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Narcoterrorism, Violence and the U.S. Drug Habit
Jerry Brewer | MexiData.info | March 13, 2006

PS: This one is a doozy...

It is most certainly disturbing to read with abhorrence about violence and death along our southern border with Mexico. After all, that is “their” problem and we must wall it out.

The fact however is that this narcoterrorism, and the voracious drug habits in the United States, are synonymous. The demand brings the supply to those who grow or manufacture, package, ship, warehouse, transport, sell, and buy it, which brings the violence and human destruction right to our easy chairs.

Yet addicts, casual users, proponents of the legalization of drugs, and many bystanders seem indifferent to the bloodbaths that follow the deliveries to consumers and users.

Of course most of us know that death and assorted mayhem exists on our own streets. Now worsened by the resurgence of violent street gangs in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York, visible reminders that we have a serious problem.

Mexican drug cartels have leveraged their profits to seize control of delivery routes from Colombian producers, whereas the Colombian cartels still control most of the production of cocaine. But again, the more profitable part of the trade in transporting drugs of mass destruction and distribution to the United States is now controlled by ruthless Mexican druglords.

Over US$26 billion is spent in the United States each year for a myriad of drug stimulants according to one’s preference. A staggering fact is that over US$160 billion is attributed to U.S. economic losses each year. These costs due to health care, violent crime and lost productivity, among others.

We complain about massive expenditures in defending democracy throughout the world, but so many rationalize the spending of billions of hard-earned dollars for recreational drugs. The irony is in the massive amounts of money that many in the United States want to spend to fence out the elements that supply the demand. This while sophisticated and well-armed traffickers have land, sea, air and even subterranean conveyance modes at their disposal.

What about the frequent defense of those who favor decriminalization and legalization of drug possession and use? Those who favor this agenda keep U.S. drug policy under attack. We hear about saving money from enforcement and incarceration responsibilities, as well as taxing drug sales to fund other programs. This as many simplistically believe that the savings will solve the problem of drugs and save us from ourselves.

Proponents of legalization feel that the money saved is better in our hands than in the hands of the druglords. Further, they estimate the savings would be a US$37 billion figure. And they cite alcohol and tobacco as the major problem.

The fact is we are making progress in the fight against illegal drugs, and this is not the time to abandon the efforts. This nation may need a lot of things, but what we do not need are more substance abusers and increases in addiction levels.

Moreover, increased social costs alone from legalization would devour the savings proponents’ claim.

Contrary to popular belief, decriminalized drug programs have been failures in the United States and elsewhere, often times with adverse affects on low-income communities. In 1999 alone more than 200,000 Americans entered substance abuse treatment, primarily for marijuana use and dependence.

Voters in Arizona, Ohio, and Nevada were given opportunities to legalize drugs, but all three states defeated the initiatives by a 61 percent average. In Alaska, in 1975, citizens could legally possess marijuana however later they again opted for its criminalization.

The Netherlands, Portugal, and Switzerland continue to struggle with permissive drug laws. The New York Times reported similar problems in Britain, describing communities that have been completely changed due to lax drug laws.

History shows that drug trafficking in Mexico began in response to the demand for opium in the U.S. As much as 90 percent of the cocaine sold in the United States in 2004 was smuggled through Mexico, which too is the number two supplier of heroin for the U.S. Mexico is the largest foreign source for marijuana, and the biggest producer of methamphetamine.

Safety and security on our streets, protection from transnational gangsters with arsenals of illegal arms, sophisticated weapons, homemade explosives and no compunctions against using them, these values are in jeopardy due to illegal drug use. Not just along the border but throughout the United States – because of an insatiable appetite for drugs and the profits therein reaped.

All of which will bring us much more than we bargained for unless we get a handle on things.

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Jerry Brewer, the Vice President of Criminal Justice International Associates, a global risk mitigation firm headquartered in Miami, Florida, is also a columnist with MexiData.info. He can be reached via e-mail at Cjiaincusa@aol.com

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Abomonog

You all cal eat this dude up in other areas, his historiy is mine.



Well, the clostest thing I've heard of to a "decrim" of illegal drugs was the "Hemp For Victory" program (c. 1943-1945). Last I heard it was a smashing success too (well, we ain't speaking german now.) We all know what a complete failure the Dutch program has been. It's failed so bad that they now have the lowest drug use figures in the entire free world. There must be some new use of the word "Failure" going on here. Alaska has or had legal weed (you can at least possess it in your home) with no alarming stats. California has possession reduced to near traffic ticket status (or did when I lived there). But I don't think the status of MJ would matter much there.


Chinese Immigrants brought opium here in the mid 1800's and it was actually British privateers who were the first true opium importers. The British actually fought a war in China (the Opium War) in order to force the Chinese people all over the world to keep buying the stuff. Even today, Latin America is responsible for very little opium importing. They have always been about cocaine.

As for Drug trafficking in Mexico. Well up untill the 60's it had one name. Marihuana. Thats when the coast guard started getting wise to the now 500+ year old privateering buisiness going on along the Carribian and Americas east coast.

Let someone else rip the rest apart, See ya.

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Cassius

Oh, really? I suppose we have been "making progress" since 1937, eh? Bullshit, we are no closer to winning the war on drugs than we were in 1937, or than we are to winning the war on terrorism. That's the problem when you go to war to eradicate something vague and ubiquitous.

Also, there is no evidence to suggest that decriminilization/legalization would cause more than a marginal increase in substance abuse, and it is likely that it would cause a decrease. It would cause an increase in substance USE yes, but use and abuse are completely different things. Also, legalization/decriminilization of marijuana would not increase addiction levels one bit because marijuana is less physically addictive than caffeine!

I can't believe how many people argue for the other side and don't even get their facts straight. It's like they know they don't even have to care about the facts because the people they're preaching to (prohibitionists) aren't interested in facts, only emotions (especially fear), and so facts aren't required, just emotion-laden propaganda drivel.

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Buzzby

Apparently, the author doesn't know what "narcoterrorism" is. Narcoterrorism is the use of drug money for funding acts of terrorism. The violence along the border is what happens to business competition when the commodity being traded is made illegal by prohibition.


I've been cheated! All I ever get is buds! Where's my bloodbath?


This, of course, has nothing to do with drugs. It's caused by prohibition. The government created the problem - the inevitable creation of a black market and its ensuing violence - and now they're bitching about it.


Down with recreational drugs! Up with alcohol and nicotine!


I haven't noticed that Ohio, Alaska, or California has collapsed into anarchy because of their decriminalization of marijuana. That hasn't happened in European countries where more general decriminalization has been enacted.


The vast majority of people in "substance abuse treatment" for marijuana are there because a judge offered it as an alternative to jail and/or a criminal record, not because they actually have any kind of "problem".


These countries all have lower levels of drug use/abuse than the US.


No. If they're in jeopardy it's due to black market violence which is the inevitable result of prohibition.

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dedbr

I won't even bother with this one. Has he ever heard of Rum Runners? Whiskey Jims?



Farm boys around these parts make meth by the wheel barrow load. I don't know what they'd need to haul it up here for....

We have so many of those people around here because of it, their gettin' to know each other by their first names. Dog Eaters Of America their called, or somethin' like that, I ain't sure...

Potshot warned me, so I didn't expect much, but I had to put the hip waders on after the first paragraph. This guy can write half way decent, too.

To bad he's an idjit....

I went to the website and found this little tidbit. I wonder if it has anything to do with us, sports fans?
Especially with a new government in Canada?

The Ded Zone

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Vincent.... Don Mclean


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reggie_the_dog

"Of course most of us know that death and assorted mayhem exists on our own streets. Now worsened by the resurgence of violent street gangs in major metropolitan areas such as Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and New York, visible reminders that we have a serious problem."


I lived in Chicago, and I heard gunshots from the highschool I taught in. I also had students get shot on the way to school in the morning. This was in 2003.

We still had 500 to 700 murders a year in the city limits. Thats not to calm in my opinion. So what is this resurgence of violence????

Dennis

The people like this idiot who have managed to totally confuse themselves are the biggest problem. They seem to think that people will suddenly stop using drugs, never stopping to think that everyone uses some stimulant or another.

Heck, even food is the drug of choice for a third of the American population which leads to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and death. I'll stick to weed thank you.

Cassius

Hmm that's true, maybe 50 years from now there will be a War on McDonald's. Lol, funny but I wouldn't be surprised. =/

Buzzby

There are already people trying to push legislation against the fast food industry. People have sued chains because they had heart attacks!

Cassius

The worst part is, if they don't win it will probably still result in a more heavily-regulated food industry.

Now, some regulations are good. I really like the one that requires manufactures to put the "Nutrition Facts" label on everything that specifies what it contains and the order of ingredients by volume.

However, there is something to be said for "looking before you leap". McDonald's has never claimed to provide healthy food, and anyone who has that expectation probably isn't reasonable.