In the process of researching the U.S.demand for drugs that fuels the Mexican drug cartels I began to wonder how the legalization of marijuana would effect this demand. Though Prop 19 was denied in 2010, I beleive that the decrimialization of drugs in the United States would not only circumscribe the power of the Mexican cartels, but also of all illegal drug trading here in the U.S., which has proven to be extremely dangerous, especially among teenagers. Henry brought to my attention and example of drug "decriminalization" that was enacted in Portugal in 2001 for all drugs. In Glen Greenwald's "Drug Decriminaliztaion in Portugal. Lessons for Creating Fair and Succesful Drug Policies" he explore the effect this change had on Portugal and claims that it in fact, had no adverse effects on Portugal's drug usage, which now happens to be one of the lowest in the Europen Union. He claims, "Although postdecriminalization usage rates have remained roughly the same or even decreased slightly when compared with other EU states, drug-related pathologies—such as sexually transmitted diseases and deaths due to drug usage—have decreased dramatically. Drug policy experts attribute those positive trends to the enhanced ability of the Portuguese government to offer treatment programs to its citizens—enhancements made possible, for numerous reasons, by decriminalization." His study outlines the framework of this decriminalization and studys drug trends before and after its initation and compare the results to other EU states. I am curious as to how this could possibly relate to the drug situation in Mexcio, and here in the United States, and plan to use this as a resource in my term paper.

Murder in Amsterdam - A Reflection

After reading Ian Buruma’s Murder in Amsterdam I took away with me a longing for strengthened multiculturalism and curiosity about my countries history. If you had asked me a few weeks ago how I felt about multiculturalism, I would have immediately made an argument about its importance, about how the world is a global village that should be intertwined. Yet, my oblivion to the Dutch cultural issues presented in Buruma’s book proved that I wasn’t even close to following through with my own beliefs. It is easy for me to hope for peace and love for the world, for everyone to get along and accept each other, but I rarely take the time to think of the ramifications and complications that come along with doing so? Dutch society was gradually broken down by the infestation of immigrants in their country, and though I hold tolerance to be of the utmost importance, doesn’t tradition matter as well? Are we breaking down the communities that we grew up with, that we know? It is in this sense that I have realized the difficulties that come with acceptance and finding a balance between old and new. Where do you draw the line between tolerance and submission? I can’t answer these questions, I don’t know nearly enough, but it seems to me that the more we push others away, the harder they will push back. The world is moving towards each other at unprecedented speed. We are woven together by culture, technology, and politics. Unless we find this balance, and seek to accept others while keeping our origins alive, the world will crash into a detrimental clash of cultures. I believe the best way for us to do this is to further educate our youth about other cultures and parts of the world in an unbiased fashion. In the United States, I believe much of the resistance to other cultures and tolerance stems the nationalism that we are presented with. I’ve always learned about my country’s triumphs in schools, our good doings. But, it seems that our educational systems lack thorough discussion of our faults, as does every other country. Buruma’s discussion of memorialize in the book parallels with this idea. The Dutch emphasize their positive association with Anne Frank and the Holocaust, yet ignore the fact that Dutch Men were one of the most prevalent groups enlisted in the Nazi forces. The house were Anne Frank and her family lived has been preserved in the exact state at which it was at the time of Anne Frank’s life, yet the jodenhoek, or the Jewish ghetto was knocked and replaced with new modern housing. Buruma explains, “To reach for examples from the Holocaust has become a natural reflex when the question of ethnic or religious minorities comes up. It is a moral yardstick, yet at the same time an evasion. To be reminded of past crimes, is never a bad thing. But I can confuse the issues at hand, or worse, bring all discussion to a halt by tarring opponents with the brush of pass murder. “Yes, we memorialize the good things in our history, but memory cannot be selective. Maybe if we shed light on our history as a whole, we would be more accepting of the cultures around us, allowing us to take part in a growing multicultural world.

The New Mexican Family

In Today's New York Times' article, A Mexican City's Troubles Reshape Its Family, Damian Cave studies the broader effect of the violence in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, the effect on its demographics. Over the past few years the city has lost and estimated 230,000 people, a starteling 20 percent of their overall population. These losses, which are made up mostly of men have redefined the families of Ciudad. They are "multigenerational, led by women and with several children under 14." According to Carlos Galindo, a demographer for Mexicos's National Popultion Council is a result of three things. He explains, "Its harder to find a job, migration across the desert is traditioinally a thing that men dok, and then there's the violence" which is sending Mexican males out of the country. Women are now becoming the Majority. This, however, has not thrusted females into the work force as much as it has in the past, as they now have families and children to take care of, many of which are not their own. What these shift is doing is bringing communities closer together. A Sociologist at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juarez says, "People dont have faith in government. They have faith in their neighbors."
Cave's article emphasizes a new way in which Mexico must be helped. We need to offer aid to the Mexican women who have a lack of mobility and protection. My house keepers brother in law, a Mexican police man, was recently killed due to the drug violence in these cities, and his wife, now left with three children is struggling. These cases alone should prompt Americans to view the Mexican Drug War as a problem of their own, a problem that must be faced, even in the smallest ways.

More on U.S. Tie's with Mexico Drug War

Not only is Mexico fighting the raging drug cartels that infest their country, but they are battling the United States as well. Hilary Clinton admits, "There is no question that they are fighting against both of our governments,Tragically, that fact was underscored on March 13th," with the murders of two Americans and a Mexican affiliated with the U.S. consulate in Ciudad Juarez, Clinton said." Despite the military and offical aid offered by the U.S. Mexican officials insist that the main problem that needs to be dealt with is U.S. Drug Consumption. The Obama administration plans to carry out and extend the financial aid previously offered by the Bush Administration, coming in around another 330 million dollars. Many say that these offers are too small and not very proactive. The U.S. is fully involved in this situation, not only becuase Mexico is our neighbor but because we are fueling the problem itself. We need strategy and more effective aid. Andrew Selee, the director of the Woodrow Wilson Ceneter's Mexico Institute explains, "A future strategy will have to look at effective ways to track criminal organizations and their finances, reduce the demand for narcotics and build dialogue with communities that are under stress from the current violence." In terms of the drug demand in the United States, diminishing it seems close to impossible, but changing the channels in which is distributed could seriously stymie the power of the cartels. The failed Prop 19 passing in 2010 shows exactly how difficult the possible decriminalization or legalization of marijuana will be, but must be considered as a path for peace for Mexico, if not a solution, its a small step to help Mexican officials slowly break down the Cartels.


CBS Report

Clinton's Support of Calderon

Last years Wiki leaks sparked contreversy over the U.S. involvement and support of the Mexican War on drugs when a cable written by a U.S. officials in Mexico commented on the massive corruption Mexico saying that it was ridden with "squabbling and mistrust among agencies, intelligence missteps, and less than complete dedication to the rule of law." Clinton, however, has taken steps to openly express the U.S.'s dedication to defeat the dangerous drug cartels in the country and stands by President Felipe Calderon's efforts and vows to continue to offer the country aid even if "it's not easy." She did make reference to the U.S. negative indirect involvement in the war regarding our supply of guns and money to the cartels themselves, calling it "transitional". The article in the New York Times reporting this address said little of Clinton or the United States agenda to help Mexico. According to Robert C. Bonner's Foreign Affairs Article, "The New Cocaine Cowboy", in aiding Mexico, the United States must deemphasize military assistance and instead focus on the developlment and training of Mexican law enforcement officers. Others suggest that the decriminilization of drugs like marijuana in the U.S. would reduce the cartels money flow dramatically. What the United States needs to conquer in hopes to help Mexico from becoming a dangerous neighbor narcostate is itself. We need to stop fueling the criminals that are causing the problems in the first place.

Yet another Mexican police officer has gone missing. Érika Gándara, 28, niece of Mexican Mayor of Guadalupe Distrito Bravos, dissappeared just two days after Christmas last December. She had recently been offered the job as a police officer because, "nobody else would take the job". Though she had been warned of the dangers of this position, she seemed excited and confident about her roll in the community. This did not last long, as she was soon taken from her home by a group of armed men in the middle of the night. Her uncle explains that she had only a little experience with security, and practically no actually crime experience. This is a prime example of Mexico's largest downfall in trying to beat the drug cartel; inequipt officers. The New York Times reports, "the lack of adequately trained police officers, a longstanding crisis that the government has sought to address with little resolution, allows criminal groups to have their way." The issue isn't the number of officers, its the quality. They need police members who are trained properly to handle the issues at hand and who will not succumb to bribery. This can be done by offering them stronger protection from the cartel themselves, as many of these officers are fearful for their everyday lives, and like Erika, are the main targets for the cartel. In his Foreign Affairs article "The New Cocaine Cowboys" Robert C. Bonner explains, "It is more important in the longrun for the United States to concentrate its assistance on the development, training, and professionalization of Mexico's law enforcement officers." He later goes on to suggest, "At the federal level, Mexico desperatley needs to create a Mexican equivilant of the FBI, together with a real anticorruption and interal affairs investigative capacity that can gain credibility through publicized prosecutions. At the state level, Mexico needs new police officers who are paid well enough to make them less susceptible to bribery. the best solution may be to abolish the municipal police departements altogether and have reformed state police agencies." It is in this way that other countries like the United States, and Colombia, who have extensive experience with these sorts of problems, can help Mexico. We need to not rely so much on direct miltary support, since according to Bonner, that is not the correct way to deal with the cartel. What we need is training and protection, for the sake of Mexico, for its future and its people.

Nazario Moreno González

Last December, one of Mexico's most prominent drug lords, a leader of La Familia cartel was allegedly shot and killed, according to a New York Times Article. He was killed in a two day battle in Michoacán along with several other cartel members. Unfortunately, this victory for the municipal police force will do little to stymie growing momentum of the Mexican Cartels. The other leader of La Familia, Felipe Calderon, who is said to the the cartels organizational mastermind is still alive. Despite the cartel's truce request following several leaders arrests regarding several police shootings, according to many experts, "the weakening of one cartel or the death of a major leader has led to more conflict and violence as competitors fight for open territory." This only adds to the relentless difficulty of the Mexican Drug War.