US rep says agents ambushed by Zetas in Mexico.

[Davenshire]

The Mexican government does not allow U.S. law enforcement personnel to carry weapons.

This story is just unbelievable.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i5oz-NQ59jhxQ5fsdPRBix5sNyUg?docId=8ae2c84450eb4fd3a20b 6be2a58c905a

[waywardgs]

Mexico is a narco state funded by US consumption. Legalize drugs, problem solved.

[Androidpk]

You make it sound so easy.

[Parkbandit]

Mexico is a narco state funded by US consumption. Legalize drugs, problem solved.

That would solve everything.

[waywardgs]

Inorite

Hey, weren't you around during prohibition? What was that like?

[Warriorbird]

The Zetas and MS13 are nuts. They're what we get due to the national unwillingness to really address illegal immigration. And no, Arizona wackedoutness is really addressing it.

[WRoss]

Mexico is a narco state funded by US consumption. Legalize drugs, problem solved.

While this looks good, it is much harder than you think. I don't feel like quoting sources in a post, but there was a recent Gallop poll done that asked "Would you support the legalization of marijuana". The results were presented as a nation and state-by-state. As a whole, the nation was largely split similar to a Presidential Election. 42% Yes and No, with the rest unsure. If you look at the states, it was those border states, aside from California, that were in strong opposition of the legalization of marijuana. If you consider that this is the first drug of many that need to be legalized in order to achieve a considerable effect in the CAFTA-DR nations, then we are decades away from a real discussion of what can happen. After all, we'd need to legalize cocaine, heroin, and meth.

I honestly think that the US needs to consider its stance on subsidizing of crops that are grown in the US which are grown the CAFTA-D region, water rights, as well as return investment into the region.

Ever since we have dammed up the Colorado River, the last of which dam is just north of the Mexican border on the far south of the Imperial Valley in California, we have stagnated any attempt to grow crops and provide irrigation to farmers in Mexico.

In the past few years, we have signed the CAFTA-DR (Central American Free Trade Agreement to include the Dominican Republic) which was intended to allow free trade as well as provide benefit to countries in Central America. Since the signing, Western Nations have invested over 2.4 trillion dollars into Central America and Mexico. If you consider the the majority of common day workers make their money through the growth of corn, beans, and assorted other grains, you'd think that this would have been beneficial to their plee. You'd be wrong. The investment of the money has only served to allow a uper-elite to emerge in the industries of Oil, telecommunications, and precious metals. Since our signing of the CAFTA-DR, every country outside of the US has exported less crops, while the US has subsidized $180 billion dollars into the growing of crops.

Undoubtedly, investors have realized that this region of the world is prime for industrialization. Our own policies towards CO2 emissions have only further stagnated the process by which these countries have a means to production. I really hate sounding like a Marxist, but whether by design or irony, Global Warming has become a foreign policy, and we need to look to the sciences. Countries like China and India who refuse to sign into the Kyoto Protocol have far exceeded any other industrializing nations in the past 20 years.

The U.S. far exceeds output per person and per acre of farm material. Sure it does make sense for the govt (kinda?) to subsidize crops. We can produce more with less people, and keep jobs. Why would we no support our bread basket? This only furthers a grim situation for the countries of the CAFTA-DR. While we are investing in the region, our focus seems to be on the banking institutions as well as the export of raw metals. Many of these metals are sent to America, made into farm equipment, and a few pieces of farm equipment are transported back to CAFTA-DR countries in order to compete in the meek market.

If we look to the future, I'd consider that the U.S. has the largest force of educated individuals seeking jobs ever. Whether you want to call this a return and revitalization of the Manifest Destiny and the Monroe Doctrine, I feel that it is time to turn our focus to our own neighbors and look to strengthen an area of the world that has been overlooked. We have an area of the world looking to produce as well as provide in a sector in which our own govt has felt the need to throw 180 billion dollars into. Would it not be beneficial for companies to look to create jobs in which the CAFTA-DR countries can produce their own farm equipment. Why not invest in better resources and look at possible use of water rights and US irrigation techniques to modernize agriculture in the Latino nations?

[Parkbandit]

Inorite

Hey, weren't you around during prohibition? What was that like?

It was different... much like going through puberty will be for you in a couple years.

[Stanley Burrell]

Mexico is a narco state funded by US consumption. Legalize drugs, problem solved.

I'm pro-legalization, hopefully in some drink or food form ... but I just can't say that the crux of legalization (or anything remotely crux'y) has to cater to a foreign nation not addressing its crime. That's just a dumb deciding factor.

[Androidpk]

I'm pro-legalization, hopefully in some drink or food form ... but I just can't say that the crux of legalization (or anything remotely crux'y) has to cater to a foreign nation not addressing its crime. That's just a dumb deciding factor.

The Mexican government has been addressing the issue, the problem is that the drug cartels have billions of dollars and are sometimes better equipped than the Mexican police and military.

[pabstblueribbon]

The Mexican government has been addressing the issue, the problem is that the drug cartels have billions of dollars and are sometimes better equipped than the Mexican police and military.

Sometimes? The motherfuckers have been caught recently using a custom submarine to smuggle drugs.

Which is kinda cool though.

[Stanley Burrell]

I'm pro-legalization, hopefully in some drink or food form ... but I just can't say that the crux of legalization (or anything remotely crux'y) has to cater to a foreign nation not addressing its crime. That's just a dumb deciding factor.


The Mexican government has been addressing the issue, the problem is that the drug cartels have billions of dollars and are sometimes better equipped than the Mexican police and military.

Exacatamundo, hombre.

But spreading our cheeks and having the mindset of having to mandate any of our policies for a Mexican drug cartel is wrong.

The ethical thing to do would be to gain their trust, then offer them more money than they'll ever make for a good decade. Then kill everyone and take back our money. Steal all their drugs for resale. Then systematically eradicate all cartels with superior weaponry and reestablish a friendly company that gives us a nice % to let them continue breathing the air.