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The Drug Wars Continue

By possum

Lax laws in the U.S. allow Mexican drug dealers to drive across the border, buy whatever numbers and types of weapons they desire, and return to Mexico to continue the violence currently rocking the nation.

Last year, no less than 20,000 weapons were seized in drug-related actions, raids, arrests, and shoot-outs; nearly all of them were sold in the U.S.

Even the U.S. government's own Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs had to admit

U.S.-purchased or stolen firearms account for an estimated 95% of the Mexico's drug-related killings.

The admission comes in a report released only last month.

In the world scheme

the U.S. is the #1 supplier/dealer of arms, military transport, law-enforcement and detention equipment, surveillance technology, and "non-lethal" weaponry.

There's no getting around the fact that Americans have the highest illicit substance use and abuse rates in the world, and Mexican drug cartels are but the latest of our transnational network of "suppliers."

The international drug trade is truly global.  Mexico is not the only country involved.  But America remains a nation of high demand.

Internationally, the illicit drug trade is estimated to generate at least $320 billion per year.

The vast majority (maybe as much as 95% of world citizens by some estimates) do not participate in the use of illegal drugs.  The numbers who do generate enough cash to fuel violence around the globe.

America's so-called "War on Drugs" is as misdirected as every other war in the history of humankind.  The sooner we begin to reach to the roots of addiction in social and economic reform and treatment for the addicted the better for all concerned.  No manner of violent enforcement will every win this war in America or any other nation around the world.

For the sake of Mexican people, the welfare of all of our global neighbors, and yes, for ourselves, it's time to close this ill-begotten book on the war on drugs, once and for all.

Peace.

Full post as published by Never In Our Names on March 18, 2009 (boomark / email).