U.S. to blame for much of Mexico violence: Clinton (Mexicans, illegal)

[tigerlily]

Finally, we have a President and SOS that accept responsibility for U.S. failures. Hillary Clinton said today that we are to blame for much of the violence involving Mexican drug cartels. Clinton said our country's excessive demand for illegal drugs and our inability to prevent illegal weapons from being smuggled into Mexico have fueled the war. Since 1966, Mexico spent more than $6.4 billion on the drug war and sent 45,000 troops and federal police to trouble spots around the country. President Calderon said that those efforts are useless since 90% of the drug crimes are committed with guns smuggled from the U.S. George Bush pledged to send drug-fighting equipment but so far Mexico has not received.

U.S. to blame for much of Mexico violence: Clinton | Reuters
U.S. to blame for much of Mexico violence: Clinton

[DaninTN]

I watched the ABC special with Eric Holder, with his claims of automatic weapons and hand grenades being purchased at US gun shows then smuggled across the Mexican border.

First point is that automatic weapons and hand grenades are not sold at US gun shows, on occasion you will find someone with a legally registered automatic weapon for sale at a gun show, however an individual or a dealer for that matter cannot take immediate possession of the weapon. An extensive background check is required for an individual to acquire a registered machine gun, the transfer is now taking 3-9 months, dealers can get through a little quicker if they hold the proper license after going through very extensive background checks.

Second point is that you have to cross through US Customs check points as well as Mexican Customs check points, the Mexican Customs officials now how to search vehicles as well.

Third point is that most of the items they drag out for the press come from somewhere south of Mexico, in places where RPG's, grenades, heavy machine guns, light machine guns and such have been in use for years. It is not impossible for a weapon to end up south of the US border, it just isn't as likely as some of our talking heads would like us to believe.

[01Snake]

Originally Posted by tigerlily

Since 1966, Mexico spent more than $6.4 billion on the drug war

I'd love to see the figure WE have spent dealing with illegal immigrants from Mexico. From trying to keep them out, deporting the few we catch and then obviously the biggie, how much we spend on the millions "living" here.

$6.4B sounds like pocket change.

[coastalrap]

I don't understand it, guns are illegal in Mexico, there shouldn't be anyone using them.

[Oerdin]

What Clinton said is that the US is partially to blame for the drug trade because if Americans didn't buy drugs then there wouldn't be cartels trying to traffic drugs. That statement is factually correct and we do need to do more to reduce consumption right here in the US.

[NCyank]

Hmmm, maybe Mexico should build a fence...???

[texdav]

It more of a sign on the long corruption problem in mexico. These epople didn't just spring up over note ;they have been in place fo decades;juts that they did waht they wanted with alot of corporation from governamnt officals. Then they got inot a war between cartels and the governmet has to act. Our respoonsiblity is the users and goveranmrnt that had failed to stop in teh inflow by limiting security on the border. clinton and her husband were a big part of that fai;lureThis is what thwe two agents faced when confronting the drug dealer at the border inwhich they were sentence. if governamnt could distinguish the good guys from the bad guy that is a problem. He then made fools out fot ewh government by bring in drugs while protect by our government.What clinton needed to say was we have too many addicted to drugs and I have been a fool and pastly to blame.

[allydriver]

But I would suggest that far more Americans have been killed by illegal Mexicans on our soil than smuggled American guns have killed Mexicans on theirs.
For some strange reason that imbalance doesn't seem to register the same indignation or hand wringing from the left.

[nrfitchett4]

So now it is our fault their corrupt gov't can't keep their drug cartels at bay??? I've never seen fully auto's at the gun shows I've been to, or grenades for that matter. Maybe mexico should go after south america where are the guns really come from?
But of course that is not as much fun as blaming the evil USA.

[KRAMERCAT]

Originally Posted by Oerdin

What Clinton said is that the US is partially to blame for the drug trade because if Americans didn't buy drugs then there wouldn't be cartels trying to traffic drugs. That statement is factually correct and we do need to do more to reduce consumption right here in the US.

Maybe if we have ads that show people with their heads cut off, and massacred families, and caption it with a title like 'your use of illegal drugs is causing this', then maybe our doped up youth might find a conscience.
I don't think the 'your mind is like a fried egg' was very effective.
While I don't want the jails filled with drug users, that only wastes tax dollars and breeds worse criminals, I would like an effective policy of educating the youth to personal and societal dangers and ramifications of drug use.