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Mexican people fight the cartels; government fights the people
Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 4:33 pm
by Pointedstick
It seems that the Mexican people are starting to get fed up with their government's incompetence in the face of the drug cartels and are taking up arms to defend their homes. Their government is reacting in an altogether predictable way: by going after them instead of the cartels.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/17/world/ame ... ?hpt=hp_c2
"We want them to go rescue the towns where the people are still being massacred by organized crime," said Estanislao Beltran, a spokesman for the self-defense groups. "When there is peace and security in our state, we will give up our weapons."
Residents, meanwhile, told CNNMexico they're caught in the middle of spiraling violence that shows no sign of slowing. And some observers say it's not clear the government crackdown is working.
"Federal authorities, instead of imposing order, instead of rescuing the cities, they are more like referees," Jose Antonio Ortega, president of the Citizens Council for Public Safety and Criminal Justice, told CNNMexico this week. "They are watching the civil war in Michoacan."
Re: Mexican people fight the cartels; government fights the people
Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:26 pm
by RuralEngineer
When there is that level of violence and savagery there can be no bystanders. The only solution is for every citizen to take up arms and purge the cartels. If the government tries to stop them, purge them too.
Re: Mexican people fight the cartels; government fights the people
Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:28 pm
by Libertarian666
No, the only solution is for the government to legalize drugs. Then the cartels will be put out of business by competition from honest businessmen.
Prohibition doesn't work.
Re: Mexican people fight the cartels; government fights the people
Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 5:46 pm
by Kshartle
Libertarian666 wrote:
No, the only solution is for the government to legalize drugs. Then the cartels will be put out of business by competition from honest businessmen.
Prohibition doesn't work.
Do I even need to +1 this?
How can this even be debated anymore?
Re: Mexican people fight the cartels; government fights the people
Posted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:24 pm
by Tortoise
Kshartle wrote:
Libertarian666 wrote:
No, the only solution is for the government to legalize drugs. Then the cartels will be put out of business by competition from honest businessmen.
Prohibition doesn't work.
Do I even need to +1 this?
How can this even be debated anymore?
+1000
This is a direct result of the U.S. and Mexican governments' failed prohibition policy.
Re: Mexican people fight the cartels; government fights the people
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 2:57 am
by RuralEngineer
Libertarian666 wrote:
No, the only solution is for the government to legalize drugs. Then the cartels will be put out of business by competition from honest businessmen.
Prohibition doesn't work.
That will help in the long term, but the cartels will just diversify their criminal activity. Legalization will not wipe out the cartels or bring an end to the violence by itself.
Re: Mexican people fight the cartels; government fights the people
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 7:14 am
by dualstow
To some degree the cartels have infiltrated the government, haven't they? That must be the biggest obstacle.
Legalization of drugs must be the only exit. I'm sure the cartels would not give up without a (literal) fight, but I would think the legalization of drugs would ruin them financially. What business would they migrate to? More kidnappings? Not enough to sustain their business (and no demand from the outside world ;-)) Arms? Human trafficking? I think they'd have to take what money they have and form legiitimate businesses, after which the violence will end.
Re: Mexican people fight the cartels; government fights the people
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 9:02 am
by clacy
Agreed about prohibition. It's never worked in the past. It never will work in the future. But human emotion typically takes over and thinks that the government can is the answer to big challenges.