The Sorrows of Drugs
Mexico is enduring a Drug War that threatens to become a Civil War.
About 15 thousand of its citizens were killed last year.
Recently, fifty women and girls were burned to death as they played bingo. After the funeral of a Mexican Marine, narcos followed his grieving family home and slaughtered them all.
It goes beyond mere crime. It is bloody anarchy.
The CIA Factbook says Mexican GDP is 1+ $Trillion. Probably generous, but still less than10% of US.
Below link says almost 50% of Mexicans live in poverty - defined at $180 per month or less!!! Most of the country’s GDP is in the hands of the wealthy.
So, why wouldn't a starving Mexican boy w/ambition join a Cartel?
As the Brit in the new History Channel documentary said, "He expects to have a good 5 years - money, women, cars, etc - and then a fancy mausoleum".
Of course, drug corruption goes to the highest levels in Mexico. The Zetas began as Mexican Special Forces.
"Plato o plano". Silver or lead. If a Mexican cop Wants to be clean, he (and maybe his whole family) gets a bullet. Or, he can take the money.
A retired DEA agent said, "We've fought the Drug War 40 years. It's cost over a Trillion dollars. We'll never win."
The US isn't immune from widespread corruption. Crooked cops are regularly caught.
The latest number for drug money in Mexico - $50 Billion annually. It's an estimate. Could be double that - making it about 10% of Mexico’s GDP.
History Channel scholars estimate that well over half of Mexican territory is not under the government’s control.
It's not just Mexico. Most of South America is involved.
Columbia still fights a horrendous drug war. Peru is struggling. Some countries, like Bolivia (President, Evo Morales) Refuse to cooperate at all.
International experts have built high-tech submarines for the Drug Trade. None have been caught. The cops just get the primitive subs.
A new History Channel documentary said many busts are deliberately arranged by narcos.
It's sad, but probably most people who use needles will get something - AIDS, poison drugs, etc.
Keith Richards wrote about 10 years on heroin in his brilliant book, “Life”. It was horrible, he was almost killed several times.
In Vietnam, I was alone at the Regimental HQ tent Aid Station.
Hundreds (thousands? - I can't remember) of morphine syrettes had expired.
I just got a new shipment. Procedure was to burn the expired morphine.
I opened a pack. Looked at the stuff. Shuddered. I was 20 years old.
Dumped the expired stuff in 50-gallon drums. Poured some diesel. Threw matches. Nice big fires.
I knew it was Poison.
Flash forward a few years. I was a clerk at a VA Hospital.
There was a separate building for heroin addicts to get methadone. I went there a few times a week for administrative work.
Cigarette smoke so thick it burned my eyes. I couldn't, and still can't,
believe how many heroin addict veterans there were.
Steady streams of The Damned coming in, going out. Sick, sallow, skinny wretches. Sad wrecks of young men.
Casualties of War that aren't counted.
... We need our troops home, ready for full scale Civil War in Mexico. For Security, Humanitarian Relief, and other duties.
The population of Mexico is 120 million souls.
My grandparents left there during the last civil war/revolution, which started in 1910.
It was the Second. The First started in 1810.
The muslims will sort out their own problems no matter what we do.
Our current National Security problem is South of the Border.
Comments
Post a Comment