6 ms·

I would love to see something similar applied to Mexico. The scale would have to be a lot bigger, and I guess it would be a lot more dangerous since we are lite

by elboru 8y ago

I would love to see something similar applied to Mexico. The scale would have to be a lot bigger, and I guess it would be a lot more dangerous since we are literally facing wars for territory over here, taking soldiers out of the battlefield wouldn't look appealing for the drug cartels.

mc32 8y ago
But even in Mexico really violent places (50+/100k/yr) are pretty highly concentrated in known areas. Not all Mexico is violent, like not all Maryland is violent, like not all Honduras is violent (it happens in pockets) often fueled by the drugs trade. It would be interesting (and a welcome outcome) to see if this insight and method of fighting crime is accepted and used by locales high relative violence rates.
- eric_h 8y ago
  It's true. The Yucatan peninsula is quite safe and also gorgeous. I only lost $250 when the police robbed me [non violently] the last time I was there.
  - eric_h 8y ago
    I'm not even joking, I'm planning on going back this fall.
  - andai 8y ago
    Last I heard, the police are doing this in Australia now. Lauren Southern receives $68,000 bill from Victoria Police https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/lauren-southern-on-her-68000-bill-from-the-police/news-story/74c6fe8b4e1578c64726602575cd626b https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/lauren-southe...
    - foxh0und 8y ago
      Not sure that's true, I haven't read about it (live in AUS). A lot of the campaigns by the opposition in the upcoming state elections are heavily focused on being "tough on crime".
    - felix_nagaand 8y ago
      Got an article or something?
      - andai 8y ago
        Lauren Southern receives $68,000 bill from Victoria Police https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/lauren-southern-on-her-68000-bill-from-the-police/news-story/74c6fe8b4e1578c64726602575cd626b https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/lauren-southe...
    - pas 8y ago
      Here's a much better link http://www.theunshackled.net/rundown/victoria-police-issue-southern-and-molyneux-with-68000-bill-for-melbourne-show/ http://www.theunshackled.net/rundown/victoria-police-issue-s...
  - eloff 8y ago
    I only spent two hours driving through Honduras years ago (the part between El Salvador and Nicaragua is very skinny) but the police tried that three times. They got it right at the border, but the other times we got away with just acting dumb for an hour until they got tired of us (easy to do since we spoke no Spanish.) I'd never go back there, life is finite and there are less dangerous, nicer countries to visit.
jessaustin 8y ago
No need for anything complicated. Just end drug prohibition in USA, and Mexico will change drastically within a year. Human beings respond to incentives.
- usrusr 8y ago
  Makes me wonder what the existing organizations will do instead. Removing drug money will make them much less powerful, but they sure won't go down without a pivot.
  - tonyedgecombe 8y ago
    I guess you could look at what happened when prohibition ended in America.
    - azernik 8y ago
      Soooooooo politics?
  - Double_a_92 8y ago
    Become legal producers?
  - roninb 8y ago
    Not sure if you know this or not but they're already pivoting to avocados...
- everdev 8y ago
  When the US pot market became saturated through legalization the cartels just shifted to other drugs. If you legalize those they will shift to something else. With the money, power and guns they have I don't think expecting them to take legal jobs is realistic. If you legalize drugs in Mexico though and they can start legitimate companies that might end the violence, but would be a huge blow to the rule of law.
  - felix_nagaand 8y ago
mnm1 8y ago
Has Mexico thought about legalizing all drugs yet? Do you think this violence would exist if drugs were legal? It's hard for me to imagine such violence when people are just going to their boring jobs in the legal drug trade. Yeah the US might not like it, but who cares now with the current administration's hate for Mexico and Mexicans. Imagine what it could do for Mexico. Becoming the top economy in the western hemisphere would be trivial while eliminating violence, corruption, and crime.
- everdev 8y ago
  There are many aspects to violence but I think it comes down to opportunity cost. Until the police/military are strong and law abiding enough, cartels will continue to see violence as a risk worth taking even if their main business becomes legal.
- icebraining 8y ago
  They tried that in the past: https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/1940-the-year-mexico-legalised-drugs/ https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/1940-the-year-mex...

by elboru 8y ago

mc32 8y ago

But even in Mexico really violent places (50+/100k/yr) are pretty highly concentrated in known areas. Not all Mexico is violent, like not all Maryland is violent, like not all Honduras is violent (it happens in pockets) often fueled by the drugs trade. It would be interesting (and a welcome outcome) to see if this insight and method of fighting crime is accepted and used by locales high relative violence rates.

eric_h 8y ago
It's true. The Yucatan peninsula is quite safe and also gorgeous. I only lost $250 when the police robbed me [non violently] the last time I was there.
- eric_h 8y ago
  I'm not even joking, I'm planning on going back this fall.
- andai 8y ago
  Last I heard, the police are doing this in Australia now. Lauren Southern receives $68,000 bill from Victoria Police https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/lauren-southern-on-her-68000-bill-from-the-police/news-story/74c6fe8b4e1578c64726602575cd626b https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/lauren-southe...
  - foxh0und 8y ago
    Not sure that's true, I haven't read about it (live in AUS). A lot of the campaigns by the opposition in the upcoming state elections are heavily focused on being "tough on crime".
  - felix_nagaand 8y ago
    Got an article or something?
    - andai 8y ago
      Lauren Southern receives $68,000 bill from Victoria Police https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/lauren-southern-on-her-68000-bill-from-the-police/news-story/74c6fe8b4e1578c64726602575cd626b https://www.heraldsun.com.au/blogs/andrew-bolt/lauren-southe...
  - pas 8y ago
    Here's a much better link http://www.theunshackled.net/rundown/victoria-police-issue-southern-and-molyneux-with-68000-bill-for-melbourne-show/ http://www.theunshackled.net/rundown/victoria-police-issue-s...
- eloff 8y ago
  I only spent two hours driving through Honduras years ago (the part between El Salvador and Nicaragua is very skinny) but the police tried that three times. They got it right at the border, but the other times we got away with just acting dumb for an hour until they got tired of us (easy to do since we spoke no Spanish.) I'd never go back there, life is finite and there are less dangerous, nicer countries to visit.

jessaustin 8y ago

No need for anything complicated. Just end drug prohibition in USA, and Mexico will change drastically within a year. Human beings respond to incentives.

usrusr 8y ago
Makes me wonder what the existing organizations will do instead. Removing drug money will make them much less powerful, but they sure won't go down without a pivot.
- tonyedgecombe 8y ago
  I guess you could look at what happened when prohibition ended in America.
  - azernik 8y ago
    Soooooooo politics?
- Double_a_92 8y ago
  Become legal producers?
- roninb 8y ago
  Not sure if you know this or not but they're already pivoting to avocados...
everdev 8y ago
When the US pot market became saturated through legalization the cartels just shifted to other drugs. If you legalize those they will shift to something else. With the money, power and guns they have I don't think expecting them to take legal jobs is realistic. If you legalize drugs in Mexico though and they can start legitimate companies that might end the violence, but would be a huge blow to the rule of law.
- felix_nagaand 8y ago

mnm1 8y ago

Has Mexico thought about legalizing all drugs yet? Do you think this violence would exist if drugs were legal? It's hard for me to imagine such violence when people are just going to their boring jobs in the legal drug trade. Yeah the US might not like it, but who cares now with the current administration's hate for Mexico and Mexicans. Imagine what it could do for Mexico. Becoming the top economy in the western hemisphere would be trivial while eliminating violence, corruption, and crime.

everdev 8y ago
There are many aspects to violence but I think it comes down to opportunity cost. Until the police/military are strong and law abiding enough, cartels will continue to see violence as a risk worth taking even if their main business becomes legal.
icebraining 8y ago
They tried that in the past: https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/1940-the-year-mexico-legalised-drugs/ https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/1940-the-year-mex...