In the aftermath of the recent horrific attack on a Mexican casino, which killed around 60 people, Mexican president Filipe Calderon is blaming the U.S. for the tragedy. Mexicans murder Mexicans in Mexico – and it’s the Gringo’s fault. Reuters reports:
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – President Felipe Calderon declared three days of mourning on Friday and demanded a crackdown on drugs in the United States after armed men torched a casino in northern Mexico, killing at least 52 people…
Lashing out at corrupt officials in Mexico and “insatiable” U.S. demand for drugs for fomenting the violence, Calderon urged Congress to stamp out drug consumption and stop illegal trafficking of weapons across the border into Mexico.
“We’re neighbors, we’re allies, we’re friends, but you are also responsible,” a somber and angry Calderon said to the United States in a speech after meeting his security advisers.
We should ask, just how many more resources does Calderon expect the U.S. to pour into the black hole of the War on Some Drugs? According to the Drug War Clock, the U.S. has already spent almost $20,000,000,000 this year alone. Does this take all the costs into account? Definitely not! When I needed an effective antihistamine, I was forced to drive to Washington State to get it – because Oregon requires a prescription for those, and that would involve a lot of time and a copay. The clock certainly does not take into account the extra gasoline I had to purchase for the drive, the extra wear and tear on my car, the extra time and the pollution involved in the trip. The clock does not take into account the lost productivity of the many people who languish in prisons and jails due to drug charges. It doesn’t take into account the taxes those people would have been paying if only they were allowed to work as free people. It fails to take into account the children who must grow up without parents, the divorces, the lawsuits, the extra expenses companies must spend for drug testing, the people who suffer for want of enough pain pills, the people who die for lack of a “controlled substance”, the cash and property forfeitures that innocent citizens suffer at the hands of police – justified by suspicion alone – or the general erosion of liberties we’ve experienced as a byproduct of this war. All this is not enough for Calderon. Does he expect the U.S. government to conduct surprise raids on random houses, stop random people in the street for urine analyses, execute drug users on the spot with no trial?
But Calderon is right. It is the fault of the U.S. – because the U.S. pursues this insane war and pressures other countries, including Mexico, to do so as well. It is also Calderon’s fault for lacking the kahunas to tell the U.S. to take it’s War on Some Drugs and shove it. If he did do this, there is little doubt that the drug cartels would be after his head – but sixty people, who were just trying to make a living or have some fun, would still be alive today. If you have time, please watch this video. The historic role of the U.S., in coercing the rest of the world to join its War on Some Drugs, is laid out starting at position 22:30. Because the video is a long one, and I’m recovering from a long day at work, I’ll wait until later to finish viewing the whole thing. Hopefully some of y’all will beat me to it and give your feedback and tomorrow will bring part two of this post.



