The more than drug “war”

“The whole process of arming NAFTA means that there’s a series of mechanisms (the drug war being the most important) that are really aimed at militarizing the country in order to protect foreign investment,” explains Laura Carlsen of the Center for International Policy.

“We know is that the United States is funding this drug war to support security forces that, it turns out, are in deep collusion with the criminal forces — and this collusion is directed against the population.”

I have little patience … as in absolutely none… with those naive north of the border commentators on every story about some atrocity here in Mexico reading “if they just legalized drugs, the problem would be solved”. First off, because the “they” haven’t yet, and until “they” do, EVERY U.S. DRUG CONSUMER IS COMPLICIT IN MURDERING MEXICAN PEASANTS AND STUDENTS.

While it certainly would be intelligent to legalize the narcotics trade, the USAnians who believe this are no different, really, than those who insist the U.S. is ENTITLED to the agricultural products, minerals, oil, labor and water of other people for no reason other than… I don’t know, military power maybe?

That said, I am glad to see the phony “drug war” discussed for what it really is… a war against Mexican (and anyone else’s) reasonable expectations that their natural resources are their own, and that as human beings, they have a right to live their lives, and make decisions in their own best interests, not those of foreign consumers and corporate interests: