The Mexican Drug War is Losing Public Support
In a report on the latest massacre of federal police in Mexico, the Los Angeles Times points out that the Mexican people seem to be losing faith in President Calderon's escalated campaign against the cartels:
"We cannot, we should not, we will not take one step backward in this matter," Calderon said Tuesday.Mexicans seem skeptical. In a new poll, more than half of respondents said they believe the government is losing the war. Only 28% said it is winning, according to the survey, published Tuesday in the daily Milenio newspaper.
That frustration is becoming a big problem for Calderon:
MEXICO CITY - President Felipe Calderon suffered a setback in midterm elections yesterday when the opposition Institutional Revolutionary Party unseated his party as the largest force in Mexico’s fractured Congress in a vote that turned on the global economic crisis and the government’s crackdown on drug traffickers. [Boston Globe]
And it's only going to get worse. Calderon's crackdown has produced the opposite of its intended effect, which is exactly what one should always expect from aggressive tactics in the war on drugs. Violence and corruption will only continue to escalate and Calderon will inevitably be fighting for re-election amidst daily episodes of horrific street violence brought about by his own policies.
Calderon's predecessor Vicente Fox is now advocating discussion about legalizing drugs and it's probably just a matter of time before that debate becomes the central question in Mexican politics.
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reddit"Calderon will inevitably be
Comment posted by Mexican legalizer on Fri, 07/17/2009 - 2:02pm"Calderon will inevitably be fighting for re-election amidst daily episodes of horrific street violence brought about by his own policies"
Mexican presidents are constitutionally banned from seeking re-election and have been so since 1917.
The main point is valid, though: the brutal war on drugs and the possible legalization of marijuana will become major political issues in Mexico over the next few years.
Do it Mexico. For your very survival.
Comment posted by Mark Godfrey on Fri, 07/17/2009 - 11:15pmNow is the time, Bush never would have allowed it and Obama, while probably fine with it, is too wrapped up in Great Depression II and health-care reform to even notice.
Do it, Mexico. You know you want to, you know you'll get 1,000,000 Americans flooding your cities with tons of cash.
Too many deaths already
Comment posted by sicntired on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 12:13amsicntired@mac.com,Vancouver,B.C.Canada And to see the Canadian government disallowing Mexicans from entering the country without a visa,and including the hapless Czechs just so they can't be accused of racism is enough to make you toss your lunch.Fox tried to introduce a bill legalising small(but larger than amounts allowed now)amounts of all drugs but was threatened with no one knows what by GWB.Mr. fox has always realised that the only answer was to end the drug war.It's terrible that the end of prohibition always seems to come at such a high price.How many more must die for the crime of feeding their families the only way available?The real criminals always escape.Ronald Reagan was the biggest trafficker in Amerika during Iran Contra and his front man,Oliver North got a TV gig.Who went to jail?A young black entrepreneur named Freeway Ricky and his associates.They foolishly thought they were protected by the CIA.Why do those three letters come up so often when drug trafficking at a global scale is discussed?
Winning Hearts and Minds
Comment posted by Giordano on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 12:52amIt’s hard to believe the Mexican drug war can get any worse, but it will.
To date, the drug war death toll in Mexico is already one-fifth that of the death toll of American soldiers killed in Viet Nam. And the killing is accelerating. It’s the same old story. Sure, we can win the war, we just need more troops and more money. With President Calderon’s commitment to continue the fight by employing the usual obsolete strategies, a few more years of drug warring should match Viet Nam’s casualties.
Calderon’s only wild card is to forge ahead with Mexico’s drug decriminalization bill. It’s the only thing that hasn’t been tried. It’s the only thing that makes any sense. A positive result won’t be immediate, but as the drug trade moves out into legitimate channels, local drug economics will begin to look more like the typical commodity minus any mayhem.
President Calderon will progress by signing the decriminalization bill. He can then gravitate toward legalization. He needs to do this before he becomes Mexico’s version of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Remember LBJ? Hey, hey, LBJ, how many boys did you kill today?
Giordano
Prohibition obviously started by illegal drug dealers
Comment posted by NorCalMedicalCannabisPeople on Sat, 07/18/2009 - 9:15pmPainfully obvious that corrupt, secret, illegal drug dealers who are politicians,judges,police,military,fossil based drug and oil corporate hacks,and the list goes on are the goons that started prohibition. They have the forced power,money,lawyers,and official denial to avoid the same punishment the common person faces. Like was stated earlier Oliver North gets a tv show on fox news while Freeway Ricky Ross gets thrown in prison. Again painfully obvious double standards.
The Mexican Plan
Comment posted by Anonymous on Mon, 07/20/2009 - 4:18amBush and friends put this plan in effect to cut back on the mexican population and it's working.
damn stoners
Comment posted by Anonymous on Sun, 07/26/2009 - 2:24amWhy is it the people that want drugs to be legal are the same ones that want to do the drugs?
Sorry, but I could careless if you people overdose. Drugs make people more complacent and rob them of anger. Maybe with a little more anger the world would be a better place.
Not stoners, Police Chiefs against the war on drugs now, 10,000
Comment posted by DrugWarLost on Sun, 08/09/2009 - 3:47pmWe lost the war on drugs. Drugs need to be REGULATED not criminalized. Regulated means addicts will be in the system, have full access to treatment and if they MUST use then at least they won't die from it. LEGAL drugs kill many more than ILLEGAL drugs (look at the statistics)
It's not a war on drugs; it's a war on ourselves...the American people! Real the research. Prison privitazation and corruption paying media, the legal system, police... They blatantly bribe politicians for mandatory minimums for what used to be termed as a "stupid teenager" experimenting...passing a joint becomes distribution and 10 years with massive profits for the prison companies (who have senator's relatives on the payroll). It's so blatant; amazing the American people haven't figured this out yet! Prohibition started a war...this is bigger than the first prohibition.
Control, tax, regulate and offer treatment! For every DOLLAR spent on treatment and prevention, we save $4-$7 (NIDA).
Where's the prohibition and war on tobacco and alcohol?
Comment posted by Anonymous on Sun, 08/09/2009 - 4:05pmNixon's declaration started the popularity of hard drugs. Statistically you were less likely to OD than to die falling down your stairs...add 2 years and a war on drugs and everything changed. It's a cheap vote ticket stupid people buy without realizing entire careers (and earning capability and taxes) are lost when they're labeled for life a "convict". We imprison 22% of all the world but we're oly 4% of the world.
The sheep listen to the propaganda without realizing it's corporate corruption and profit taking at the cost of lives, What happened to rehabilitation? Since when did punishment ever deter a crime? Statistics say the opposite; likely due to the illegal mechanisms that go along with these laws.
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Step back and take an objective look...what have we been doing to our own society and at what cost? This is a NEW problem our government created just like they created Bin Laden (opium sales) and Al Capone (alcohol sales). Wake up; can't you see this? Is everyone brainwashed that "tough on crime" really means "tough on people"? How many do you know who have drank under age? Driven drunk? Used any substance outside of a prescription or outside of the law...even ONCE? That ONE time could get your entire career ruined. Think about it and RESEARCH THE WAR AGAINST THE WAR AGAINST DRUGS and the overwhelming evidence it's counter productive.
L.E.A.P. Law enforcement against the war on drugs.
This "war" destroys lives permanently. Our country can do far better for its people!
Viva la Mexico. Go ahead
Comment posted by Lou Jellyfinger on Thu, 07/16/2009 - 11:55pmViva la Mexico. Go ahead and legalize drugs. The the cartels can set up shop in the bordertowns. Let the Whities figure out how to get it across the border from the narcostate. Switch the violence to the American side and see how the politicians like that. What if we were the ones having 6000 people killed this year like they have. Now Mexico is getting offers from the rent a G.I Joe people to come down there and really get the job done. Makes me proud to live in the land of the free and the home of the worlds bestest police force.