Open warfare in Puerto Vallarta

[osirissail]

Just curious - what ever happened to the C.F. policy on no politically-orientated threads about subjects of little or no relevance to cruising?

Are all the moderators asleep?

- Getting into quasi-hot or increasingly hot arguments about the politics of drug wars, etc. seems to be better hashed out in on-line news-feed comments sections than a forum discussing cruising and the cruising way of life.

[George DuBose]

"NORMAL mexican citizens NOT involved with these iolent narco/ cartels have not been in any peril nor under any threat from it."

This post leads me to think that the poster doesn't believe that any innocent bystanders have been killed by the crossfire between the narcotrafficantes and the police.

These blogs would be more useful if some people knew what they were writing about.

IF recreational drugs were decriminalized, legalized and controlled by doctor's prescription, the drug war would end...

All we have accomplished with this prohibition is to make drug dealers and weapons manufacturers rich. ...and waste a lot of money that could otherwise be used for...education?

[crazyoldboatguy]

Originally Posted by conachair

There's a middle road.
While not 100% positive, Portugal has had a lot of success with decriminalizing drug use. Easier for people to ask for help plus many more benifits..

Drug decriminalisation in Portugal: setting the record straight | Transform: Getting Drugs Under Control

I am familiar with the Portugal experiment. While mildly interesting it doesn't really address the narco-terrorism that heads up this stream. Folks are still using drugs in the country. That creates a demand, right? Where are those drugs coming from? The article also indicates that drug addiction is on the rise in the country - and that drug treatment is suggested but not required. Folks just have to be a bit careful about how much they carry at any given time or else they have to sit thru a mild lecture akin to a lame time-share presentation.

It seems the scheme does reduce the number of low level users ending up in jail or prison. That's about it. I'm not minimizing this - casual users are not then caught up in a criminal court system with a record that can impede their ability to find a job, etc. But they are still using - creating a demand that is at the heart of the narco-terrorist issue.

[George DuBose]

It is only because recreational drugs are uncontrolled and illegal that allows this "drug war" and violence to continue.

If recreational drugs were taxed, that money could help pay for drug treatment, drug education and our Social Security on top of it all.

As states begin legalization of cannabis, the windfall of revenue produced will convince other states to jump on the band wagon.

The farmers don't make much money from cultivation, the government doesn't make any tax revenue and we wind up with a lot of people in prison (costing us more money) or too many innocent people dead.

This is not just about Mexico. Afganistan's poppies support the Taliban and illicit drug trade causes death and corruption in other countries as well. If drugs were legal, the whole illicit drug industry would collapse like a house of cards.

[sailorboy1]

Originally Posted by chebba

Police squad ambushed and wiped out on highway East or town.

Wonder how the drug dealers really think this was a good idea?

[WileyCoyote]

Originally Posted by DeepFrz

Before you call some other place corrupt and backward take a close look much closer to where you are standing.

I don't disagree with you. We have, over the last few years become intolerably corrupt with all of the "Chicago politics" in the White House and the current administration. I would not agree, however, that we are backward, at least not as it applies to Mexico and other third world countries....

[crazyoldboatguy]

Originally Posted by George DuBose

It is only because recreational drugs are uncontrolled and illegal that allows this "drug war" and violence to continue.

If recreational drugs were taxed, that money could help pay for drug treatment, drug education and our Social Security on top of it all.

As states begin legalization of cannabis, the windfall of revenue produced will convince other states to jump on the band wagon.

The farmers don't make much money from cultivation, the government doesn't make any tax revenue and we wind up with a lot of people in prison (costing us more money) or too many innocent people dead.

This is not just about Mexico. Afganistan's poppies support the Taliban and illicit drug trade causes death and corruption in other countries as well. If drugs were legal, the whole illicit drug industry would collapse like a house of cards.

The unintended consequences of this being that instead of trying to prevent more misery we end up taxing more misery. And if you believe the gov't will use the windfall to pay for drug treatment programs, drug abuse education (which doesn't really work, BTW) and to prop up Social Security - hey, I've got a bridge in Brooklyn I wanna sell ya.

[Moody46CC]

Agree with Crazy Old Boat Guy.

A decade ago or so the anti-smoking lobby in conjunction with a number of states and their attorneys general won a whopping $214B settlement against the tobacco industry. The money from the settlement was apportioned to the participating states and was to be dedicated to the expenses associated with health care issues resulting for smoking plus education about the evils of smoking and so on. I say whopping because art that time $214B was half the pentagon's budget. It is my understanding that very little of that $214B ended up going to the noble ends of health care for ailing smokers and education to discourage young people form smoking. I hope I'm wrong on that, but most of you probably know what your state did.

I know someone will say that we can write laws that will insure the money goes as intended. Well, all I can say is no law or political decision is more than a majority vote away from being changed. In my state we have had several sales tax raises (1% at a time) with the guarantee that all the extra revenue would go for education. Each lasted one year; the next year the money went in the general till.

[jheldatksuedu]

I just wanted to say thanks for the info about Portugal's drug policy and the report how well it has worked. Very good info, wish our government would pull it's head out. I never have used a drug, never will, but have been the victim of 1/3 million in crime. I know this is a site about cruising, but we are all people that have to live in this world and I'm happy to discuss this and other political topics anywhere and everywhere. It's all part of being an informed person about today's important topics.

[DeepFrz]

I don't disagree with you. We have, over the last few years become intolerably corrupt with all of the "Chicago politics" in the White House and the current administration. I would not agree, however, that we are backward, at least not as it applies to Mexico and other third world countries....

OMG. You don't really believe that this started with Obama do you?

[nigel1]

OK folks, this thread has nothing to do with cruising, or boats.

As we have a thing about political arguments, the thread is now closed.

Thanks