Mexico's Drug Cartels

There was a column on the Opinion Page in the local paper today by Mary Sanchez of the Kansas City Star. It was on one of my favorite topics, so naturally I had to tell her what I thought, to wit:

You've heard that old Chinese curse: "may you live in interesting times"? Well, I think somebody has cursed us because times sure are interesting.

I don't know which way things are going to go, except that I expect them to get worse, possibly much worse, before they get better.

I don't expect any substantive change because the way things are now too many people are making to much money from illegal drugs.

It is horrible to think of the thousands of people who have died in Mexico in the drug war in Mexico. However, I did hear one estimate that 90% of those killed were drug traffickers. These people presumably knew the risks they were taking by engaging in an illegal activity. Their luck ran out. Unfortunate, but they were combatants in this war. It's not like they were inoccent bystanders.

Some of those engaged in the drug business may have been forced into it by economic circumstances. Perhaps they were unable to find any kind of job, or perhaps they were lured by the prospect of easy money. Hard to tell.

The US went through a similar situation during prohibition when we tried to make alcohol illegal. I don't know if the number of people killed ever got into the thousands, but gang wars were common.

The Mexican government may get an upper hand in this drug war at some point, but it will not last. The war will continue as long the US continues it's idiotic drug prohibition policy.