Mexican wave

Wed, 21 Nov 2007 23:56:49 +0000

Mexico is staggering under a crime-wave relating to drug gangs. It seems like they have some serious problems and the gangs are often better armed than the police with a steady flow of armaments coming over the border from the U.S.

Today two teenage girls have been found guilty in Ghana of trying to smuggle 6 kg of cocaine to the UK. Who knows if they did it? Or if they were duped?

These and all the many other drug stories just reinforce, for me, the idea that most, if not all, gang related crime is created by government prohibitions.

In all the years that governments have declared their wars on drugs has it ever stemmed the tide? Even a little bit? Do people want to use drugs less now than they did?

This crime exists because the government creates the conditions for a black market to exist. Do you see people killing each other over cigarettes? Or alcohol? Only when the government bans them.

If you want to smoke crack cocaine frankly it's nobody's business provided you are willing to accept the consequences of your actions. Maybe your health insurance should be more expensive.

Frankly I think we'd spend far less looking after people who can't handle their drugs than we do now on phony drug wars that seem designed only to keep law enforcement in jobs and drug lords in Ferrari's. I often wonder if the drug cartels are the biggest lobbyers for continued anti-drug legislation.

If we legalized drugs, gambling, and prostitution how would the gangs make any money out of it? Their way of doing business would be more expensive than their legitimate competitors. Just like people don't bootleg whisky any more (except when the government make the taxes so high that you're tempted to smuggle it from abroad).

The Mexican government seem to have a hard line stance on drugs and guns and, as a result, Mexico seems to be awash with both.

What will it take for people to work this one out?

I vote that we repeal the drug laws, gambling laws, and prostitution laws. Put a chunk of money aside to deal with the drug addicts, gambling addicts, and prostitution addicts and, I predict, take a healthy cut in taxes.

Curiouser and Curiouser! on gambling

Mexican wave