Sunday Spectacle LXXXIII


The Drug Trade & the Bogus War on Drugs

Afghan Opium Production - Druglords Back in Control?


(source: "U.S.-built bridge is windfall — for illegal Afghan drug trade," Tom Lasseter, McClatchy Newspapers. June 28, 2009. Original image edited to show Afghan chart only.)



Mexican Drug Cartels and Drug Flow





We may be witnessing the final stage, a failure, in the so-called "war" on drugs. As the Afghan opium production numbers show, things are getting totally out of control. Admittedly the chart only goes up to 2008 and I think it did drop in the last year but contrary to what some claim, I believe the drop was due to the economic recession than any success in combating drugs.

In what can only be characterized as shocking, and something that would have been thought impossible even 6 months ago, the Mexican president, who is very anti-drugs and has sacrificed the lives of many drug agents, police officiers and military personnel with his war on drugs—admittedly heavily supported by Mexican citizens so this isn't a misguided strategy by one man and his inner circle (a la the Iraqi war)—appears to consider the legalization of drugs. A key player is California which I think may legalize marijuana within 10 years. As the linked Economist article mentions, as much as half the income comes from marijuana so the Mexican drug cartels will be much weaker, and many of them will go bankrupt, if that income stream dissapears.


Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 15, 2010 at 12:27 PM

    Please, consider changing the color of the background or the font.

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