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Dr. William Bennett's moral crusade against the cartels in the war on drugs works no more effectively than the moral crusade against Al Capone in the days of Prohibition.

Yet the Libertarians present an equally ineffective solution. Libertarians argue taxing drugs would discourage buyers. Tell that to smokers. Libertarians argue regulating drugs discourages abuse. Tell that to DUI drivers or those who overdose on prescription medicine.

Still, we must achieve victory in the war on drugs. But how can we?

The first step is to realize a drug dealer perceives himself as a businessman, not as an agent of immorality. The failure to realize that by social conservatives guarantees their failure to achieve progress in this war.

The motivation of a drug dealer is monetary gain.

Drug dealers want money and what money buys. Drug dealers regard the concepts of morality and immorality in their operations with no more regard than a Harvard MBA. Both drug dealers and Harvard MBAs perceive their operations as business and therefore amoral.

So let us strategize victory against a drug dealer and his operations no differently than victory against a Harvard MBA and his business operations. How does one defeat a Harvard MBA's operations? Force him into bankruptcy. How does one defeat a drug dealer's operations? Force him into bankruptcy. But how do we accomplish this?

At first, Elliot Ness' solution to defeat Al Capone's operations appeared the best plan. Elliot Ness achieved victory against Al Capone after winning convictions against him for failure to pay proper taxes.

The federal tax laws of the US require income taxes paid on all legitimate profit and illegitimate profit. Al Capone failed to file proper tax payments on his illegal alcohol sale profits. Today's drug dealers likely pay income taxes on their profits as much as Al Capone did or should I say did not. Forced back tax penalties against drug dealers would deprive them of the monetary gain that is the drug dealer's motivation to make the drug sale.

This solution would not work though. Today's drug dealer's operations would shut down. Tomorrow's drug dealer's operations would continue. Albeit at a lower profit margin but profitable enough for the drug dealer to continue his operations.

A viable solution is a semi-libertarian one.

Libertarians believe there is little if any need for federal government regulatory agencies for the commercial business sector. Threats of civil lawsuits against companies for unsafe products or working

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