At what point do people realize that the violent gangs and paramiltary groups, financed by the massive profits that come as a result of prohibition, are far more damaging to society than the use of many any of the drugs themselves?

…how many more murders need to take place before politicians on both sides of the border start seriously debating better solutions that won’t result in thousands killed?

Too many

But this is the intended outcome. Gotta support the military and prison industries and keep those rightwingers in charge of neighboring countries. On plan.

im certain you are right. in Mexico its murder, in the US its the profit-prison slave labor system (and murder), on both sides of the border its an imperialist nightmare

If our politicians and PTB were not making so much money off of it, it would be legalized. They are fat and happy as things are.

I believe our banks are making fantastic profits by laundering drug money. So long as they get to keep their stash, it’s status quo all the way to the bank.

Is Mexico still talking about legalizing some or all drugs if the state regulated and taxed the trade then that would reduce the problem. If a small fine was involved no jail time that would work too but no government guarantee the drugs were safe.
Given Mexico’s drug tourism would rise if drugs were in fact in stead of defacto legal the Mexican Government should regulate the drug trade for any or all drugs they want to make legal.
Kill the drug dealers profits by taxing them. Kill their reason to shoot each other instead let them compete for customers with cheaper prices.

Any numbers or estimates?

Come on. If some of the most powerful people in the world were not a part of the drugs trade real solutions woud be found and implemented. Common sense.

As Mexico continues its collaboration with the USA’s “War on Drugs,” we can expect not only more murder and mayhem, but that Mexico’s drug output will increase. For as Peter Dale Scott has shown from the govt’s own files, the countries with which we collaborate in this counterproductive drug war always, always increase their drug output. [P.D. Scott, "American War Machine - Deep Politics, the CIA Global Drug Connection and the Road to Afghanistan." New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. See also: Scott and Marshall, "Cocaine Politics." Berkeley: University of California Press.]

For example, among all Latin American countries, we’re most heavily engaged with Columbia in our drug war, and more cocaine comes from Columbia than any other Latin American country.

When we attacked, Afghanistan was producing ~850 tonnes of opium poppy. By 2008, it was producing ~8,000 tonnes, by far the largest supplier of the world demand.

Defenders of our drug war argue it’s a complete coincidence. But it’s amazing how such ‘coincidences’ are steady and recurring phenomena, no?

Sure but this economic model makes Mexico’s government very unsteady tourism is down any bets Wallmart might pull out of Mexico soon after all Mexico can’t keep even Acapulco safe from drug killings. Junkies steal and rob places with money and if Acapulco where police with machine guns patrol the beach 20 years ago isn’t safe then Wallmart getting robbed is just a matter of time.
Wallmart leaves foreign investment in Mexico leaves. Then we would have to face the idea of a de facto Narco state on our borders. Granted Mexico is a Narco state now but America doesn’t like to think about that even Washington however won’t be able to avoid thinking about that if Wallmart has to leave.
My point the economic model long term makes things worse short term profit over long term profit is stupid. Given the violence in Mexico it might be very very short term profit.

Diary!

Book Salon up with Tom Tomorrow’s Too Much Crazy hosted by Eli

It would be a great blessing to the American people if Obama would decriminalize marijuana. Obama knows this. But he won’t do it because he is owned. Our first black president is just like our first black resident. Owned.

Time to give Arizona, Texas and Rick Perry back to Mexico…

– Balkingpoints / www

http://my.firedoglake.com/normanb/2011/01/14/okay-if-no-one-else-is-willing-ill-address-the-elephant-in-the-room/

Focusing on the drug war is only half the equation. The other is guns. You might wonder why the gun sales business is so strong in Arizona and Texas. Guess! They’re the main source of advanced (semi-automatic and more) guns going in to Mexico. A lot of money is being made supplying Mexican cartels with their weapons, and needless to say the U.S. gun businesses aren’t about to advocate any policy or law that might affect this income stream. Smuggling them across the border is not a significant problem.

Guns to Mexico, drugs to the U.S. Meanwhile, keep looking at this shiny object :: illegal immigrants! Is everybody happy?

Prohibition NEVER works…

Guns are not the problem..crazy laws like prohibition, enforced by an ever overzealous overreaching Fed Govt. are the problem

mass murder fifty people, beheadings, in Acapulco? a major tourist centre?

If it wasn’t obvious before, it is now. Mexico is a narco state.

I was there in early seventies, it was very wild and dangerous then.

Now, I wouldn’t even think about going there. I pity the people that live there.