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The drugs don't cross through the border through the bridges. They usually use small home made submarines, they go by plane, and they also like to do it underground (Literally). Drug Smugglers rarely use the bridges to cross. And closing off the border would be next to impossible thanks in large part to NAFTA.
A lot of drugs come over right through the border ports. All it takes are some corrupt customs officials working the ports - they have caught some of them. But also people get the swipe laser visas that let them swipe their card like in a parking lot and rarely are their cars inspected.
Drugs are commonly found in children's backpacks, babies diapers, women's bras, inside appliances from NAFTA factories, in car tires, gas tanks. They check very few vehicles.
I know small planes constantly fly over from Mexico filled with drugs, and big trucks cross easily through the desert where nothing at all stops even the biggest shipments.
The border doesn't have to be completely closed but right now it's controlled by the very violent cartels - the control over the border should be taken away from them.
I absolutely can not understand the logic of legalizing drugs as an answer to resolving the drug trafficing problem. To me, thats like making bank robbery legal to solve poverty. I feel the same with the gun issue. You can't take guns away from everyone, leaving only those that would do harm with the means of defending themselves.
I think you understand that the reason guns are legal (besides an interpretation of the Constitution) is that if guns were illegal, only criminals would have guns.
Making bank robbery legal would not solve poverty, as poverty is not caused by a lack of money, that is a symtom, not the cause, but that is a discussion for another thread.
Here is the logic of drug legalization: Making drugs illegal drives up the price of drugs (due to the risks and bribes that are paid). High priced drugs pay for the cartels to buy weapons and cause corruption in the police and political sector. Since drugs are illegal, if you have a dispute with another distributor, you can not go to the courts to resolve your differences. The only resolution is by mutual agreement, or by violence. The cycle of violence has escalated because the President of Mexico is fulfilling his promise to crack down on the drug cartels, but the crackdown is actually fueling the violence, as the cartels ramp up to match whatever is thrown against them. Even when a major player is killed by government forces or another cartel gang, it just causes more violence as the remaining players jockey for position in this multibillion dollar industry. The only solution that makes any sense is to legalize the drugs. This will take the quick and easy money big profits out of the picture, and will allow the rule of law to govern interactions between the cartels, quelling the violence. As the police and the military back down on their violence, the towns will return to normal.
Unfortunately the US government is continuing to pledge funds (no money for domestic needs but somehow we have money to fight a failed drug strategy in other countries) to continue and even escalate the violence. As a result more innocent Mexicans will die. And we wonder why we are not liked in much of the world.
"To whatever extent our nightmarish death rate in Juarez is truly related to the drug trade, there are only two reasonable solutions that come to mind. One would be for the American consumers to boycott the product. But, since that isn't going to happen, an option would be to legalize the drug trade, and let the US and Mexican government officials work out how they want to tax and regulate the business."
It's going to be interesting to see if California passes full marijuana legalization. I'm certainly not optimistic about Mexico's problems fading away of mj gets legalized though. If the Mexicans' major drug for illegal export(marijuana) is no longer illegal:
1. US marijuana consumers won't be needing Mexican mj any longer; the US will simply grow all mj for itself in the USA. There will be no need to "tax and regulate" the mj business in Mexico, because there won't be a mj business in Mexico any longer, except for sales to Mexicans.
2. Legalization may lead narcotraffickers to try making money by doing more kidnappings and extortion than they already do now, within Mexico.
3. Looking at it this way, drug trafficking may have always been serving as a 'safety valve' for poverty and violence in Mexico, a source of income that Mexicans could resort to, when there was nothing else available.
Excuse me if I'm mistaken but i believe that the legalization of marijuana, if passed will only take effect in California, under strict supervision and regulations. Due the high quantity of shops that were spreading throughout the Southland's communities, was when the government took notice,
took action and had most if not all shops closed until further notice. These shops only served customers with chronic pain and/or illnesses accompanied by a doctor's prescription.
My ethical side of viewing situations won't allow me to admit that maybe legalizing drugs between both countries would mitigate a long lived problem, and that perhaps this will reduce the violence significantly, if not worsen it. The drug lords would probably go on shooting rampages against its new rivals: The Government.
I think you understand that the reason guns are legal (besides an interpretation of the Constitution) is that if guns were illegal, only criminals would have guns.
Making bank robbery legal would not solve poverty, as poverty is not caused by a lack of money, that is a symtom, not the cause, but that is a discussion for another thread.
Here is the logic of drug legalization: Making drugs illegal drives up the price of drugs (due to the risks and bribes that are paid). High priced drugs pay for the cartels to buy weapons and cause corruption in the police and political sector. Since drugs are illegal, if you have a dispute with another distributor, you can not go to the courts to resolve your differences. The only resolution is by mutual agreement, or by violence. The cycle of violence has escalated because the President of Mexico is fulfilling his promise to crack down on the drug cartels, but the crackdown is actually fueling the violence, as the cartels ramp up to match whatever is thrown against them. Even when a major player is killed by government forces or another cartel gang, it just causes more violence as the remaining players jockey for position in this multibillion dollar industry. The only solution that makes any sense is to legalize the drugs. This will take the quick and easy money big profits out of the picture, and will allow the rule of law to govern interactions between the cartels, quelling the violence. As the police and the military back down on their violence, the towns will return to normal.
Unfortunately the US government is continuing to pledge funds (no money for domestic needs but somehow we have money to fight a failed drug strategy in other countries) to continue and even escalate the violence. As a result more innocent Mexicans will die. And we wonder why we are not liked in much of the world.
Excellent argument for the legalization of drugs!
Here's a link to an article in Rolling Stone mag about a California ballot initiative that has a good shot (they say) at passage. This would be a good first step for the US and perhaps other states might follow suit. Any overt changes (if this happens) will come slowly but at least *something* is out there on the horizon -- along with other on-going movements to legalize marijuana. The multi-millions headed from the US to Mexico, I think, is lost money and will do little to stem the drug violence.
Excellent argument for the legalization of drugs!
Here's a link to an article in Rolling Stone mag about a California ballot initiative that has a good shot (they say) at passage. This would be a good first step for the US and perhaps other states might follow suit. Any overt changes (if this happens) will come slowly but at least *something* is out there on the horizon -- along with other on-going movements to legalize marijuana. The multi-millions headed from the US to Mexico, I think, is lost money and will do little to stem the drug violence.
Lousy argument because it presumes the cartels are only involved with drugs and will become good neighbors that play nice if drugs are legalized. In fact, the cartels have been expanding into other businesses for years and drugs are just a part of their overall activities. Human and other smuggling is also controlled by cartels along the same routes so they will still be fighting for turf control. Then there's prostitution and sex slavery, should we legalize that? What about kidnapping for ransom and extortion of businesses for "protection money"? I've seen reports that the cartels earn $10 billion per year in pirated DVDs and other counterfeit goods, their fastest growing industry. Anyone really think all those movies and albums and software they see in the mercado are authentic?
You could eliminate drugs from the face of the earth and these cartels would still exist and they would still be violent.
Lousy argument because it presumes the cartels are only involved with drugs and will become good neighbors that play nice if drugs are legalized. In fact, the cartels have been expanding into other businesses for years and drugs are just a part of their overall activities. Human and other smuggling is also controlled by cartels along the same routes so they will still be fighting for turf control. Then there's prostitution and sex slavery, should we legalize that? What about kidnapping for ransom and extortion of businesses for "protection money"? I've seen reports that the cartels earn $10 billion per year in pirated DVDs and other counterfeit goods, their fastest growing industry. Anyone really think all those movies and albums and software they see in the mercado are authentic?
You could eliminate drugs from the face of the earth and these cartels would still exist and they would still be violent.
No, I'm not assuming that the cartels are only involved in drugs. Any good businessman would diversify his holdings. However, estimates place their income from drugs at least at 60%, so there is still time to significantly curtail their activities by legalizing marijuana.
Yes, prostitution should be legalized. Today, women who are involved in prostitution face beatings and exploitation daily by their customers, their handlers, and the police. Legalization would impose regulation, safety for the women, basic medical care, among other benefits. Prohibition offers the women in prostitution nothing but incarceration, pain, and an early death, but I guess you're ok with that.
I don't know how you figure you can predict what would happen if we tried something different than what we are doing today. I do know that a continuation of the current policies and an escalation of the violence will only result in more innocent Mexican citizens dying.
And you think the cartels are just going to give up 60% of their revenues without looking for ways to replace it? They are going to replace that income and they aren't going to do it by opening taco stands on street corners.
Legalized prostitution has not resulted in the wonderful picture you paint. Nevada, where prostitution is legal in licensed brothels, has one of the highest levels of illegal prostitution in the country, is listed by the FBI as one of 14 cities with high rates of child prostitution, and one of the 17 most likely destinations for human trafficking.
If you think US policies towards drugs are the cause behind all the violence, then explain how US anti-drug policies have been in place for 30 years and overall US consumption of drugs has actually fallen over the last 20 years, yet we didn't have this level of violence decades ago.
And you think the cartels are just going to give up 60% of their revenues without looking for ways to replace it? They are going to replace that income and they aren't going to do it by opening taco stands on street corners.
Legalized prostitution has not resulted in the wonderful picture you paint. Nevada, where prostitution is legal in licensed brothels, has one of the highest levels of illegal prostitution in the country, is listed by the FBI as one of 14 cities with high rates of child prostitution, and one of the 17 most likely destinations for human trafficking.
If you think US policies towards drugs are the cause behind all the violence, then explain how US anti-drug policies have been in place for 30 years and overall US consumption of drugs has actually fallen over the last 20 years, yet we didn't have this level of violence decades ago.
Yes - and like in Juarez, many people are killed who aren't running drugs over the border at all. Many are killed in "taller" shops - and used car lots. There's a big business in stolen vehicles and chop shops provide car parts. The cartels control that business so even though cars are perfectly legal on both sides of the border, there's still big money in stolen cars and car parts. So - the criminals jump in and since their greed is so incredible, they kill their competition and they kill the owners of the cars they want to steal. They simply are evil and extremely greedy people.
In fact in Juarez, even though cars are perfectly legal, much violence is the result of carjackings and that kind of violence is quite random.
They killed a reknown and respected musician, a classical guitarrist - an older man just because they wanted his car. He had absolutely nothing to do with drugs or drug trafficking, he simply had a car they wanted.
I hate Narco murderers. They will be wiped out. They will do it to themselves, and have been for quite some time now. Their good ol' days are over.
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