dgskydive 0 #51 June 22, 2010 QuoteI'd start by encouraging their respective governments to go after their financial assets. That will never happen in Mexico. To many politicians are a part of the drug trade. They would be taking money out of their own pocketsDom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhaig 0 #52 June 22, 2010 Quote There is a downside to taking away their revenue, at least in the short to midterm (10 years). are we that sure that it would decrease their revenue? It would cut operating expenses, likely increase sales. The price would go down, but by how much?-- Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #53 June 22, 2010 QuoteQuoteI'd start by encouraging their respective governments to go after their financial assets. That will never happen in Mexico. To many politicians are a part of the drug trade. They would be taking money out of their own pockets Sadly, you are correct. I'm sure it would be even more difficult in Columbia, Peru and other S. American countries. Not to mention M.E. and Asian govts. Afghanistan supplies a very large percentage of the worlds opium and even though there are US Troops there, it would be devastating to our efforts if we started destroying poppy fields. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #54 June 22, 2010 Quotehttp://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/06/21/cartels.threats/index.html If something like this happens and the US does nothing about it, then we as a country have failed. Why should we even believe that this story is true? Do we just take the word of a couple of cops and then start talking about war? This whole thing stinks. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhaig 0 #55 June 22, 2010 I hope they're exaggerating the issue. If they aren't, it's escalating now more than it has the past few years. However, wouldn't it be more prudent to investigate such claims than to dismiss them out of hand (as you appear to have done).-- Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #56 June 22, 2010 QuoteI hope they're exaggerating the issue. If they aren't, it's escalating now more than it has the past few years. However, wouldn't it be more prudent to investigate such claims than to dismiss them out of hand (as you appear to have done). I'm sorry if you took it that way. I am VERY skeptical of this particular story. I haven't seen any substantiation. I would not be surprised if it turns out to be true. I believe it is a politically motivated story at this point. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
rhaig 0 #57 June 22, 2010 it wouldn't surprise me to find it was politically motivated. as I said. I hope it is. I fear it may not be. That would be troublesome. I've not found any more public info on this.-- Rob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Casurf1978 0 #58 June 22, 2010 You're talking about Mexico. One of the most corrupt governments out there. In Columbia Pablo Escobar almost bought out the Presidency, these guys have billions and are willing to kill not only the politicians, but go after their families too. You either take their money or they'll kill you and your family. So I don't think PC weakened their or our resolve. Read the book 'Killing Pablo' by Mark Bowden. They only value money, take that away and you pretty much strip them of their power. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #59 June 22, 2010 QuoteQuote There is a downside to taking away their revenue, at least in the short to midterm (10 years). are we that sure that it would decrease their revenue? It would cut operating expenses, likely increase sales. The price would go down, but by how much? If people can legally grow their own, it will go down a lot. Otherwise, the price is determined in large part by quality and by local tax rate. The government taxes will set the floor. It hasn't been my sense that the Mexican cartels are the suppliers of the "medical" pot vendors in California, which are oriented towards premium, highly differentiated products. Cheap pot won't command the same price. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
kelpdiver 2 #60 June 23, 2010 QuoteKidnapping for what? Money? The drug trade is estimated to be over $20 billion annually, no way in hell would kidnapping bring even one tenth of that in one year. Let along make it a steady source of income. What is the short-term downside to taking away half their revenue? You take a large criminal (or even corporate) organization and abruptly half their income and their immediate reaction is to find a use for the excess capacity and replace that lost income. The downsizing occurs later, when there is no replacement. Basically you wait for attrition. In Mexico, the gov was making some headway on the drug trade, plus the lousy US economy depressed sales. Kidnapping has become more common. It's an easy alternate for thugs with guns, and seems to have a long tradition in Latin America. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dgskydive 0 #61 June 23, 2010 Pull your head out of the dirt. Why should we believe it is not true? They have already been killing Arizona ranchers when they (the cartels) come across them running drugs. Why would they not threaten our police? They do it to their own and get away with it. They believe they can do what ever they want. As far as war goes... if they start killing our police for doing there job...what should we do. Ask them nicely to stop? Cause that will work so well. The Mexican Govt. has proven that it is broken and can not control their own country. So we should just sit back and let them start killing Americans that are paid to protect us?Dom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
SkyDekker 1,130 #62 June 23, 2010 QuoteAfter the end of Prohibition in the US there was still a black market for alcohol, but there's no doubt that its repeal changed the face of organized crime and overall reduced corruption in the police forces and local governments. This Cato Institute report on the effect of the end of Prohibition has quite a bit of information, including a cool chart on p. 7 showing how homicides went down dramatically after the end of Prohibition. I don't think the end of many drug controls would have a significantly different effect. Wendy P. Except that in this case illegal immigration will shift from Mexicans to coke and crackheads around the world. Drug users tend to bring with it lots of medical issues. This will drive the now legal drugs to be heavily taxed. This heavy taxation will ensure that there continues to be a significant black market for drugs. Now you still have the drug smuggling issue and all the crime that comes with it, and you have the majority of coke and crack heads living in the US. I don't understand how people see this is a viable option. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #63 June 23, 2010 QuoteSo we should just sit back and let them start killing Americans that are paid to protect us? Of course. That is the only logical conclusion. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BillyVance 34 #64 June 23, 2010 My solution is: finish building the goddamned fence/wall/etc and top the motherfucker with razor sharp barbed wire, as well as on the ground, on both sides. Employ heat sensors tied into a supercomputer that alerts authorities when appropriate so they can take action. These motherfucking Mexican drug gangs have already set up lookouts at their new bases IN the Arizona hills. Send in the Marines, if these Fuckicans shoot, then we'll wipe the bitches out. And tell the Mexican government to go to fucking hell, oh wait, it is already hell there.... "Mediocre people don't like high achievers, and high achievers don't like mediocre people." - SIX TIME National Champion coach Nick Saban Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dgskydive 0 #65 June 23, 2010 What is your suggestion then?Dom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billvon 2,406 #66 June 23, 2010 >finish building the goddamned fence/wall/etc and top the motherfucker >with razor sharp barbed wire, as well as on the ground, on both sides. We did that here. It didn't work. Heck, the eight year olds knew how to get over it. >Employ heat sensors tied into a supercomputer that alerts >authorities when appropriate so they can take action. We've tried things like that here, too. Again, doesn't work. Kids play on the Mexican side of the border. Coyotes (the real animals) like the US side. Sure, we can try it; spend around 120 billion to build a 1950 mile long double barbed-wire-topped border fence. But if it's as effective as the fence near Tijuana, it wouldn't do much. >And tell the Mexican government to go to fucking hell . . . Naah. Get Barton to apologize to them. That's the right thing to do. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #67 June 23, 2010 QuoteWhat is your suggestion then? Legalize marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dgskydive 0 #68 June 23, 2010 that will fix all the problems. Done with you.Dom Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
DaVinci 0 #69 June 25, 2010 QuoteWhy should we even believe that this story is true? Do we just take the word of a couple of cops So you want to ignore this story, but you post the NAZI story with the same sources? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #70 June 26, 2010 QuoteQuoteWhat is your suggestion then? Legalize marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. That oughta sole the problem! Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Gravitymaster 0 #71 June 26, 2010 QuoteQuoteQuoteWhat is your suggestion then? Legalize marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. That oughta sole the problem! Chuck Like when China had legal Opium. That worked out so well. http://www.historywiz.com/downfall.htm Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #72 June 26, 2010 QuoteQuoteQuoteQuoteWhat is your suggestion then? Legalize marijuana, cocaine, and heroin. That oughta sole the problem! Chuck Like when China had legal Opium. That worked out so well. http://www.historywiz.com/downfall.htm You bet! Now, there's a 'pure' heroin coming into this country that, one hit of that shit will kill a person. Let's legalize that... whaddya' think? Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #73 June 26, 2010 Up-date... That 15-yr. old Mexican boy who was shot and killed by the Border Patrol, was a 'known' human smuggler who got $50.00 per head had been arrested several times in the past but was always let go. Also, Agents 'can use deadly force' when being pelted by rocks. Other than that, not much is being said about the case because of an on-going investigation. Mexico wants the U.S. to turn the agent over to them. Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ChangoLanzao 0 #74 June 26, 2010 QuoteUp-date... That 15-yr. old Mexican boy who was shot and killed by the Border Patrol, was a 'known' human smuggler who got $50.00 per head had been arrested several times in the past but was always let go. Also, Agents 'can use deadly force' when being pelted by rocks. Other than that, not much is being said about the case because of an on-going investigation. Mexico wants the U.S. to turn the agent over to them. Chuck What is the source for this update? It sure sounds like a great spin on the story. This is just the kind of story that can get spun out of control (by both sides). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
masterrig 1 #75 June 26, 2010 QuoteQuoteUp-date... That 15-yr. old Mexican boy who was shot and killed by the Border Patrol, was a 'known' human smuggler who got $50.00 per head had been arrested several times in the past but was always let go. Also, Agents 'can use deadly force' when being pelted by rocks. Other than that, not much is being said about the case because of an on-going investigation. Mexico wants the U.S. to turn the agent over to them. Chuck What is the source for this update? It sure sounds like a great spin on the story. This is just the kind of story that can get spun out of control (by both sides). It was an AP story I found. I'll see if, I can get a link to it. The story came-up on my 'home page'. I have had Border Patrol agents tell me that young people in Mexico will 'guide' illegals into this country for a price. google: 'Mexican teen killed by border Patrol agent' Chuck Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
