Drug Cartels - Any solution possible?

[Baasha]

A buddy of mine told me about a stop involving a woman for a basic traffic violation that turned out to be a 'mule' for the insane drug cartels out of Mexico.

She was apparently carrying 300+ lbs. of cocaine in her van that had secret compartments with coke and of course, K9 smelled that shiet from a mile away.

Long story short she was crying uncontrollably during the stop. Not because she got pulled over (well, actually), but because apparently some drug cartel was holding her entire family hostage in Mexico and forcing her to transport this trash in the US.

That got me thinking about why we are half a world away in Iraq and Afghanistan when there are terrorists in Mexico who do things that make the Taliban seem like schoolyard bullies. These cartels are so brutal and barbaric that it would seem like it's only a matter of time before it spills over the border. Why isn't there much (if any) focus on this major problem? Shouldn't the US focus its military muscle into defeating the cartels once and for all? Given the fact that so many of Mexico's police force is bought off by the cartels, only an 'outside' force can effectively and permanently wipe them out.

Do you guys think that the US should use military force to help Mexico crush these cartels? Do you think making drugs "legal" would stop the insanity and brutality of these cartels targeting innocent people, men and women alike?

I've seen a couple of episodes of "Gangland" where they showed something about this cartel called "Los Zetas". I saw about 10 minutes of it until they showed something about them torturing and killing people for wanton reasons. It was too much for me to stomach.

I feel for the Mexicans. They must be living in constant fear in some of these places where these barbarians are running amok.

 

[2timer]

A buddy of mine told me about a stop involving a woman for a basic traffic violation that turned out to be a 'mule' for the insane drug cartels out of Mexico.

She was apparently carrying 300+ lbs. of cocaine in her van that had secret compartments with coke and of course, K9 smelled that shiet from a mile away.

Long story short she was crying uncontrollably during the stop. Not because she got pulled over (well, actually), but because apparently some drug cartel was holding her entire family hostage in Mexico and forcing her to transport this trash in the US.

Yeah, and if you believe that story, here's some more news for you. This guy's family was held hostage for a PlayStation 3: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFlv8yUQx1Q

Never trust anyone involved in the drug trade. They are liars and addicts and they will say or do literally anything to get the heat off them. I'm *sure* that a Mexican cartel would put 300 lbs of coke in a completely innocent woman's van and then just sit back and hope everything goes well. Are you kidding me?

The issue in Mexico isn't the drugs or the brutality. Brutality is a part of their culture, it dates back to the Mayan empire. The issue is the complete corruption of local law enforcement that means no drug laws are enforced and criminals can operate with impunity right under the noses of government: http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/23/world/americas/mexico-violence-blogger. That's why whenever Mexico really wants to crack down on a cartel, they send in the federal army. Local government is totally incompetent.

It's all just effed up because of the poverty and illiteracy there, that's the reason why drug cartels can thrive in rural, poor parts of Mexico like the Taliban cancer can thrive in Afghanistan. If Mexico had money they could actually pay their government officials enough so they couldn't be bought off by the drug cartels and then you would see what is needed there, which is justice for criminals.

 

[Farang]

It's a pretty predictable outcome when guns are freely available and drugs are outlawed.

 

[Dari]

Why should the US get involved in Mexico militarily? The demand is coming from the US itself. We are the root of the problem, the war in Mexico is just one of the symptoms.

 

[2timer]

It's a pretty predictable outcome when guns are freely available and drugs are outlawed.

Funny thing is, it's very difficult to own a gun legally in Mexico. So guns are "freely available" to criminals, but not law-abiding citizens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpIyaIHsJbc

Skip to 23:56

 

[Juror No. 8]

That got me thinking about why we are half a world away in Iraq and Afghanistan when there are terrorists in Mexico who do things that make the Taliban seem like schoolyard bullies. These cartels are so brutal and barbaric that it would seem like it's only a matter of time before it spills over the border. Why isn't there much (if any) focus on this major problem? Shouldn't the US focus its military muscle into defeating the cartels once and for all? Given the fact that so many of Mexico's police force is bought off by the cartels, only an 'outside' force can effectively and permanently wipe them out.

The main problem is you're operating under the delusion that the U.S. government is somehow opposed to the illicit drug trade. This is a common myth, but it's still just a myth.

The reality is, the U.S. government LOVES and DEPENDS ON the illicit drug trade and wouldn't dream of doing anything to stop it. The war on (some) drugs is really just a giant racket, like all wars are. It's a scam that serves multiple purposes. First of all, it provides the excuse to militarize domestic police forces and create a full spectrum police state. Secondly, it provides the excuse to incrementally flush the Constitution down the toilet by conditioning the people to accept checkpoints, searches, no-knock paramilitary raids, and other fascist police state tactics. Thirdly, it's a giant corporate subsidy for the prison-industrial complex and other drug war vultures. Some of the biggest lobbyists against the legalization of marijuana, for instance, are police unions and private prison corporations. This is big business for them. We're talking many billions of dollars here. Hell, why do you think the CIA was knee-deep with the Contras in U.S. and Central American coke smuggling throughout the 80s?

As usual, it comes down to two things:

1. Control
2. Profit

The financial aspect is key, as the illicit global drug trade is what funds our CIA's off-the-books, "black budget" operations (funding terrorist groups, assassinations, psyops, and other destabilzation efforts around the world).

There's a lot more to it, but that's a decent start. The truth really is stranger than fiction sometimes.

 

[Farang]

Funny thing is, it's very difficult to own a gun legally in Mexico. So guns are "freely available" to criminals, but not law-abiding citizens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpIyaIHsJbc

Skip to 23:56

If the insinuation is that gun laws lead to this problem, I'd disagree without wanting to open a can of worms. But the proximity to the U.S. gun supply combined with useless law enforcement is a unique combination.

Practically speaking guns are freely available in Mexico. Legally and freely may not always be the same thing

 

[gevorg]

That got me thinking about why we are half a world away in Iraq and Afghanistan when there are terrorists in Mexico who do things that make the Taliban seem like schoolyard bullies. These cartels are so brutal and barbaric that it would seem like it's only a matter of time before it spills over the border. Why isn't there much (if any) focus on this major problem? Shouldn't the US focus its military muscle into defeating the cartels once and for all?

Exhibit 1

 

[nextJin]

I don't think we should goto war with the cartels, but I foreign entanglements and securing our borders just makes sense.

 

[Genx87]

Yes - legalize and regulate the distribution of drugs. You just cut the cartels source of income. Without income they have no way of keeping the private armies they use to terrorize people.

 

[Dari]

Yes - legalize and regulate the distribution of drugs. You just cut the cartels source of income. Without income they have no way of keeping the private armies they use to terrorize people.

Until recently, there was an implicit understanding between the regional governments and the cartels wrt the drug trade. Legalize it and they will also go legit. They're flexible like that.

 

[fskimospy]

Legalizing drugs would obliterate the cartels, at least in the form we know them. This is the answer.

The war on drugs continues to be one of the most foolhardy expeditions the US has ever embarked on, and that's a distinction with a lot of competition.

 

[SaurusX]

Legalize marijuana here and let the cartels devour themselves as demand for product from south of the border plummets.

 

[sze5003]

Legalizing one drug still leaves the others. It will be a while before all states legalize marijuana.

 

[airdata]

Yeah... End the drug war. Stop giving them incentive to commit the crimes they commit.

My favorite topic to bring up is Meth. Goto the pharmacy and you're likely going to see a posting of the pharma legislature where they have to make it hard for people to obtain cold/allergy medicine which a wily drug fiend could use to manufacture meth...

Awesome, right?

No... Because guess what? Instead of having as many hillbillies running around cooking meth, a chunk of the meth business has been given to the mexican cartels.

Pot another big one. States are starting to legalize it. If everybody legalized it, that's yet another huge chunk of cartel business.

So, If you can stop sending them assault rifles and stop demanding their supply, you squash them.

 

[Juddog]

The cartels are pumped up for the same reason the mafia got pumped up during prohibition - there is a cash cow, in the form of drugs, for them to make enormous profit. If it wasn't for the ridiculous drug policy in the US, the cartels would be small-time chumps, but we've fed them so much that they've turned into monsters.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Legalizing drugs would obliterate the cartels, at least in the form we know them. This is the answer.

The war on drugs continues to be one of the most foolhardy expeditions the US has ever embarked on, and that's a distinction with a lot of competition.

You would have to legalize production in countries like Mexico. Then the cartels would will be business partners. That is unless there are regulations they don't like then they'll do whatever it takes to maintain margins.

The best solution is for people to say "Shit this stuff is bad" and that not use it, but that's personal responsibility and that's lacking.

 

[Incorruptible]

Ending the war on drugs would be the best way to deal with these cartels. The same thing happened with prohibition, why cant people ever learn?

 

[exdeath]

Prohibition taught them nothing.

People will get what they want. Government is powerless.

 

[BoberFett]

You would have to legalize production in countries like Mexico.

Why can't it be made here?

Then the cartels would will be business partners. That is unless there are regulations they don't like then they'll do whatever it takes to maintain margins.

And we all remember the bloody shootouts we used to see between Oracle and Microsoft...

The best solution is for people to say "Shit this stuff is bad" and that not use it, but that's personal responsibility and that's lacking.

Governments job is not to legislate what people can and cannot do to themselves.

 

[Juddog]

Ending the war on drugs would be the best way to deal with these cartels. The same thing happened with prohibition, why cant people ever learn?

Because change is painful (but necessary) when you have people making money off of something that needs to be removed, combined with a half century of brainwashing.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Why can't it be made here?

Why can't you grow coffee here like that of Colombia?

 

[Nintendesert]

Why can't you grow coffee here like that of Colombia?

Wrong environmental conditions?

 

[Spungo]

The best solution is for people to say "Shit this stuff is bad" and that not use it, but that's personal responsibility and that's lacking.

That will never happen because drugs are an important part of human evolution. We've been consuming drugs longer than we've been wearing clothes. We even evolved to have the ability to consume coffee and tea. Coffee is poisonous to most other mammals. Tobacco, cocaine, marijuana, and opium go back thousands of years.

The GOP is right when they say the government promises a lot of stupid things. The government thinks it can stop drugs? Really? Can they also stop time and change the rotation of the earth? Can we turn bunnies into gold? Make humans stop having a powerful experience after consuming certain types of mushroom?

 

[Juddog]

Why can't you grow coffee here like that of Colombia?

Rich mountain soil.