None of you would vote for me for President then. I would issue the President of Mexico one warning, either you get control of the cartels, drugs, guns, etc., in your country or we will. If within one year of me taking office, Mexico has not done anything to mitigate these problems, I would, in fact, drive our military 20 miles into Mexico and set up a buffer zone. Any drug/gun or other trafficking activity caught going on within the zone will be met with lethal force, period.
I don't question your assertion that Maduro is the underlying reason, but destroying coke smugglers is an effective deterrent. Destroying a few Mexican cartels would also be effective and the USA could get away with it if clandestine operations have improved since the Bay of Pigs and Iranian Hostage Rescue fiascos.
And more about underlying reasons. The Administration is ending immigration from 19 countries, not just because of the shooting of the National Guard members, but because it is impossible to properly vet immigrants from those nations. Lack of vetting is not a new complaint. The shootings just provided a small uptick in the tolerance for such a move.
Don't know but plenty of Administration advisors and lawyers think the actions against the murder-by-drugs cartels are justified and legal. I just think they are effective.
It's probably more accurate to state they don't really care if the actions are legal.
I disagree on them being effective because targeting low-level traffickers or mules while pardoning the heads of the orgs doesn't remove the pipeline at all.
And let's be clear: drug users are themselves responsbile for their overdoses/deaths. Nobody is forcing them to do drugs at all.
That’s the stone coldest take I’ve ever read. Sure, suicides are also responsible for their own deaths. But that doesn’t mean we should not take measures to reduce depression and suicide. Drug addiction is more than a simple “I can stop whenever I want” life choice. Let’s be compassionate.
It's funny because this *used* to be the prevailing sentiment in American conservatism - personal responsbility for one's actions. I'm more than happy to talk about both preventing entry of drugs and treatment for addiction - because it's ultimately a health issue and the War on Drugs has been an unmitigated failure. I just doubt we'll get much agreement from others on how to go about that, because a lot of what's needed runs counter to the wants of MAGA/conservatives.
In general, drug users are using as an escape - so mental health needs to be in the equation too. But if someone ODs on coke, it's more 'cause they were partying and not because they have a pain issue that they were self-treating with opiates. That's not the fault of a drug trafficker, either - but that's how it's being framed by MAGA.
But: words mean something, and murder means "the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another." That's not what drug trafficking is, and if one bothered to think about it at all they'd realize that overdoses and deaths run counter to a drug seller's interests - 'cause then they lose a customer.
More mind reading about whether they care. But you are correct in saying the drug lords should not be pardoned. We deserve more factual information.
There's a good chance the end of the chain of mules in the USA are among the unvetted illegals who have managed to stay below the radar or who are protected by sanctuary state and local laws.
Generally, I agree that drug users have only themselves to blame but I tend to give the benefit of a doubt to minors caught up in the wrong crowd even though they will often turn out bad if they survive. Drug users often harm innocents as well as themselves by setting innocents on fire, slitting their throats, fatal beatings, rapes and robberies.
Mind reading? No. They've shown little care for legalities in general, and their statements show a delight in the killings. This is all about them feeling big and powerful, not about anything actually good for the US.
Something like 90% or so of all fentanyl - and likely other drugs - is brought in to the US by US citizens.
None of you would vote for me for President then. I would issue the President of Mexico one warning, either you get control of the cartels, drugs, guns, etc., in your country or we will. If within one year of me taking office, Mexico has not done anything to mitigate these problems, I would, in fact, drive our military 20 miles into Mexico and set up a buffer zone. Any drug/gun or other trafficking activity caught going on within the zone will be met with lethal force, period.
I don't question your assertion that Maduro is the underlying reason, but destroying coke smugglers is an effective deterrent. Destroying a few Mexican cartels would also be effective and the USA could get away with it if clandestine operations have improved since the Bay of Pigs and Iranian Hostage Rescue fiascos.
And more about underlying reasons. The Administration is ending immigration from 19 countries, not just because of the shooting of the National Guard members, but because it is impossible to properly vet immigrants from those nations. Lack of vetting is not a new complaint. The shootings just provided a small uptick in the tolerance for such a move.
Since when is smuggling drugs - either inside or outside the US - a capital crime per US law?
Don't know but plenty of Administration advisors and lawyers think the actions against the murder-by-drugs cartels are justified and legal. I just think they are effective.
It's probably more accurate to state they don't really care if the actions are legal.
I disagree on them being effective because targeting low-level traffickers or mules while pardoning the heads of the orgs doesn't remove the pipeline at all.
And let's be clear: drug users are themselves responsbile for their overdoses/deaths. Nobody is forcing them to do drugs at all.
That’s the stone coldest take I’ve ever read. Sure, suicides are also responsible for their own deaths. But that doesn’t mean we should not take measures to reduce depression and suicide. Drug addiction is more than a simple “I can stop whenever I want” life choice. Let’s be compassionate.
It's funny because this *used* to be the prevailing sentiment in American conservatism - personal responsbility for one's actions. I'm more than happy to talk about both preventing entry of drugs and treatment for addiction - because it's ultimately a health issue and the War on Drugs has been an unmitigated failure. I just doubt we'll get much agreement from others on how to go about that, because a lot of what's needed runs counter to the wants of MAGA/conservatives.
In general, drug users are using as an escape - so mental health needs to be in the equation too. But if someone ODs on coke, it's more 'cause they were partying and not because they have a pain issue that they were self-treating with opiates. That's not the fault of a drug trafficker, either - but that's how it's being framed by MAGA.
But: words mean something, and murder means "the unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another." That's not what drug trafficking is, and if one bothered to think about it at all they'd realize that overdoses and deaths run counter to a drug seller's interests - 'cause then they lose a customer.
More mind reading about whether they care. But you are correct in saying the drug lords should not be pardoned. We deserve more factual information.
There's a good chance the end of the chain of mules in the USA are among the unvetted illegals who have managed to stay below the radar or who are protected by sanctuary state and local laws.
Generally, I agree that drug users have only themselves to blame but I tend to give the benefit of a doubt to minors caught up in the wrong crowd even though they will often turn out bad if they survive. Drug users often harm innocents as well as themselves by setting innocents on fire, slitting their throats, fatal beatings, rapes and robberies.
Mind reading? No. They've shown little care for legalities in general, and their statements show a delight in the killings. This is all about them feeling big and powerful, not about anything actually good for the US.
Something like 90% or so of all fentanyl - and likely other drugs - is brought in to the US by US citizens.
Pretty good argument, Steve.