Grist: Why Mexico is such a mess

[marmar]

Why Mexico is such a mess
by Tom Philpott

10 Jan 2011 2:45 PM


As someone who has lived in Mexico and who still visits the country regularly, news reports like this break my heart:

Drug-related violence over the weekend claimed 51 lives across Mexico, including 15 decapitations in the beach resort of Acapulco, authorities reported.

Such stories have become the norm -- and the dominant lens through which we estadounidenses view our neighbors to the south. Bombarded with news of grisly murders, U.S. citizens now tend to dismiss Mexico as a narco-state and think of it only to gawk at the spectacular violence (and as the inspiration for certain fast-food dishes).

There is, of course, an element of exaggeration in the coverage. The drug violence is unspeakable, but limited to a few -- admittedly expanding -- geographical areas. For instance, Mexico City, for all of its reputation for high crime rates, remains mostly free of the gangland-style violence gripping, say, Acapulco. But no one can deny the power of the drug cartels, or the harm they're inflicting on the country.

So how, precisely, did the drug trade become such a prominent player in Mexican society? That question does not get asked enough. I'd argue that the drug trade has grown roughly in proportion to the long, slow decline in the legitimate Mexican economy. .............(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.grist.org/article/food-2011-01-10-why-mexico-is-such-a-mess

[Peace Patriot]

1. The drug trade has grown roughly in proportion to the U.S. "war on drugs."

Think about THAT.

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"I'd argue that the drug trade has grown roughly in proportion to the long, slow decline in the legitimate Mexican economy."

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You have a point. But I would argue that the militarization of society, and the repression of drugs, makes everything far, FAR worse. Look at Colombia!

The corrupt, murderous, failed U.S. "war on drugs" greatly INCREASES the vIolence and NEVER solves any problem, including the drug trade.

STOP TREATING THE DRUG PROBLEM AS A WAR!

Legalize drugs. Put the BILLIONS and BILLIONS of dollars wasted on this "war" to better use. That is the solution.

If you make war on people most of whom are just trying to make a living, and who cannot make a living any other way, you are not only igniting the situation, you are creating the conditions for massive war PROFITEERING and worse--in Colombia, for instance, the fascists USING our $7 BILLION in U.S. military aid to slaughter trade unionists, human rights workers, teachers, community activists, journalists, peasant farmers and others, and to displace five MILLION peasant farmers with state terror. The protected cartels win. The drugs keep moving. The ground is prepped, with the blood of peasants, for U.S. "free trade for the rich."

And something quite similar is now being done to Mexico. The carnage will expand to anyone the fascists and militarists want to get rid of. The bloodier its gets, the MORE militarism and repression will be employed. The people will not only lose a peaceful and civil society, they will lose their civil rights and their democracy. Society itself will suffer a lockdown. And in those conditions, the corporate sharks can move freely, grabbing up land and resources, looting public services, privatizing everything, and committing every kind of theft and all sorts of other crimes with impunity.

It is just SICKENING what the U.S. "war on drugs" is doing to Mexico. It is being turned into Colombia!

END THE WAR!