Mexican Drug Cartels Threaten American National Security
If we're not careful we could face a narco-state on our southern border
The policy responses are limited. Many believe that a fence across hundreds of miles of the Mexican-U.S. border would help in two ways: It might control the flood of assault weapons that flow into Mexico from American gun shops and scandalously unregulated gun shows, and it might be a means of cutting down on the vast amounts of drugs that come into America from Mexico. We should also help President Calderón to implement his reforms of the criminal justice system because without it, Calderón's military surge against the cartels will have fleeting effects.
Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, most recently the governor of Arizona, put it perfectly when she said that supporting the Mexican government's battle against the drug cartels demands the "utmost attention" of U.S. security officials. The cartels have grown so powerful, and their penetration into society is so deep, that unless they are confronted, the next president of our southern neighbor could be a narco-trafficker.
Reader Comments
Its All About The "Benjamins!"
Its been estimated that the the Black Market economy(profits from all illegal activities) is about the same has the legal, taxed economy! Is it any wonder that cartels and such have the inncentive to protect and expand their economy, much like any other business. All the money and laws in the world won't put much of a dent in their efforts to maintain their business, eventually pragmatism will have to rule and we will at least have to consider some legalization of at least some drugs taking the profit out of their business, putting taxes into our businesses (its been estimated that the tax revenues from legal drugs would cause our taxes to fall to 0%!) Everyone should take a visit to Amsterdam or some other places where drugs are legalized and see what could be! The Dutch seem to be handling their moral dilimma's quite well along with their low crime rate, high standard of living for all, low stress levels and low tax rates which seem to make it a great place to live!
Immigrants
You know I sit and I hear how everyone bad mouths the mexicans that have sacrificed their lives to come to this country.Some do send their money back to their country,but aren't we all liable for child support as well.Most of them that ship money there is because they have kids that they want to have an education.How can we dare be racist against Mexicans,Brazilians,and the other hispanic races here,but are not allowed to be racist against anyone that was born here.We all bleed red.They bust their asses every single day for crap pay and work 70+hrs a week for a check that they will never see the taxes from.They have children here,weather you want them to or not.So,you would rather have several hundred of children being raised with no father and when they ask where their father is tell them the truth,that he isn't allowed here because he is brown ? Really.Noone complains when your produce was cheaper,or your yard was cut for $5 or all the meat this country eats.Are you willing to butcher cows for $7.50hr.I highly doubt it.You want them here for your benefits,but give them nothing,including freedom,in return.This country is falling apart due to racism and selfish rich people whol are living it up while the poor suffer and starve.Land of the free....where ?
Legalize Marijuana? Read this, then think about it before you deicide
If you think about legalizing marijuana in these terms the logic might not seem so bad. Usually people are extremists, all for it or all against it with no compromise. But maybe a little compromise is what we need for both sides to be at least somewhat satisfied.
In the prohibition period booze once legalized ended the profits of many gangsters. Now we have legalized gambling, so only drugs are left. Now let's take booze for instance; There are so many strict laws about drinking it but still legal to buy it. People for booze are satisfied that they can buy it and people against it are satisfied of the strict laws to drink it. The same can be said about Cigarettes. If you outlawed either one then you've created another vehicle for criminals to profit on.
So now the Marijuana issue. Make it legalize it to buy but put strict laws on it's use just like booze and cigarettes. That way one side is satisfied that it's legalized and the other side is happy that there are strict laws on it's use.
If both sides compromised a bit we could solve the problem, then everyone would be happy that it is taken out of the hands of the drug dealers.
Now the issue of marijuana raising the crime rate. I don't think the crime rate could be any higher with it legalized than it is now with it being illegal. But take the City of Santa Cruz, California; Marijuana is as close to being legal as you can get and you can smoke it on the street without a hassle. Not because the Police look the other way but because the law prohibits them from doing much about it (look it up). And Santa Cruz is one of the nicest Cities around with a very low crime rate. I'm not claiming that the marijuana law lowered the crime rate but the fact is that it sure didn't raise it.
One might look at the benefits of legalizing marijuana as just theory, but if you concede that making booze legal was a positive move and that yesterdays booze is today's marijuana then it might not be such a theory, as the example of the low crime rate in Santa Cruz.
In conclusion, If one side would stop rehashing (no pun intended) on how the benefits of legalizing marijuana would bring in a lot of taxes and how it is more healthy than booze etc.. And if the other side would stop insisting that everyone will become dope addicts and the crime rate will go up if it legalized resulting in the worlds end, then maybe we could arrive at an acceptable compromise. Now I'm not saying both sides don't have valid points and theories, I'm just saying that this isn't about the old pro's and con's anymore, it's about something way more important and urgent, and that's taking another vehicle (maybe the last) away from the drug lords. But only the UN-extreme will give this any thought at all. But I hope at least some will just think about it. For the record, I do not smoke marijuana but I would like to see it legalized, for obvious reasons.
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