4 ms·

I just had a conversation with my Mexican's wife's brother-in-law last week. About 7 years ago I had asked him about whether he thought legalization of pot woul

by runamok 10y ago

I just had a conversation with my Mexican's wife's brother-in-law last week. About 7 years ago I had asked him about whether he thought legalization of pot would help or hurt Mexico. He felt "bad guys" would just change their business model to harder drugs and other nefarious industries such as kidnapping, prostitution, racketeering, etc. So I was curious if he had changed his opinion. He mentioned Tijuana for instance is already carved up amongst the various crime organizations. In his opinion it will not help Mexico though it perhaps will not hurt it either. Personally I think the corruption goes from the top to the bottom and don't really see a quick fix. There would have to be real consequences to taking and giving bribes and other steps like that to re-enact the rule of law. I must say if I was a Mexican cop and told "take our silver or our lead", I'd probably take the bribe too so not really passing judgement. :-/

lazaroclapp 10y ago
Sure, no quick fix and political reforms will be needed as well (see my other response in this thread). But changing the demand for weed and for other drugs, and having competition from legal businesses in that regard, will definitely diminish the strength of the cartels. That will make the problem of strengthening the state more tractable, although it won't solve it outright (the state as the collection of instutions, laws and practices, as opposed to our collection of corrupt high ranking politicians)
- runamok 10y ago
  Yes, I read your comment after the fact. I have been downvoted all to hell whenever I suggest buying drugs is supporting these murderers. Has the (thoroughly corrupt) PRI being back in power made the violence better or worse if you know?
  - lazaroclapp 10y ago
    Unclear. For the first few years of this administration you heard less about it under Peña Nieto, but the estimated numbers keep climbing up, so it is most likely that was media spin for the most part. Also, there is the Ayotzinapa mass kidnapping/murdering of 43 students [1] which happened during his administration and where many people believe the federal government is at least complicit in hindering the Inter-American Human Rights Commission's investigation on the issue [2]. Of course, that is just one anecdotal datapoint (although a particularly shocking one). In general, the feeling is that we got the worst of both worlds: a PRI that is as authoritarian and as hostile to the press as that of the 80's and 90's and yet when it comes to controlling the cartels and local governments, it has as weak of a grip as the Calderon administration did. Somewhat unrelated, but reinforcing your point about it being corrupt, we keep finding that president Peña Nieto owns quite a few houses he shouldn't be able to afford: [3], [4] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Iguala_mass_kidnapping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Iguala_mass_kidnapping [2] http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2016/023.asp http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2016/023.... [3] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/18/mexico-president-apologizes-luxury-home-contractor https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/18/mexico-preside... [4] http://fusion.net/story/337255/jorge-ramos-another-scandal-pena-nieto/ http://fusion.net/story/337255/jorge-ramos-another-scandal-p...
    - jacquesm 10y ago
      Corruption is a super tough problem to deal with. Hopefully cutting into enough revenue streams will give enough of a foothold to begin to combat the gangs.

by runamok 10y ago

lazaroclapp 10y ago

Sure, no quick fix and political reforms will be needed as well (see my other response in this thread). But changing the demand for weed and for other drugs, and having competition from legal businesses in that regard, will definitely diminish the strength of the cartels. That will make the problem of strengthening the state more tractable, although it won't solve it outright (the state as the collection of instutions, laws and practices, as opposed to our collection of corrupt high ranking politicians)

runamok 10y ago
Yes, I read your comment after the fact. I have been downvoted all to hell whenever I suggest buying drugs is supporting these murderers. Has the (thoroughly corrupt) PRI being back in power made the violence better or worse if you know?
- lazaroclapp 10y ago
  Unclear. For the first few years of this administration you heard less about it under Peña Nieto, but the estimated numbers keep climbing up, so it is most likely that was media spin for the most part. Also, there is the Ayotzinapa mass kidnapping/murdering of 43 students [1] which happened during his administration and where many people believe the federal government is at least complicit in hindering the Inter-American Human Rights Commission's investigation on the issue [2]. Of course, that is just one anecdotal datapoint (although a particularly shocking one). In general, the feeling is that we got the worst of both worlds: a PRI that is as authoritarian and as hostile to the press as that of the 80's and 90's and yet when it comes to controlling the cartels and local governments, it has as weak of a grip as the Calderon administration did. Somewhat unrelated, but reinforcing your point about it being corrupt, we keep finding that president Peña Nieto owns quite a few houses he shouldn't be able to afford: [3], [4] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Iguala_mass_kidnapping https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Iguala_mass_kidnapping [2] http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2016/023.asp http://www.oas.org/en/iachr/media_center/PReleases/2016/023.... [3] https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/18/mexico-president-apologizes-luxury-home-contractor https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/jul/18/mexico-preside... [4] http://fusion.net/story/337255/jorge-ramos-another-scandal-pena-nieto/ http://fusion.net/story/337255/jorge-ramos-another-scandal-p...
  - jacquesm 10y ago
    Corruption is a super tough problem to deal with. Hopefully cutting into enough revenue streams will give enough of a foothold to begin to combat the gangs.