The evidence is everywhere that the war on drugs is lost, that it is costing us untold treasure and agony. Some who support it want to destroy those of us who promulgate these uncomfortable truths.

Max Frankel, until recently the executive editor of the New York Times, now sees the evidence and says that this war on drugs is as unwinnable and as internally destructive as our star-crossed war on communism in Vietnam. What a timely analogy. Twenty years after the last helicopters were ignominiously pushed off our mighty carriers in defeat and after the last of our 58,000 kids had been martyred, we are making peace with the once-hated communist rulers of that country. Robert McNamara, the defense secretary who directed the war effort, now admits that he knew in time to save tens of thousands of our brave youngsters that the war in Vietnam was unwinnable — but he simply could not bring himself to tell the truth, lest he appear to be disloyal.

I dare to dream thatperhaps a coterie of loyal "McNamaras" in the drug war hierarchy will step forward and start telling the truth before more serious damage is done to our people.

If they need a reason, these modern-day McNamaras should harken to Gerald Solomon, the powerful chairman of the House Rules Committee, who has called for the removal of tax-exempt status for organizations such as the Cato Institute and DPF. Their crime: discussing the legalization of drugs.

While I view the assault as an honor for our organization, akin to being on Nixon's enemies list, the honor of the American government needs to be saved now, before it is sacrificed to a witch hunt merely to protect the worst domestic policy since the Japanese internment.