Because drugs are illegal, they're insanely profitable. Rival drug cartels
murder one another over turf, customers and competition. During US alcohol
prohibition of the 1920s, rival bootlegger gangs routinely gunned down one
another for the same reasons as modern drug cartels do. Once prohibition ended
in 1933, most of the violence stopped.

If marijuana were legally available at the liquor store, marijuana growers and
sellers would become legitimate business people. Marijuana cartels would have to
move on - they wouldn't be able to thrive in a competitive marketplace.

Most agree, with the exception of drug warriors whose livelihoods depend on its
illegal status, that marijuana is far less harmful to society and individuals
alike than alcohol.

If harder drugs, like cocaine and heroin, were legally available in regulated doses, in
a supervised setting, HIV transmission and deaths from overdose would almost certainly plummet. Hard drug users
could also be offered counseling and detox programs, instead of filling prisons to
overflowing with them.

When hard drug users no longer have to steal in order to pay exorbitant street prices for drugs, society is better off. With legitimate companies providing drugs in a regulated, supervised setting, the drug cartels will have to find another line of work.

Taking the profitability factor out of illegal drug trafficking is the only truly effective way to end drug gang violence.

Rdrobe puts it perfectly. Just take a look at the not-too-distant history of Columbia. Drug lords such as Pablo Escobar had so much money, they could buy anything and anyone. Columbia and the US spent huge sums to track and kill him. The result was someone else comes in to fill the void. The drug 'war' has been a huge, expensive flop. Legalize it, remove the profitablility for the narco-lords, tax it, use the police for more important tasks where they can actually make a difference.

We should have a joint task force with Mexico that is assigned to taking down the Cartels directly. Freeze them out financially with cooperation from international banks and declare a full military war against their operations. The demonstration and execution of both financial and physical force should discourage future cartels from getting too big and greedy with their operations. There is no way to end the war the way its being fought. It needs to be challenged with real commitment and authority, even if that means casualties.

a war against drugs will be no more successful than a war against the wind. as long as there is profit on any side of any river there will always be someone wanting a piece of it.

a joint task force is a joint waste of money.

the last endevore such as this resulted in training the zetas, the enforcement arm of the gulf cartel. our new plan, the meridia initative (i hope this is rethought) will result in a new arm of the sinaola cartel (a personal opinion) (i could have guessed the wrong cartel, but the results will remain the same.)

legalizing is not the answer either. leagal means profit, as long as profit is in the equation, refer to a war against the wind.

not legal, not illegal altho not a politicaly correct classification that i know of would be the best solution.

the us government (the worlds largest consumer of drugs) could purchase the material direct from the farmers that cultivate it, at farm prices

the drug cartels have been eliminated with step one. without one shot fired. no profit, no drug cartel.

clinics could deliver safe doses to any drug addict that needed the drug. free of charge.

sounds expensive maybe, but far less expensive than our current methods of housing drug addicts in prison. over half,, way over half, of our prisons could be closed.

no profit for drug dealers means there would be none. i dont see that it takes a rocket scientist to figure that one out.

the fact that our government,,, and the government of mexico, in seeming to fail to recognize this, leads me to believe both are into the drug trade up to their noses.

there would still be drug addicts,,, for a number of years, until they all died off. once a drug addict always a drug addict, and i have never met one who wanted to be a drug addict.

not only would the profits dissapear, being free, (the only solution) would also eliminate the need for 90% or more of other crimes in the us such as robbery and burglary as the main purpose for committing these crimes is for the purpose of purchasing drugs, which are way more than way overpriced due to our current war against (the wind).

i somehow feel our polititians who are making a good profit on their current course will never admit the obvious.

And if I may add, work with Mexican grass roots economic cooperatives to create real economic opportunities there so people will not be tempted to earn a quick buck by siding with drug dealers. To this end, all three North American nations (Canada, Mexico, US) have to join forces, but it must first and foremost begin at the grass roots level, people to people, NGO type of cross national cooperation.

Are you concerned about the drug war in Mexico?

I am only concerned as it indicates how the demand from the U.S. for these substances is impacting another country's citizens. Once again, misguided policy on the part of the U.S. government has had incredibly negative repercussions for others (as well as our citizenry).

Do you fear this might spill over into the United States?

Please take more care in constructing your questions. Please avoid the use of loaded terms such as "fear." I do not "fear" that this (by which I assume you mean the concommitant violence associated with this so-called "war"), because it is already here in the U.S. We are a violent society -- merely look at our entertainment, football, hockey -- make believe "war," not to mention full-contact or extreme fighting. Interesting how such a moralistic and holier-than-thou society is diverted from church on Sundays by the Barcalounger and a "cold one."

What should Washington do about it?

Once again, a laughable conceit that I will attempt to address.
Washington cannot "do" anything. It is paralyzed by special interests, some overt, and some only discernible because of their imputed existence, much like a "political dark matter." It is quite likely that the Europeans and Canadians are correct when they claim that the large American tobacco interests have taken to money laundering for the illegal cartels. After all, that money is going somewhere, now isn't it? I's be curious to examine the books of the large multi-nationals carefully - wonder if their might be some irregularities.

Actually, I am most concerned about the state of the fourth estate - the press. This piece was a joke. Please try and deal with the true underlying issues, not picayune superficialities.

Good luck and let's try a little harder next time, please?

Yes I am and NO we should not even consider making illegal drugs legal, that is plain stupid! We should put more of our military resources along the border to curve this problem since our law enforcement both federal, state and local are not getting the job done! Or put more money to the local law enforcement agencies to hire more dedicated patrol officers and to pay the one's already doing their job better so we can avoid corruption like Mexico's Law Enforcement Agencies face. We have our corrupted officers as well in both high and low places.

President Calderon and the law enforcement officials at state and federal levels in Mexico should have the full support of the people of the United States. Drug cartels are responsible not only for drug importation and smuggling into the United States but also human trafficking, weapons smuggling and money laundering. The newly elected Calderon and his adminstration is not only attacking the cartels, they are also supportive of more progressive ideas in Mexico such as the right to a trial with witness, forensic evidence and an ability to prove your innocence. If the United States supports Calderon and his efforts there is the distinct possiblity that we could curb illegal immigration by creating a society based on a rule of law, rather than a rule of terror. Foreign companies would then be willing to invest in Mexico, creating jobs and economic vitality for the region.

I am very concerned with the drug problem in Mexico. I definitely think that Washington should help the Mexican government fight this endless battle. Cartels are taking over the borders and controlling any possible sites in Mexico that can help them spread and sell their drugs.

The United States is the neighbor of Mexico and one way the US can help the neighbor is by providing aid to defeat the cartel leaders. Mexico has proven that it's willing to get rid of the drug problem, Vicente Fox and Felipe Calderon, have worked hard to show this to the world and to mobilize their weanpory. It is time for a good neighbor to step up and help end this drug war before it gets worst.

Sirs-Drug wars will continue untill we stop calling drugs illegal. This is just another form of prohibition, and we know how well that worked. After all prohibition created alcohol profits plus the Mafia in the U.S.Now we have cartels and profits to maintain them.Untill people grow enough brains to realise that you can't legislate moral behavior, this will continue."Those who don't learn history are condemmed to repeat it-George Whatzisface.

it already is spilling over....plain and simple prohibition doesn't work,never has never will....washington should make all efforts to get mexico to join the US as a state therefore ending all imigration problems....there wouldn't be a need for them to come here because they would already be in the US down there earning what they would make here....and a border between costa rica and here would be a much smaller area to cover....lol

Sure, as other people have said this issues transcends borders. The higher production of drugs, and the consequences of such production in Mexico is basically determined by its proximity to the US. The best way of dealing with this would be to legalize drug use, charge taxes and get rid of illegal trafficking. I don't think that is going to happen in the short run, so I think that the US & Mexico should collaborate as equal partners on both suppressing the demand (by programs and education) and the supply.

Kill all of them

If the united states stops drug consuption in the USA, distribution and all the ilegal money laundering.
Most of the problem in Mexico drug war will disaper . Is a fact That DEA or US army should take stronger actions to stop the drug problem that USA face.

The drug war in mexico, spilling over to American soil is the perfect catalyst to shore up the border. It is just a matter of time before we take our border issue seriously. Regrettably, and oddly, it is a strange comfort to know, that eventually, the border issue will dealt with, I only wish it didnt take such pains to be addressed.

i would like to see some of our military involved

I'm very concern about the drug war in Mexico because it affects everybody that are connected to Mexico in someway or another.
My respect to president Calderon for declaring the war to drug cartels knowing that it won't be easy because the problem has evolved in so many ways.
I feel for my relatives that are still living there and see police activity almost on a daily basis and I can't imagine the stress that creates to everybody.
I hope that our God will protect all individuals (including the president) that wake up everyday investigation and finding ways to eliminate the drug cartels.

Yes, and it should go to the USA, then maybe the USA would accept the responsability for this problem and do some house cleaning, in there own country. And they should understand that there own socity is at fault, not Mexico or Guatemala or some other country, Just the USA. If you allow your people to use drugs, then make them legal, if not, make the laws in your country so that no one will use them! The USA loves the DEATH penilty then use it on DEALERS and USERS. And within 100 exicutions, you will have no drug problem!

Drugs are one thing and Alcahol is another. I'm glad to see that Mexico's government has involved the Army. They needed to repond to these cartels with the same recourse. The so called drug Zahr never worked. Drug trafficing has gone too far. Too many people have died, the guilty and innocent. Human life lost. I hope that Mexico use the Army and conduct operations to crush all these groups involved. I'm sure corruption is involved but I feel that this President and his staff has take an important and crucial step to restoring the country and give it a fighting chance to better it's self. The Mexican people deserve oportunity. These drug thugs just infect the population and bring down society. I'm glad to see that effort is being set forth.

yes