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If I were running things in Mexico I would legalize or decriminalize all drugs. Setup compounds to securely house the police forces. Change the policy to "balaz

If I were running things in Mexico I would legalize or decriminalize all drugs. Setup compounds to securely house the police forces. Change the policy to "balazos, muchos balazos".

haolez 5y ago
The politicians are probably much less powerful than the cartels (if they are not allies). To try to pass a bill to decriminalize all drugs would probably fail and get you killed.
- atatatat 5y ago
  Multiple Mexican Presidents in the last few decades have been shown to be CIA assets, so
  - atatatat 5y ago
    Since HN downvotes before searching these days: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16195392 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16195392
- edgyquant 5y ago
  Legalizing it in Mexico isn’t a solution since they aren’t selling to Mexican citizens for most of their profit. America and Europe are large, developed economies with wealthy middle/upper classes who like to do coke. I’m sure crack cocaine makes up a decent chunk too but I can’t imagine that the poor that partake in that make up even close of the same percentage as the wealthy coke consumers.
dvt 5y ago
> If I were running things in Mexico I would legalize or decriminalize all drugs This is a naïve "Bernie bro"-style take. What do you with cartel turf wars? Legalize murder? The problem is not only complex on a local scale (city or country), but there are geopolitical pressures at play as well. Cartels tend to be very populist, often funneling money back in their communities making them (paradoxically) better. On the other hand, you've also got offshore banks that protect cartels, laundering their money, just as they protect the likes of large tech companies stash their money in tax-free havens. If you want to change that whole machinery, be prepared to take on the world's billionaires.
- alex_sf 5y ago
  The reason cartels need to murder people at all is because the business is illegal and there is no justice system to mediate disputes. F500 CEOs aren't doing drive-bys on each other over patent infringements because they can just sue.
  - kiba 5y ago
    Why would the cartels want to legalize drugs?
    - alex_sf 5y ago
      They don't. It would mean no more risk premium and the involvement of people that could do a better job than them, but don't get involved in the trade for obvious reasons.
  - esyir 5y ago
    The big mistake you're making is that legalising it also magically brings all the infrastructure to neuter the cartels.
    - alex_sf 5y ago
      Of course it doesn't, they just transfer to other illegal activities, see: bootlegging by organized crime during prohibition. The problem the cartels will face is that there is no other business that makes as much money, and it would require a retool of the entire organization (or scale up, at a minimum) to get back to even a fraction of their power. Cartels are not some unstoppable juggernaut: they run on capital, same as every other business. No money for bribes & no money for foot soldiers == no more cartel at a recognizable scale.
      - barbacoa 5y ago
        Kidnapping and extortion of wealthy avocado growers is already a lucrative business many cartels have been branching out to.
01100011 5y ago
Compounds to house the extended families of police as well? Otherwise what's the point? Stopping cartels requires true international effort and coordination. Unless the bankers and money launderers bear some responsibility for the murders and drug flow nothing will change. It's nearly impossible I think, given the absolutely vast sums of money and profit on the table. Life sentences are not too much for the people enabling the corruption and destruction of Mexico.
- crocal 5y ago
  In France, the gendarmes (police force outside of big cities) are military and live with family in garrison-like building blocks. SWAT team members identity is a secret, and if you mess up with them, French special forces will get you anywhere in the world, even if it means dying trying. We also have institutions like the Legion to give a safe reboot place to « guys with a history ». There are ways for institutions to compensate the power of money.
pengaru 5y ago
If you were running things in Mexico you would have zero ability to legalize or decriminalize all drugs in the actually relevant markets (USA).
- gscott 5y ago
  And even if it was legalized so anyone could make drugs in Mexico... the cartels would kill the non-cartel makers of drugs along with fighting with other cartels at the same time.
Aa9C4xPz43Gg7k6 5y ago
US' politicians would make sure your government doesn't last very long.
jero1000 5y ago
Legalize drugs would not change anything, cartels here in Mexico get money from many activities, extortion, kidnapping and many businesses that from the outside look legitimate. Even compounds made to house the military have being attacked by cartels in recent years.

If I were running things in Mexico I would legalize or decriminalize all drugs. Setup compounds to securely house the police forces. Change the policy to "balazos, muchos balazos".

haolez 5y ago

The politicians are probably much less powerful than the cartels (if they are not allies). To try to pass a bill to decriminalize all drugs would probably fail and get you killed.

atatatat 5y ago
Multiple Mexican Presidents in the last few decades have been shown to be CIA assets, so
- atatatat 5y ago
  Since HN downvotes before searching these days: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16195392 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16195392
edgyquant 5y ago
Legalizing it in Mexico isn’t a solution since they aren’t selling to Mexican citizens for most of their profit. America and Europe are large, developed economies with wealthy middle/upper classes who like to do coke. I’m sure crack cocaine makes up a decent chunk too but I can’t imagine that the poor that partake in that make up even close of the same percentage as the wealthy coke consumers.

dvt 5y ago

> If I were running things in Mexico I would legalize or decriminalize all drugs This is a naïve "Bernie bro"-style take. What do you with cartel turf wars? Legalize murder? The problem is not only complex on a local scale (city or country), but there are geopolitical pressures at play as well. Cartels tend to be very populist, often funneling money back in their communities making them (paradoxically) better. On the other hand, you've also got offshore banks that protect cartels, laundering their money, just as they protect the likes of large tech companies stash their money in tax-free havens. If you want to change that whole machinery, be prepared to take on the world's billionaires.

alex_sf 5y ago
The reason cartels need to murder people at all is because the business is illegal and there is no justice system to mediate disputes. F500 CEOs aren't doing drive-bys on each other over patent infringements because they can just sue.
- kiba 5y ago
  Why would the cartels want to legalize drugs?
  - alex_sf 5y ago
    They don't. It would mean no more risk premium and the involvement of people that could do a better job than them, but don't get involved in the trade for obvious reasons.
- esyir 5y ago
  The big mistake you're making is that legalising it also magically brings all the infrastructure to neuter the cartels.
  - alex_sf 5y ago
    Of course it doesn't, they just transfer to other illegal activities, see: bootlegging by organized crime during prohibition. The problem the cartels will face is that there is no other business that makes as much money, and it would require a retool of the entire organization (or scale up, at a minimum) to get back to even a fraction of their power. Cartels are not some unstoppable juggernaut: they run on capital, same as every other business. No money for bribes & no money for foot soldiers == no more cartel at a recognizable scale.
    - barbacoa 5y ago
      Kidnapping and extortion of wealthy avocado growers is already a lucrative business many cartels have been branching out to.

01100011 5y ago

Compounds to house the extended families of police as well? Otherwise what's the point? Stopping cartels requires true international effort and coordination. Unless the bankers and money launderers bear some responsibility for the murders and drug flow nothing will change. It's nearly impossible I think, given the absolutely vast sums of money and profit on the table. Life sentences are not too much for the people enabling the corruption and destruction of Mexico.

crocal 5y ago
In France, the gendarmes (police force outside of big cities) are military and live with family in garrison-like building blocks. SWAT team members identity is a secret, and if you mess up with them, French special forces will get you anywhere in the world, even if it means dying trying. We also have institutions like the Legion to give a safe reboot place to « guys with a history ». There are ways for institutions to compensate the power of money.

pengaru 5y ago

If you were running things in Mexico you would have zero ability to legalize or decriminalize all drugs in the actually relevant markets (USA).

gscott 5y ago
And even if it was legalized so anyone could make drugs in Mexico... the cartels would kill the non-cartel makers of drugs along with fighting with other cartels at the same time.

Aa9C4xPz43Gg7k6 5y ago

US' politicians would make sure your government doesn't last very long.

jero1000 5y ago

Legalize drugs would not change anything, cartels here in Mexico get money from many activities, extortion, kidnapping and many businesses that from the outside look legitimate. Even compounds made to house the military have being attacked by cartels in recent years.