Despite tough anti-drug laws, a new survey shows the U.S. has the highest level of illegal drug use in the world. (AP)
Josh: I was reading Alipac today. They said Chertoff is planning on sending troops onto the Mexican Borders to seal off the borders if the Drug Cartel violence gets any worse.
Dee: Alipac has a bunch of looneys. First off, Chertoff didn't say that at all. He just instructed the 22 federal agencies that fall under Homeland Security to develop border-violence response PLANs because the drug war in Mexico appears to be escalating, not ending.
Josh: But they said we need to completely seal off the border.
Dee: They don't understand what is happening on the border. What you have to understand is, this is not about Immigration. It's about Drugs and Money. It's about supply and demand! Reports indicate the U.S. leads the world in illegal drug use. Our citizens demand drugs. The cartels are like the gangs of New York and they are fighting each other to be the leading provider. Without the DEMAND, there would be NO Supply, NO Gangs, NO Cartels.
Josh: So this is like the Godfather. The U.S. has a great deal of culpability because without the Demand, there would be no Supply.
Dee: Exactly. Its a very curious thing. There are countries that have no laws against drug use, yet their Drug Use pales in comparison to U.S. drug use.
Josh: So Mexico and countries like Columbia and China are falling all over themselves to be the suppliers of US Drugs and these drug cartels are in an all-out war to gain control of certain border towns.
Dee: Yes! There are a number of drug cartels that are in an all-out war with each other to gain control of certain border towns, particularly Laredo. Laredo is a gateway city, not only into Mexico but into the United States as well. The cartels use Interstate 35 to transport illegal narcotics. They set up bases of operation not only on the Mexican side but on the U.S. side.
Josh: So our citizens are the recipients, the drug lords, the distributors of the drugs within our country.
Dee: Yes!
Josh: And this is primarily happening in US Border towns, especially Laredo and El Paso in Texas, and not in inner Mexico.
Dee: That's right.
Josh: So we in the U.S. are just as much to blame or moreso for our drug problems because we demand so much drugs. And the people in Mexico want to stop this just as much or more than we in the U.S.?
Dee: Yes, especially since so many innocent people on their side are getting caught in the crossfire. In fact, Mexico's ambassador to the U.S. made a pitch in April, 2008 for the U.S. Congress to support a program of cross-border cooperation against drug trafficking between the United States and Mexico. The United States wants Mexico to stem the flow of drugs north, Mexico wants the U.S. to stop the return flow of weapons and the cash proceeds of the drug trade, estimated at $10 billion annually. So far, no agreement.
Josh: Without a plan, the flow is not going to stop.
Dee: Yes. And in the meantime the violence on both sides of the border towns escalates. On the Mexico side, the deaths are rising to the thousands! Poor innocent residents of these towns are the innocent victims. President Calderon has intiated some initiatives, but without stopping the receipt and use of drugs in the U.S, Mexico is powerles and the violence againt the innocents continues. We have to stop the receipt of drugs on our side. Mexico has to stop it on their side. There is corruptness and greed on both sides. We have not seen near the impact on our the US side, but the violence on the border towns is escalating.
Josh: So what do you think the solutions is?
Dee: I don't know all the answers,but one thing that has to happen is, our President should address these issues openly and communicate to all Americans our culpability. President Obama is meeting with President Calderon on January 12. Perhaps they will develop a joint plan. From my perspective, we need to ask each and every American to partner in our war on drugs. Stop the Demand and we stop the Supply. We stop the cartels in their tracks. We make a safer America, a safer Mexico and a safer world.
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5 comments:
It seems a little unlikely that most Americans do not already understand our culpability in all this. They understand that without buyers the trade would dry up. Pretty simple when you think about it.
One of the roadblocks is Mexico's law against capital punishment. They could take a page out of Singapore's playbook and start summarily executing drug lords, an eye for an eye as it were.
It's like a lot of other crimes that require various degrees of harshness to find a solution. Singapore is essentially drug free.
Ulty,
In the meantime we have to do something about the Drug Wars in the Border Towns. So many innocent people are dying. What about the drug lords on our side, the recipients? Shouldnt they be captured and the drug money used to stop the Border murders?
I agree, drug lords wherever they are found should be severely punished and all their mis-begotten gains confiscated for the fight against drugs. Chemicals for the production of methampetamine should be tightly controlled. So many children's lives are being destroyed by this easy to make drug.
Az,
What a weird analogy and nothing like this one. There is no scapegoating of innocents here.
The reality is the US is number 1 in drug use. We do have drug czars, drug cartels who order the amount of drugs into our country from the international groups who can get it here at the lowest prices.
I knew that the drug issue was a supply and demand issue but I always thought it could be controlled by knocking the cartels out but it is true that as long as the demand is there the supply will always be there. If a cartel is knocked out, another will form as long as the the US needs the supply.
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