Prohibition is a failure full stop. Mexico seems to be going the way Colombia went in the 80s/90s. If the Mexican Government gets some measure of control over the cartels, then the drug money will just go somewhere else. It’s pointless, destructive and wastefull.

A fine piece, thank you Mr Robertson

From The Wire Series 1, Episode 1 – “this ain’t no war on drugs… wars end”.

Actually, I don’t see how you get from an out-of-control militia raping a teenager to the legalisation of drugs.

The end of the prohibition of alcohol in the USA led to the values of the bootleggers, i.e. racketeering, pervading large swathes of the US economy for the next generation.

Perhaps the legalisation of drugs would lead to more raped teenagers, not fewer. I have no idea, and neither has Neil Robertson.

The end of the prohibition of alcohol in the USA led to the values of the bootleggers, i.e. racketeering, pervading large swathes of the US economy for the next generation.

Eh? Prohibition ended in 1933; the next 30 years of US history is pretty much universally rated as the least crooked, best-for-the-working-man, most honest time the country has ever had. *Then* Nixon, Reagan, deregulation, Wall Street, the 1980s, etc.

Perhaps the legalisation of drugs would lead to more raped teenagers, not fewer. I have no idea, and neither has Neil Robertson.

There is evidence that the War on Drugs leads to raped teenagers. There is no evidence that the legalisation of drugs would. Yes, it’s possible that it might, but in the absence of evidence that’s like saying ‘if we stop sacrificing virgins then the sun won’t rise in the morning’.

As I suggested, there is no “war” on drugs. There is law enforcement, of various kinds, some rule-regarding, some wayward and brutal. The use of rape as a tool of policy (which is what condoning it and covering up for rapists is) is not a necessary feature of law enforcement – which is all your “evidence” amounts to, John.

If drugs were legalised, the pushers would continue in business just as before, since people would prefer their (tax-free) prices to those of legal suppliers. And if the pushers carry on as before, so will the law enforcement and,according to you, the rapes.

That’ll be why most people drink moonshine bought from gangsters, rather than Stella bought from Tesco, then?

Where are the anti-state libertarians when you need them?

“That’ll be why most people drink moonshine bought from gangsters, rather than Stella bought from Tesco, then?”

Brilliant. I was going to launch into a tirade, but that sentence is so much better.

Mike thats bullshit. I am sure the military and criminal mentality that has built up around the drugs sector would continue to wreak havoc for decades to come but you would have cut off the incentive to produce more of them at the feet. And half of that problem could be solved by the state rolling back the police powers introduced to combat it.

It is a fine piece, Neil.

Where are the anti-state libertarians when you need them?

Probably so far in agreement with the article that they don’t feel the need to comment on it.

“Actually, I don’t see how you get from an out-of-control militia raping a teenager to the legalisation of drugs.”

Indeed – I don’t even see why you need to invoke drugs to explain incidents like this in Mexico. You hardly need drug laws to guarantee disgusting behaviour by the authorities of one of the world’s most notoriously corrupt countries.

“There is evidence that the War on Drugs leads to raped teenagers”

I’m sorry, what is the evidence?

Peter, I have to agree with you. We can have a look at the 50 rapes a day in South Africa on women – some as young as months old – and it has nothing to do with drugs – but more to do with police and general corruption.

There is enough info to back up drug legalisation without needing to inflame readers by writing about police gang rapes!

There is enough info to back up drug legalisation without needing to inflame readers by writing about police gang rapes!

On the contrary, I think it’s entirely appropriate to point out the kinds of human rights abuses the US-funded Mexican military has committed whilst persuing a policy which doesn’t work. It’s not just that this $1,4bn is going to be wasted, but it’s also going to a security services with a particularly nasty track record. Were I an American, I’d be pretty concerned about who this money was going to and how they conduct themselves. The ‘War on Drugs’ should be contested on financial grounds, grounds of massively expanding the state & police’s power over its citizens, and on moral grounds.

Additionally, I don’t see how anyone can talk about corruption in Mexico without linking it to the drugs trade. Corruption is overwhelmingly caused by powerful drugs cartels either bribing or threatening state/local officials in order to protect their assets & interests, so it you want to clean up the state, you’ll only be able to do that by ending prohibition.

Now, where I would agree with you, Peter & Mike is that there is a case for reform & accountability of the Mexican miltary irrespective of whether there was a drugs problem in that country. But since that reform is a long way from coming, I don’t think the US should be giving them any military aid.

[Thanks for the comments, everyone]

[11] Irony by-pass…

“You hardly need drug laws to guarantee disgusting behaviour by the authorities of one of the world’s most notoriously corrupt countries.”

True, but it can make things a lot lot worse than they need be:

http://www.cato-unbound.org/2009/08/05/jorge-castaneda/a-us-war-with-mexican-consequences/

“moonshine bought from gangsters”

That’s a pretty good description of bogof Stella bought from Tesco

“Peter, I have to agree with you. We can have a look at the 50 rapes a day in South Africa on women – some as young as months old – and it has nothing to do with drugs – but more to do with police and general corruption.”

Sorry Lilliput but before you worry about police and general corruption can I just remind you of the crippling levels of poverty and unemployment in South Africa, they are the main reasons for any acts of crime.