If true, this is but another reason why the choice of the next president is truly important. I doubt that either major candidate, or any of the alternative candidates, would be able to change our drug laws. And although it is Congress and not the Pres that determines where our troops are sent, there are always circumstances that allow the President to get us involved where we shouldn't ought to be - or where we should ought to be by act of Congress only.

I think that how we got sucked into Viet Nam is one lesson that we should never forget. As I understand it, in the beginning we were just trying living up to committments made in our name by past Presidents and treaties. The Iran/Contra situation was also the result of policy machinations of the executive branch. How the new President views foreign policy, and how successful he is in controlling the various government agencies that deal with foreign governments and with American interests in foreign countries, could determine whether we find our country on that same old slippery slope.