Drugs and Trade

Black globalization is quickly surpassing the "good connectivity" extolled by Barnett for many countries. WOAI: One of the leading experts on Mexico and Mexican border issues in the US says illegal drug shipments from Mexico into the US is now a $20 billion a year business for the Mexican economy, making it the country's third largest source of income, behind oil and money sent home by Mexican citizens living legally, and illegally, in the United States. "The Mexican economy would collapse if vigorous action were taken, or at least there would be a very serious crisis, if you would cut off one fourth of their foreign earnings..."

Comments

[Jorge]

John:

If the drug market is that large, the largest crisis from a large scale crack down would come from the US junkies and the US dealers.... the economic loss would be biggest for US retail dealers, as the largest margin in the drug business is in retail, like in any other brick and mortar business, more so in a black market like drugs.

We mexicans would love some real enforcment on the US side, it would even the daily killings on both sides of the border, and would get more compehension from the US popultion that the drug problem is mostly a demand side problem.

US politicians don't want daily shootings in their districts, they prefer to have an ordely distribution (with no true enformcent) and balme the problem on Mexico and Colombia.

I agree that " "People are very corruptible, on both sides of the border" it just seems strange that the US press and the US voters fail to look for the side of corruption

The mexican goverment is truly fighting and upsetting the drug trade, proof of that are the daily crimes that happen when leaders are arrested and new drug lords rise to fight each other for control....

On the contrary it is the US who has not crack down on leaders of the US side of the trade, proof of that is that drive by shootings among drug dealers in the US are very rare these days (not so in the past), not beacuse there are no retail dealers, but because their structure is pretty well established, verticaly organized, and there has been no major crack down by law enforcment on their well established leadership structure.

You of all people should undestand that such orderly distribution of drugs in the US can only be explained by lack of enforcment against the US drug lords.

True law enforcment in the US side would lead to a more "noisy" bazaar type market, with frequent challenges to leadership and more turf fighting.

I agree with another statment on the article you quote: "People are very corruptible, on both sides of the border", it seems odd to us mexicans that the US politicians, the US presss and the US voters fail to look for the large scale corruption on their side of the border.

[John Robb]

Jorge, demand is completely to blame. Not Mexico. However, because of this demand, Mexico now has a problem (a big one).

We should recognize that globalization has made it impossible to stop supply. If our borders are even more porous today than they were a decade ago, how can we expect anyone else to do any better?

The only way for he US to really stop "black globalization" in its tracks, is to tackle demand. If not, we will continue to export destabilization (which in the grand scheme of things, if American's could grasp the bigger picture, will radically reduce our security as global guerrillas jump on board).

[Mark]

John Robb wrote:

"The only way for the US to really stop "black globalization" in its tracks, is to tackle demand."

Your echo of US political double talk surprises me. 'Tackle demand' is a top down solution. What does it mean? Put more people in jail?

Take a moment and consider the steady rise in narcotic addiction as a percent of world population over the last 400 years. The trends are as obvious as energy consumption trends. The world is a self correcting system. The bottom up solution is being worked out in the underground economy (for both energy and narcotics).