More than 22,000 dead: Ex-drug czar’s hallmark of success?
The L.A. Times recently reported that more than 22,000 people have been killed in cartel-related violence since Mexican President Felipe Calderon began a crackdown after taking office in late 2006. Now, after reviewing 20 years of scientific literature on drug-related violence, researchers at the International Centre for Science in Drug Policy issued a report finding that increased violence is the predictable result of a crackdown.
The former drug czar, John Walters, disagreed with their conclusion, claiming violence is a result of the cartels getting weaker. The Associated Press reports Walters “said the researchers gravely misinterpret drug violence. He said spikes of attacks and killings after law enforcement crackdowns are almost entirely between criminals, and therefore may, in a horrible, paradoxical way, reflect success.”
Walters himself has estimated that 60% of cartel profits come from marijuana. Yet while no one has ever died of a marijuana overdose, it’s clear that many thousands have been killed in prohibition-related violence. And despite billions of dollars in expenses each year, the trail of bloodshed, and 800,000 arrests per year, more than 80% of high schools seniors still report each year that marijuana is very easy or fairly easy to get. I guess John Walters and I have different definitions of success.
40 comments
This is the sort of thinking that allows government officials to always justify continuation or expansion of a current program, regardless of whatever feedback is being received.
If violence were decreasing instead of increasing, I don’t think John Walters would be touting it as a sign that the cartels have finally won the war. He’d claim that our policies were making people safer, and therefore should be continued. He’s in a sealed-off position; whether violence goes up or down, the recommendation moving forward will be exactly the same. This is a hallmark of demonstrably illogical thinking.
We see this everywhere there are self-interested government bureaucrats who only want to maintain (or further entrench) the status quo. Obviously drug policy is as polluted with this mindset as any area of government.
With all the evidence that keeps piling up and all the new polls showing support for legalization of cannabis, it’s becoming more and more obvious that our government has no intentions of paying any attetion to any of that. They will continue to ignore all the facts, continue to ignore the voices of the people, and they will continue to push their greed based agenda.
No person with even an ounce of common sense would ever support prohibition, unfortunately common sense is not a requirement to run for the office or hold a political post.
Up to this day the government continues to avoid an open debate on the issue, because there’s nothing to debate, all the studies and research point towards full legalization.
It is time that we all stand up for our constitutional rights. We can’t count on the government to make the right choice, they’ve had plenty of time and chances but the federal policy still hasn’t changed.
Free The Weed. Free The People.
John Walters should be dropped off in Juarez Mexico with a sandwich board strapped to him in spanish proclaiming his rhetoric. Sort of like Die Hard.
Jon Walters is Blinded By Ideology. Plain and simple
With out prohibition, John Walters would have no job. Who cares except John Walters and the rest of the greedy lying thieves that we call elected officials. In november the people of California will speak and the nation shall hear.
The way I see it, let the studies keep coming and support continue growing. Soon, it won’t matter what the law says, because a grand majority of the population will ignore it, and the police will be way too overloaded with tokers and growers that they will be powerless to do anything about it. I see us going the way the Netherlands did. The laws against pot are still on their books, but a huge blind eye is turned to the activity of growing and using.
I’m just disgusted with it. I’m totally pissed off at my government for letting pot prohibition go on so long. They must realize by now prohibition can both remove the violence by taking the illegal profit out of it for legal redress to settle disputes while at the same time removing the underground income of illegal aliens here. That makes up for the difference in their above ground income so they can afford to stay, you know. Then you don’t have to enact national socialistic laws to check people’s papers for no other reason. You know you could let a lot of my brothers out of your machine for cheap prison labor. Give them back the vote. We know you prohibitionists took the funk, and you got to give up the funk now.
Free the Weed!
Best read to the song:
“Going Back to My Roots?” by Odyssey
Luke # 6– NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
FULL OUT LEGALIZATION is the ONLY acceptable solution. I’m 51 and tired of waiting for my dealer to get off his ass, and if he doesn’t I have to go dry for long periods of time. Screw that. I want to buy it at the local CVS.
Let’s crack down on the citizens of this country for marijuana too then since it’s such a success in Mexico. Why don’t we have that paradoxical horrible success here. WTF?
We should have an award, like the Darwin awards, where we can vote for the person with the dumbest idea that in turn kills the most people. Let’s say for this post we call it the Anslinger Award. I nominate the drug czar for the Anslinger award. Now he has something to really be proud of.
WASH VOTER 9,
How about the Hitler award? Hell, I think that MJ prohibition probably could exceed the numbers of people that died at the hands of the German riech.
whoop de do,,another article about violence in Mex,heres what matters til the states do there part and let the people vote and legalize ,nothing really matters.
Of course it matters, its fuel for the fire. Just another reason there should be more and more behind the idea of ending prohibition.
It truly makes absolute no sense why the federal government how is supposed to protect us favors people dyeing and violence over the freedom of a natural drug that harms no one!!
Okay. Two things. Cannabis is a weed. It grows wildly and is native to many continents. How can it be illegal?
Secondly, do any of you know about Initiative 1068 in the state of Washington? If not, or you are curious, go to the Sensible Washington web site. Its a initiative filed by the people. If enough people sign the petition, it will go on the ballot. It decriminalized cannabis with no strings attached. If you are a WA voter, please sign and find a meeting of volunteers so you can start gathering signatures. There are two months to go to get about 200,000 signatures.
Let it roll … or rather, let’s roll. Power to the people.
What in tarwalters is happening to america
i will argue john walters perspective, though i can actually understand his angle.
In the war on drugs as demand goes up for the substance, this being caused by shortages via crackdowns or anything else, violence will almost necessarily go up every time. This violence, as Walters depicts, is between the criminals of the cartels or gangs theoretically decreasing numbers but it is not between leaders or recruits. Think of a chess game when you attack and put a piece in risk the first is always going to be the pawns and in places of poverty you can amass more pawns with the lure of money, 60% comes from marijuana, by utilizing your people and money you can almost literally have infinite pawns especially in poor places like Mexico. Secondly these instances of cartel violence often happens inside city limits putting dwellers of these city’s at risk of being shot stabbed just by being in the wrong spot at the wrong time.
It is my theory that legalizing marijuana will in fact increase violence in Mexico but also decrease their lure of money which we will also see in poorer parts of our own cities and over time a decrease in members via poorer, money i mean, recruitment and increased violence over “territory” will dwindle numbers dramatically. So yes increase of violence could mean a winning situation but not as long as money is kept pumping into the cartels allowing them to constantly garnish more pawns
oh and i spent the last 6 years of my life researching this by actually living a lifestyle that put me into situations that would allow me to better understand people’s mind set and the one thing that i have learned is that many people who start selling drugs start with marijuana because it is easily acquired and easily moved due to high demand and high supply
Prohibition failed with alcohol. Prohibition led to, well.. organized crime and violence. Speak-easies were everywhere and everyone was drinking. Kind of like MJ now. Prohibition of MJ will fail. Holland’s citizens use MJ and hard drugs at half the rates of American’s and drugs are legal there. This really is simple. I want my f*%#ing LIBERTY and PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS. Stop telling us we are criminals, when we are successful college students, career professionals, you name it- Presidents. Liberty. is. a. ghost. To what it’s supposed to be.
OH! So all those shoot-outs I see between Coors and Budweiser over streetcorners, that means I’m SAFER!
Oh silly me….I thought the ending of Prohibition and the Mafia’s iron grip on the alcohol market, was a good thing, that resulted in less violence, and a safer America.
What a silly bunt.
Has ayone heard about the new law in Florida that prohibits the sale of “Tabacco Pipes” in head shops unless the shop sales are 75% tabacco?
Basically these shops have to specialize in tabacco in order to sell the equipment used to smoke tabacco. They really can sell t-shirts, piercings, cleaners, or anything else as this would dilute their tabacco sales.
Why is Florida seemingly the only state actually going backwards on this issue?
because florida is america’s wang.
oh yeah, one more thing. i get the medicinal side of things but fuck that back door shit. i’m with jack, full outright legalization. that is what we all need to be fighting for. please vote. and when you do research the candidates. are they pro pot or at least compassionate to the cause? if not vote those fuckers out. these are our elected officials and our voice. who do we want to be our voice? comon now. rise up, recognize and ask somebody.
PUSH TO MAKE MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION A PRIORITY IN ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL!!!!!!!!!!! EVEN POLICE JURY’S AND SHERIFFS!!!!!!!!!!! GO TO RALLY’S PEOPLE AND ASK THE QUESTION PERSONALLY THEN SPREAD YOUR OPINION ON THE CANIDATES
You guess your view success differently? Of course you do.
HE views success as a degree related to how many tax dollars he can get and spend perpetually fighting an un-winnable war.
YOU (and every other sane person on the planet) views success as a degree of the quality of peoples lives and happiness.
Bushman, If you get the medical marijuana thing then you would understand that it is not just a ploy for legalization. MJ really is medically benificial. Calling it the back door thing is wrong. If I can smoke one joint instead of taking my percocet, xanex, and muscle relaxers, then its medically benificial, thus its medical marijuana
These people have no intention of ever winning the war on drugs. None. It would be a disaster if they did. Not only would a lot of people lose the oppurtunity to make any money at all, but then what excuse would they have to sell helicopters and guns to clients like the Mexican government? What excuse would they have to continue sending unbelievable numbers of black and hispanic citizens to prison? How would they make money in Afghanistan, how could they undercut unfriendly regimes, how could they sell people addictive and deadly pharmaceuticals in numbers that allow drug companies to make profits comparable to those made by oil companies?
Our country has been taken over by criminals. It dont matter that they wear white collars and ties, they are criminal no less than Al Capone was. They are raping our country for everything they can while they can. the fact that you can put the truth in their face and they dismiss it says it all. Only criminals would refuse to do what is right in the blinding face of the truth. Those in government that are not criminal are just as guilty if they stand by and do nothing to help WE THE PEOPLE reclaim what is ours…our country and our government. You wouldnt let thieves walk into your house and steal your things, that your life…why would we sit by and let this happen to our house…our country? People …get off your asses and..get angery…get your protest signs out, march with them, put them in your yards, put them on your cars….dont just sit there! Talk to your neighbors! You dont have to join a tea party or a coffee party , how bout being the tough INDIVIDUALS we Americans are? BE YOUR OWN PARTY !
Glen Beck opened my eyes yesterday.We are being led to slaughter by the Obama’s gang of socialists. They are going to ruin this country. Do not be fooled into voting for them again just because they will sopport change in the next election. Oregon’s high court says an employee can be fired for using a doctors prescribed cannabis use. Doesn’t the Oregons courts have to follow state law, NOT federal law? Why did it take a news paper from L.A. for people to realize that the dead in Mexico is because of the drug use in the U.S. any way? We knew that years ago, those of us that use cannabis did. Cannabis legalization will save billions of bollers and cost big pharma around 30 billion per year in just profits. If we want the gang violence to stop and the killings in mexico to stop we have to legalize drugs, or at least cannabis. We must not be suckek in by the dem’s or repub’s lies. They will tell us they are for reform but they will do nothing that costs them money. Prohibition is state sponserd terrorism against the people. Sure I want cannabis legal but I also want to live in a free country and we are loosing our freedom more and more every day the Obama gang is in office. We do not have the funds or enough votes for our own party. A Beck Palin ticket however would include around 50 to 75% of the voting people. MPP.. Is there any way you could get to talk with Glen Beck? His show is being boycotted against by the white house, Acorn, AFL-CIO, ACLU, and others for telling the truth about the Obama gang from Chicago. I know you are basically for cannabis reform but yesterday the Obama gang got their foot in the door on guess what subject, ” INTERNET SENSORSHIP” . How long do you think it will take to shut down any web site that the Obama gang says is offencive, racial, insitefufor just plain worthless. You at MPP will see. I bet that as long as you play the game and support ONLY cannabis reform you will be left alone. I see a great future for a politition with a pro cannabis less Gov’t plan. Only problem is any one elected is soon over come with GREED. Cannabis reform can and should be included with the tea party. They want our constitutional rights back and George Washington, John Adams, and all the rest of our founding fathers said that this country should grow hemp for our survival, and they did. Our weapon is a voting booth. Our target is anyone that opposes freedom and freedom of choice to use cannabis. And that is my rant for now.
@26, 27 & 28 – Canabliss, Freedom and Clarence – you guys kick ass. Let’s bring the freedom back to our country.
Free The Weed. Free The People.
Clarence, I have news for you. Beck wants to ramp up the enforcement of drug laws. He views all of us who refuse to obey the immoral unjust marijuana laws as ‘progressives’ who deserve to be punished. His view is that ‘the Rule of law’ is there to punish law breakers rather than to protect your freedom and liberty.
Everything he says is an end around to his totalitarian religious beliefs.
John Walters is a P.O.S. and Obama has his head up his AS-. The only thing causing the violence is prohibition.
Holy Smokes! In the 60′s 4 dead in Ohio caused a major policy shift. Yet, over 20,000 dead in Mexico since 2006 in the drug war crackdown. Nothing.
We keep repeating the same action, expecting different results. I think that defines “insane.” Yet, our leadership, on the highest floors, keep repeating the same actions and expect to get different results. Therfore, our leaders are “insane” and should seek proper mental services intervention and treatment for insanity. Paid for by O-Care.
Rev.sLeezy
TULCOTHS
Holy Smokes. We call it riding the gravy train.
The Rev.
This is the gauge by which they (the prohibitionists) measure success? With such a a high “success” rate, what numbers will we see next year? Will it be thousands more dead people? They backpedal the issue by saying it is only the cartels killing each other (like this is a good thing) and sweep it under the table concerning the innocents who have lost their lives. Lets not forget the many thousands who live in fear of both law enforcement AND drug dealers. They are caught in the middle. We the voters must start asking some very pointed questions of our “would-be” electorates BEFORE we put them in office. This madness has to end.
High east:
I have to agree with you. I was a beck fan at one point til I realized Ruppurt Murdock was the one pulling the strings at fox. Becks talk about freedom is good and all but hes being controlled. We have to have a take no prisoners attitude when our freedom is involved. End the fed, it is a corrupt institution that benefits only the international bankers and the government. Follow the constitution, only laws within this should be allowed, to often government has made laws to suit thier agendas outside the constitution. End our EMPIRIALISTIC WARS, far to many documented facts have convinced me our country in a conquering nation and this is not in line with the freedoms our constituiton protects.
Becareful folks who you trust in our Lame stream Media, there are those behing the scenes pulling strings. Same with any “tea” party or “coffe” party , while the majority of people in these groups are freedom loving souls , these groups are in danger of being controlled by government interests.
Ruppurt Murdocks Holdings in media:
Adalaide News, Australia
News America Publishing, Inc.
Times Newspaper Holdings, vice president
Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corp, co-owner and chairperson
William Collins PLC, Scottland
News Corp, Ltd., Australia
Fox Entertainment Group, CEO
British Sky Broadcasting, UK, chairman (the BBC’s top competitor)
City Post Publishing Corp, chairperson
Cruden Investments, co-owner
News Ltd, Group and Assoc. Companies, Austrailia
Bemrose Publishing, owner
Bay Books, owner
United Technologies, director
And a few other companies. Each of these companies has many holdings within its overall umbrella. So, for example, media outlets controlled by this one Australian born political activist include:
Fox Broadcasting Co. (Fox News, Fox Network, Fox Family, Fox Sports)
Twentieth Century-Fox TV
Fox Filmed Entertainment movie studio
over twenty Fox-owned TV stations
FX Cable TV Network
An additional 20+ regional sports outlets
Channel 10 in Sydney, Australia
Channel 10 in Melbourne, Australia
News Group Productions and Skyband in the US
Satellite Television PLC in England
BSkyB, UK (cable and satellite station that reaches all of Britain)
Star TV, Asia
JSkyB, Japan
SkyLatin America, Telepiu
London Weekend Television (part-owner)
With all this media influence , It would be easy to influence politics around the world. Too easy to sway the minds of the masses for the benefit of Himself or government interests.
I’m sorry to say this but any number you pull out of your ass or estimation is simply fabricated. It does not matter what you say statistically because it is matter of fact that these numbers are pulled from hypothetical situations. Should marijuana be legal. YES. Should we support bills and amendments that negate criminal activity. YES. This argument of marijuana is safer then alcohol is a ploy for people to say really it is less harmful then the most addictive legal substance we have that everyone knows, including the government, is very harmful to people. It is a political ploy, a half brained one at that though true. Medicinal use of marijuana was a ploy and a back door way to allow people to use the substance under legal terms, even though it is actually beneficial it is still a ploy.
What we need is someone who can talk to these right wing pansies and find a middle ground, something we can both agree on so that a federal bill can be passed through both houses of government.
this is what I’m talking about:
Marijuana is the easiest detectable substance so any one in a probation sentence, state our federal, should be prohibited.
Taxation of marijuana should be used to help alleviate our ever growing economic crisis.
there are others but I am tired of hearing the bull shit about take our government back because, though we have more serious problems, marijuana is not smoked by everyone and to those people we are taking nothing back for the citizens of these united States. We need to take the approach in saying how many simple marijuana possession arrest are there that involve violent offenders, either future or present. We need people to step up and run for office who put there reputation on the line for our 15-20 percent of the populous. Don’t be ignorant marijuana reform does not change our government and does not effect every citizenship. It is a nice rallying call but we still have essentially the same government we had before the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement and as long as you preach about how we need to take our country or our government back you will only draw in people who feel the same way you do not the people you need to sympathize for you so that support will grow.
and when i say legal marijuana i also include hemp because hemp is essentially marijuana
Holy Smokes. Hemp is an excellent Bio-fuel. Grows Quick and has a lot of the cellulose that makes great fuel. The flowers can produce seeds full of oil. Yet, it’s marijuana!!! oooooohhhhhh! The Evil Devil Weed! and, it won’t even get you high. Go figure? Real change would be large hemp fields growing seeds for oil and stalks for Biomass fuel rods. Allmost like waking up in a dream? Keep the dream.
Rev.sLeezy
rev.sleezy always with something good to say to bad their can’t be a political party that focuses on legalizing marijuana both for recreation and hemp that would just be to wonderful to come true.
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