Checking In With Our Failed War On Drugs

On  a regular basis, we check in with the latest news reports as they apply to our "war on drugs." Unfortunately, there is rarely any good news coming from this "war" and today is no exception. From the idiotic and bungled Fast and Furious program to the power, reach and violence of the Mexican drug cartels to the unrelenting demand for illicit drugs throughout the country and the world, we are trying to resolve this problem using the same tactics that started with Richard Nixon. These tactics have failed every year since then.

Consider some recent "war" incidents:

- The Week magazine reported in its September 30, 2011 issue that the body of a murdered Mexican congressman was found dumped along a highway near Guerrero, Mexico. Although calls were made for a thorough investigation into the murders, the article reports that other lawmakers believe that drug gangs or crime syndicates likely played a role in the murder.

Do we think that our political class would finally change their drug war tactics if a U.S. Congressman was murdered in this country by drug gangs? This should be a wake up call to our politicians that the drug cartels and gangs really have very little restraint when it comes to getting what they want. Unfortunately, this is probably just another wake up call that will be delayed by the political class Snooze button.

- Although the botched gun running fiasco known as Fast and Furious has been in existence for several years, according to an article in the September 19, 2011 LA Times, the U.S. government had not yet explained to the Mexican government what happened and how many guns went over the  border as a result of Fast and Furious.

Imagine how bad this operation is. The U.S. government via its ATF organization has broken U.S. government laws as far was allowing weaponry to illegally cross our borders. The U.S. government via its ATF organization has likely broken international treaties as far as allowing weaponry to illegally cross our borders.

Last fall, the brother of a Mexican state prosecutor was killed after being tortured by drug cartel hitmen. However, as bad as this situation was, it turns out the brother was likely killed by Fast and Furious guns, a fact that the U.S. government concealed from its Mexican counterparts, according to the article.

Fast and Furious guns have also turned up at dozens of additional Mexican crime scenes that involved the killing or wounding of at least 150 Mexicans. Other Fast and Furious weapons were eventually found at the murder site of a U.S. Border agent.

Given the violence and disgraceful behavior of the U.S. government and the ATF, how did the Mexican anti-drug authorities find out about Fast and Furious? According to the article, Marisela Morales, Mexico's attorney general: "At no time did we know or were we made aware that there might have been arms trafficking permitted. In no way would we have allowed it because it is an attack on the safety of Mexicans."

The article goes on to say that the first time she learned of the Fast and Furious program was from news reports. Unbelievable way to run an operation and an unbelieveable way to treat a "war" ally.

- Since this September 17, 2011 LA Times article, another LA Times article, this one printed in the St. Petersburg Times, reported that forty high powered assault weapons that were illegally purchased and smuggled into Mexico as a result of Fast and Furious were found in the home of a top Sinaloa drug cartel leader and enforcer.

According to the article, the forty Fast and Furious weapons were just part of the enforcer's arsenal. The weapons were found when police raided the enforcer's home. Among the weapons found were a grenade launcher and  an antiaircraft machine gun. Hard to imagine that a crime syndicate has heavy, military weapons at its disposal.

- According to an October 31, 2011 report, U.S. law enforcement resources recently busted a Mexican drug smuggling operation in Arizona associated with just one cartel. The AP article reported:

• Over 120 people were arrested in the bust including low level scouts to higher level leaders of the Sinaloa drug cartel.
• The law enforcement authorities recovered $760,000 and over 100 weapons including assault rifles and shotguns.
• Drug volumes intercepted included 61,000 pounds of marijuana, 160 pounds of heroin, and 210 pounds of cocaine.
• The article reported that on a monthly basis, the Sinaloa cartel moves $33 million worth of drugs through Arizona which is derived from 3moving .3 million pounds of grass, 20,000 pounds (10 tons) cocaine, and 10,000 pounds (5 tons of heroin).
• These are the MONTHLY drug volumes of ONE drug cartel through ONE of their distribution channels. Imagine what the total volume of illegal drugs coming into this country is every month from every drug cartel through all of their channels. It boggles the mind.

- A dysfunctional and disgraceful Federal government/Justice Department/ATF drug running operation. Assassinations of Mexican government officials. Tons and tons of illegal drugs being smuggled into the country every month. No way this seems like a winning "war" strategy.

Especially when you consider the information from an October 6, 2011 Associated Press article. That article reported that the Obama administration was going to crack down on California drug operations that are legal under California state law but illegal under Federal law.

The purpose of these operations, most of them medical marijuana clinics, are used by people with a doctor's prescription to get legal marijuana to ease some of their medical ailments and pain. Although there is likely widespread abuse of the prescription process, the clinics do provide sick Americans with some form of real relief, relief that the Obama administration is about to terminate.

Imagine how bad our priorities are in this lost war on drugs. Violence, murder and death form the drug cartels. Unspeakable volumes of illegal drugs coming over the border. And our government decides that Americans citizens providing pain relief to other Americans in a state legalized manner should be wiped out. Unbelievable.

I do not know what the answer is to the illegal drug use in this country. However, a few things are obvious:

• Americans want to get high, given the high volumes of drugs coming over the border from Mexico's drug cartels.
• Since, and despite, the beginning of the war on drugs, the number of Americans still wanting to get high is still in the millions.
• The war on drugs has spawned deadly and growing cartels in Mexico that threaten to topple the Mexican government and turn it into a narco state.
• Our government is worried about a few marijuana clinics in one state in the face of this high level of drug abuse, cartel violence, assassinations, and high levels of drug trafficking.

How do we contend with this major issue? Doing it the same way since Nixon is obviously not working. Step 26, from "Love My Country, Loathe My Government,"  would be a good first step in trying something different. It provides a process involving law enforcement, economists, military experts, sociologists, and medical experts to formulate an effective,  compassionate, and overarching national drug abuse strategy.

We need to finally bring this insane war to an end in a cost effective and compassionate way.


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