortunately, the mainland Chinese are forced to live under a regime that crushes democratic protestors, sells goods made with forced prison labor (including political prisoners), holds free speech in contempt, and does its best to control the flow of capital.

That is why Congress' recent vote to give China permanent normal trade relation status (PNTR), a condition enjoyed by most countries in the world, is good news for both Americans and the Chinese. PNTR basically means that Congress will no longer hold its annual debate over whether or not to impose special tariffs on Chinese products entering the US.

As a candidate for the 8th Congressional seat currently occupied by Nancy Pelosi, one of my jobs is to try to convince people of the benefits free trade with China brings. Ms. Pelosi has positioned herself as a China expert and broke with her Democratic colleagues by voting against PNTR, arguing chiefly that she would have liked to see more US government commissions set up to monitor Chinese progress in human rights. But this position ignores some important facts.

Restricting trade with China harms the poor in our country more than the rich. If tariffs add $2 to the average cost of a shirt in our country, poor people will be paying a higher percentage of their income than rich people in paying for that tariff. The same is true for a multitude of consumer products that the US imports from China.

We should also consider the plight of Chinese workers. Communist Party dictators don't make the products we import (see China, p. 2)

from China; individuals who have taken a private sector job in order to create a better life for their families make them. Oftentimes, these workers have moved from an inland town to one of the major coastal cities and have made great sacrifices in order to work. These people already face an oppressive and unrepresentative government, and I find it to be both immoral and arrogant to think that our policy makers should deny them the fruits of their labor.

The US isolationist approach routinely fails to open up countries to economic and political reform. The list of countries being isolated is not a happy one: Cuba is still ruled by Castro; North Korea has starvation problems, evidenced by reports of cannibalism, while building missiles and extracting favors from Clinton; and Iraq has too many problems to list. Countries the US has traded more freely with seem to fare much better: Brazil, Argentina, Chile, the Philippines and many other nations were once ruled by dictators but are now undergoing social and market liberalization.

Mainland China's modern history reveals that every time the US has demanded that China change its internal policies, China refuses to comply. In most cases, our demands appear as an external threat and serve to galvanize the many factions working in the Chinese government.

There are some products in China that are produced by slave labor or by political prisoners, and most of us would feel comfortable banning these products from the US market. By trading in these goods we would encourage the limitation of freedoms and reward government oppressors.

China is currently undergoing many significant changes. The biggest hindrance to peace and prosperity in China is the Chinese government. The country will grow and prosper when its citizens are able to benefit from their own hard work and initiative. Punishing them for their government's crimes undermines this goal; we should show the individual Chinese citizens that we are eager to be partners in their success.

We should also promote this issue in our community and use it as a "welcome mat" view for introducing others to the Libertarian philosophy. This issue not only demonstrates the damaging effects of government intervention, it can also appeal to a broad range of interests, including political and economic freedom.

David Molony

chair@lpsf.org

(415) 516-3151

Kelly Russell Simpson

KellySimpson@pacbell.net

(415) 487-9325

Vince Grubbs

vwg@sirius.com

(415) 682-9482

Mike Acree

macree@psg.ucsf.edu

(415) 668-5794

Jerry Cullen

gtcullen@slip.net

(415) 567-9642

Mike Denny

mfd@MichaelDenny.net

(415) 750-9340

Starchild

dreamer@ziplink.net

(415) 626-3036

Jerry Pico

picoman@mindspring.com

(415) 885-5350

Chris Maden

crism@shore.net

(415) 504-8677

Opinions expressed in unsigned columns of the Golden Gate Libertarian do not necessarily represent those of anyone but the Editor.

Submissions are encouraged. The deadline (including agenda and calendar items) is the first Thursday of the month. Text should be sent to Mike Acree at <macree@psg.ucsf.edu>. Photos and artwork should be mailed to Mike Acree, 859 45th Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94121-3223. Please let us know if you want your item returned.