Yet another drug war letter to the Times

In regard to Desperate Guatemalans Embrace An Iron Fist in the Times today, I wonder if anyone in our Government ever acknowledges the culpability of the US in these horrible drug wars--specifically the insatiable demand for drugs in the US--and thinks about why that could be and tries to figure out how our society could be improved so people don't have to drug themselves into oblivion. Rather than warring on drugs, let's war on the root causes. Maybe we're not sure what those are, but surely making it a fairer, kinder society would help. Our Congress, our executive branch, everything conspires to be a model of greed and unfairness. People lead hard lives, untempered by decency from their elected leaders, who seem to confine themselves to egocentric posturing. I guess drugs are the only surcease for a lot of people.