8:31 pm By la Macha · Latin America| mexico
3 Aug 2009Regular followers of VL know that the drug wars in Mexico have been a problem for a while. Violence has increased tremendously in the past few years–according the to the following article, over 10,000 people have lost their lives in Mexico due to drug related violence since December of 2006.
A new crop of arrests just happened in Mexico–34 men were apprehended while at a family gathering in a church.
Mexican federal police say they arrested 34 men suspected of belonging to a ruthless drug cartel blamed for a rash of violence that left at least 18 federal agents and two soldiers dead since July 11.
Officials said the suspects belong to La Familia Michoacana drug gang, which drew national attention when it was accused of torturing and killing 12 off-duty federal agents three weeks ago. The bodies of the 11 men and one woman were found dumped on a road.
Some of the 34 suspects were arrested at a family celebration Sunday at a church in the city of Apatzingan in Michoacan state, said the federal secretariat for public safety. Another was arrested in the city of Lazaro Cardenas, also in Michoacan.
Two of the men were put on display for the media Monday in Mexico City.
Call me silly, but I don’t think that capturing 34 drug lords will end the drug trade in Mexico. I come from a city with a HUGE drug problem, and if the police captured 34 people–or 340 people–the problems wouldn’t end. Which brings me to the observation that many of the tools used by the Mexican police to capture these drugs lords were supplied by the U.S. government (i.e. Black Hawk helicopters, etc).
And this just makes me think: it is the U.S. that is creating the *demand* for these drugs that drug lords are selling. And at the *same* time, it is the U.S. that is supplying weapons and money to capture, kill, and imprison the same drug lords.
Something doesn’t add up here. If it were the U.S. that was selling drugs to Mexico–would drugs still be illegal? That is, if it were the U.S. that was making huge amounts of money off of the drug addiction of Mexicans, would the U.S. still be supplying weapons and money to Mexico?
In other words, how much of U.S. dominance over Mexico specifically and Latin America in general, is dependent upon the drug trade never becoming legalized specifically so that Mexico/Latin America never becomes an economic force to be reckoned with?
How much money would Mexico and Latin America stand to gain if the trade of “illegal” drugs became legal?
And how much of the subsequent violence in Mexico (and U.S. cities I might add), would be eliminated because underground trafficking was brought into the light?
Something to think about, no?
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5 Responses to “War on Drugs” continues in Mexico
Bill Harris
August 5th, 2009 at 6:42 am
Debaters debate the two wars as if Nixon’s civil war on Woodstock Nation didn’t yet run amok. One need not travel to China to find indigenous cultures lacking human rights or to Cuba for political prisoners. America leads the world in percentile behind bars, thanks to ongoing persecution of hippies, radicals, and non-whites under banner of the war on drugs. If we are all about spreading liberty abroad, then why mix the message at home? Peace on the home front would enhance credibility.
The drug czar’s Rx for prison fodder costs dearly, as lives are flushed down expensive tubes. My shaman’s second opinion is that psychoactive plants are God’s gift. In God’s eyes, it’s all good (Gen.1:12). The administration claims it wants to reduce demand for cartel product, but extraditing Canadian seed vendor Marc Emery increases demand. Mr. Emery enables American farmers to steal cartel customers with better product at lower price.
The constitutionality of the CSA (Controlled Substances Act of 1970) is derived from an interstate commerce clause. This clause is invoked to authorize funding organized crime, endangering homeland security, and throwing good money after bad. Official policy is to eradicate, not tax, the number-one cash crop in the land. America rejected prohibition, but it’s back. Apparently, SWAT teams don’t need no stinking amendment.
Nixon promised the Schafer Commission would support the criminalization of his enemies, but it didn’t. No matter, the witch-hunt was on. No amendments can assure due process under an anti-science law without due process itself. Psychology hailed the breakthrough potential of LSD, until the CSA halted all research. Marijuana has no medical use, period.
The RFRA (Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993) allows Native American Church members to eat peyote, which functions like LSD. A specific church membership should not be prerequisite for Americans to obtain their birthright freedom of religion. Denial of entheogen sacrament to any American, for mediation of communion with his or her maker, precludes the free exercise of religious liberty.
Freedom of speech presupposes freedom of thought. The Constitution doesn’t enumerate any governmental power to embargo diverse states of mind. How and when did government usurp this power to coerce conformity? The Puritans came here to escape coerced conformity. Legislators who would limit cognitive liberty lack jurisdiction.
Common-law must hold that adults own their bodies. Socrates said to know your self. Lawmakers should not presume to thwart the intelligent design that molecular keys unlock spiritual doors. Persons who appreciate their own free choice of path in life should tolerate seekers’ self-exploration. The founding fathers undersigned that Americans’ right to the pursuit of happiness is inalienable.
Simple majorities in each house could put repeal of the CSA on the president’s desk. The books have ample law on them without the CSA. The usual caveats remain in effect. You are liable for damages when you screw up. Strong medicine requires prescription. Employees can be fired for poor job performance. No harm, no foul; and no excuse, either. Replace the war on drugs with a frugal, constitutional, science-based drugs policy.
CHUCK
August 8th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
The American government is as corrupt as is Mexicos’. So can we end the DRUG WAR and stop the ‘need’…I don’t think so. Legilze the drugs…sounds good for stopping the slautgher but in reality, Americans in general don’t wan that. What can we do ? Well, it appears clear to me….they need to clean up their country or America will look at it like another Iraq issue and take matters into their own hands….now that will make Iraq look like kids play for the Mexican people are very proud and really don’t like the Americans for many reasons…some are justified. Better start some HEAVY DIALOGUE soon or it’s coming !! May GOD BLESS US ALL !
The U.S. Supports Mexico’s War on Drugs | VivirLatino
August 10th, 2009 at 8:26 pm
[...] remember how Mexico caught a whole bunch of drug traffickers a few weeks back? And how they were paraded in front of national Mexican television, and how it was the U.S. that [...]
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