Traveling Fella and others, what do you make of this? (tax, to live)

[Baja Boomer]

I read this truly negative article full of dire warnings and gloom and doom analysis, Part II of a 3-part series, and I wondered how accurate you Mexican citizens and loooong time residents think it is? Here's a little part:

As Mexico approaches the July 5th mid-term elections, the nation confronts two critical problems. An expanding an increasingly violent "war on drugs" threatens to convert Mexico into a narcostate. This will lead to the inevitable compromise of the members of all political parties. An expanding economic crisis in the wake of NAFTA and the global financial situation, threatens private companies, the Central Bank, and government programs -- as well as the income and employment of most citizens. Rising social inequality and a workforce crisis mean that many, perhaps most, Mexicans live in conditions parallel to those of sub-Saharan Africa.

You can read the rest at
A Nation on the Brink
Mexico's July 5 Legislative Elections

What do you think about this? How do Mexicans really feel about what is going on in their country?

A parallel question: Especially relevant to gringos who don't speak Spanish or mix very much with local populations, is ignorance bliss?

[el_inombrable]

Now that the PRI has a majority in Congress, I think President Calderon will stop its war on crime, since it was nothing more than a form of legitimacy, there is not a concrete result that tells us that the drug decreases in mexico, so have to focus their efforts on mexico leave the global financial crisis which is far more important.

[Travelling fella]

I agree, the war of drugs is just a waste of money and resources. Regarding the article, it shouldn't be taken seriously imho just look at this headline

perhaps most, Mexicans live in conditions parallel to those of sub-Saharan Africa.

Perhaps we should send the guy to live with a poor family in Mexico and then send him to live with a family in sub-Saharan Africa and let's see if he still believes this nonsense

[Baja Boomer]

Yeah, that quote to me aback, too. Whaaaa??? I wondered if I had been totally missing something important all these years.

I think most rational people agree that the only way to win the war on drugs is to legalize the drugs, regulate them and tax them. Remove the profit from smuggling and you remove the incentive to do it. You'd think we would have learned that lesson from Prohibition, wouldn't you? Apparently not...

Thanks for the responses.

[alxtronics]

What IF goverment do legalize drugs. All of them. Tax them and whatever. What do you think all these druglords and their people will do to obtain the kind of money they are used to? Kidnapping, protection, robbery in all it´s flavors, prostitution etc.

Then what will be the next step... legalize kidnapping? Tax bank robbery?

[Travelling fella]

Well, I believe that we should continue to fight them after drugs are legalized, it isn't that easy to get money from kidnaps as it is to get it from drugs sale, so eventually they will be out of business or in jail. yes it will be like hitting the hornet's nest with a stone, but it will happen sooner or later. Anyway