WORLD AFFAIRS

The Age of Innocents

Violence is rising in Mexico's drug war, and the victims include cartel members—and now children.

By Michael Miller | NEWSWEEK
Published Oct 25, 2008
From the magazine issue dated Nov 3, 2008

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  • Posted By: yosammityslim @ 04/29/2009 10:37:42 AM

    I think most of these comments are very well-thought, and written by good people. But also think those calling for regulation and legalization in Mexico are completely blind to the brutal nature of these cartels- you take away these people's profit source, they'll find an uglier, even more violent, like human trafficking, etc. Violent, ruthless people don't dissappear with the wave of magical legislation, they continue being violent and brutal, but they change to continuously explot whatever good intentions liberals misguidedly throw out there to be fed upon.

    more on that here:
    http://www.youramericandollar.org/index.php/archive/the-mexican-goverment-a-bunch-of-sick-filthy-swine/

  • Posted By: mely0812 @ 03/19/2009 6:39:40 PM

    Personally, all this bloodshed could be stopped if only the government would legalize and regulate drugs. Seriously, the drug trade is a billion dollar industry (kinda like the pharmaceutical business) that money could be used to further stimulate the economy. People need to stop being so closed minded, if someone wants to smoke weed, ice, snort coke or whatever else they want to do they should be able to. For the most part people that use drugs are adults and are aware of what they're doing to their bodies.

    • Posted By: Cookie @ 04/20/2009 3:16:00 PM

      I completly agree with you
      is not like we are ignorant and don't know what we are doing to owr selfs by smoking weed.
      It's a personal choise and if someone wants to do drugs their going to do it legally or illegally .
      So might as well make it legal and stop the drug traffickng

  • Posted By: rjgunter @ 10/27/2008 1:34:16 PM

    Sure, it is about the money, and where it goes. Nobody does anything for free, and we should not expect them to (because they will eventually have to go make a living). People don't ever shop at walmart because they don't pay a "living wage". Some of those same people do illegal drugs, giving money to people who lob grenades into town squares. Go figure... I grew up in Miami, FL during the days of the Cocaine Cowboys and am very familiar with shootouts in shopping malls. This is why I think it should be legal. Then we can fund our wonderful government with all the tax dollar$. I do drink, but can see how that would be a problem if I let it get the better of me. Fortunately for me, my genes don't predispose me to addiction, and I hope that if they did, I would have the courage to abstain. The only reason there is lots of money in illegal drugs is because people foolishly decide to fund it. Too bad we are not "outraged"....

    • Posted By: chitown @ 10/27/2008 2:01:06 PM

      Ijnorance is bliss, Where is your indignationation for the MILLIONS of Americands that die each year from smoking TOBACO ( a legalized drug), The HUNDREADS of THOULSANDS from Alcohol addiction, Auto and work accidents ( again legal). More Americand die every year of LEGAL drugs then they do of ILLEGAL drugs. When is the last time you heard of someone dieing of Marijuana? So you drink Alcohol do you, whell then we alredy know what you are the amount is irrelevent.

      • Posted By: flaca90 @ 03/18/2009 4:13:30 PM

        I agree with you. There are alot of people have been smoking tobacco there whole life and die of lung cancer. I know alot of people who smoked weed and still smoking it and hasnt got nothing yet.

      • Posted By: ChadC @ 10/27/2008 3:20:34 PM

        Wow, what an interesting way to get your point across! You call someone "ignorant"...then you miss-spell the word (as well as 'indignation',and 'Americans', and 'hundreds', and 'thousands', and 'well' and on and on and on).

        • Posted By: chitown @ 10/27/2008 8:09:11 PM

          O K Teacher, I promise not to have wine with my lunch. However, you did get the message could not challeng it, so you attack the messenger on spelling. That too is IGNORANT. Did I sell it right for you?

  • Posted By: flaca90 @ 03/18/2009 4:08:36 PM

    One we need to finish the war that Bush started and stop putting so much money in the anti drug act them drug deallers are probabley getting half of it any ways. And one at least smoking weed and crack wont kill you Like mixing pills and achol can. People can get pills of the internet. Just leave the drugs and Mexico alone. Those drugs are going to get in some how. If any one likes it or not. They have jets and much more and a bigger fence wont help. The will probably boom that too. And any ways these kids are going to find other stuff to get them High. You cant stop people getting medication or making new things. But thats My OPION

  • Posted By: L_A_Walker @ 03/10/2009 11:11:22 PM

    DEMAND... First get a taste of our own democracy, If this is such a problem why laws have not been changed?, Since I remember politicians get elected and not by them selves, the blame lies in everybody because we suport this situacion in one way or another , knowin and not knowing... but as long as we DEMAND cheap goods and conviniece things are not about to change.

  • Posted By: juanpabla @ 10/27/2008 4:03:02 PM

    Sorry folks...I'm not at all interested in Mexico's problem. Illegals from Mexico have given us our own problems to worry about

    • Posted By: Undefined @ 10/27/2008 5:11:14 PM

      Illegals from Mexico have given you enough problems to worry about? ok let me ask you what those problems are? is it the jobs? do you really think that illegal immigrants are hurting your chances to get a job? why don't you blame the greedy AMERICAN CEO's that TAKE YOUR job out to China and Mexico to make a better profit because American people decide that they don't feel the need to prove their work abilities they just DEMAND that they make more. so let me ask you, are you going to put up with a bunch of spoiled people that don't want to do labor jobs and EXPECT more money, or people that work their behinds off for less than a decent pay? you make the judgement. and if you can tell me what other problems illegal immigrants from Mexico are causing you i'll be happy to listen.

      • Posted By: mikk323545 @ 03/09/2009 1:36:04 PM

        the cost in social services alone outweighs the benefits of the cheap labor. For every illegal child here we have to educate them and for every illegal without health insurance we have to treat them. How many children are born here to become yet another burdeen on the social serviices. Cheap labor from Mexico is not cheap. It would not cost anymore to pay a higher wage to people living here that are under employed ,for the very reason that there is always someone who will work for less if the are no safegaurds against it. My arguement is that some of the people who are on welfare are there because some the wages are worse than welfare. Thsi is not true in all cases, we have created a system where some will live on welfare reagrdless because they are wiiliing to live poorly rather than work at a job they consider"demeaning" . Many people iin the US work at low paying jobs because of low education, training or area they live in. The conditions in New Orleans before the fllood created a class of people who lived in poor neighborhoods, getting by in multiple family units with cheap housing all fostered by low wage service jobs in the tourism industry, mainly hotel labor. To say that these people are lazy, iis wrong they were trapped in low income jobs low expectations in family life to being comfortable in small neighborhood.

    • Posted By: Undefined @ 10/27/2008 4:56:23 PM

      the illegals have given you problems? this is a common misunderstanding, illegal Mexican immigrants did NOT take your jobs. in fact it was greedy WHITE CEO's that decided to take the jobs out of the country to make better profit because people like you think you should be paid more than anyone else simply because you are American and have the RIGHT to demand that. instead of concentrating on quality of the work you do and being paid modestly and EARNING your salary not DEMANDING it, your problems would be no more. the jobs would remain in America and uneducated people like you wouldn't be so quick to pin point the problem on people that are here to do the same thing you ancestors did many years ago.

  • Posted By: amconcernedcitizen @ 12/14/2008 1:59:06 PM

    I have been listening to your stories regarding the drug battles raging in Mexico and thinking about how to cut the demand for the product. I think this is the main solution.

    As a nation, we have done a very good job at reducing the amount of smoking through constant shaming advertisements, education and legislation. Current drug users usually will continue to use drugs no matter the message they see. Reducing drug usage at a young age is money better spent.

    Making it uncool for tweens to start usage is critical. I had lunch with a friend who said her 13 year old La Jolla raised daughter knows a friend using heroine and her daughter did not seem shocked. That is insane. If through their daily life events tweens saw billboards along the freeway stating the number of people killed this year in Mexico and the US due to direct drug usage, I would think it would reduce the likelihood usage would occur.

    Make it known that a personal choice involves real public tragedy. As rebellous as tweens are, they probably do not want their actions to be tied to deaths directly. Celebrities busted for drug usage would have more of a cloud hanging over them. Why would you admire someone who is contributing to killing people in Mexico/US this year?

    Peoples' memories are short so a constant reminder needs to be out there. TV and radio advertising time is too expensive. That would take government money and we know how that would turn out in this economy. What about billboards? Start small. Try one billboard at first. It should read like, "Drug usage has been linked to 4500 deaths this year in Mexico and the US. Don't be a part of the problem!" Getting this phrase to be repeated within the younger social circles would be a huge win.

    Parents today need Outlook task reminders to remember the simplest family events. Parents driving with their kids would remember to talk to their kids about drugs. If a news organization had a separate donation drive for a single billboard, I would contribute $300 right off the bat. The billboard would be a tangible visible beacon of positive change. I would think, 'There is my $300.' At the end of every drug related story, an update as to the goal could be announced.

    One well placed sign is better than 5 signs placed in poorly marketed areas. It has to have a real chance to reach the people who have the money to buy drugs.

    • Posted By: Gregweek @ 02/03/2009 12:27:04 PM

      You are correct. But kids are not stupid, they see their parents drink and take prescription drugs. They also see that the deaths are not caused by drugs, but by prohibition. As long as we demonize, and criminalize drugs with lies, especially with Marijuana we don???t have a chance.
      To make Drugs uncool al l you have to do is to treat addiction for what it is. A disease . If we stop arresting people for doing drugs, and start advertising offers to help sick people with drug problems get treatment, it stops being cool and starts being the thing that sickly looking guy is doing.
      And any drug we legalize keeps it out of the hands of kids. Just look at alcohol and tobacco.
      If we really want to stop the drug cartels, all we have to do is to undercut their market. Regulate it, reduce strengths where possible, take all the revenue and put it towards treatment for those that become addicted, and towards education to keep people from it. Making it illegal has not worked and never will work, not unless we give up all our rights to liberty and privacy.

  • Posted By: USA_Viking @ 12/14/2008 8:50:06 PM

    Are you certain this is Calderón's plan? Because last I heard, he and the Gov. of CA., Arnold, are widening the border
    entry and building NEW entry ports into CA. http://loudobbs.tv.cnn.com/category/broken-borders/ (click on the first video)
    None of the elected officials seem all that concerned. NAFTA, all the Mexican trucks that don't needs to meet the same emission standards as USA trucks, USA funded programs to GIVE Mexican truck Co. new trucks. The list is endless ...
    appears the demise of the USA economy is intentional. Anyone thinking it is not, will change their tune shortly.

  • Posted By: Marcus Aurelius @ 12/04/2008 12:56:46 PM

    The world's drug problem will never be eradicated. Why? It makes too damn much money. It is a multi-billion dollar per year industry. You think governments want to destroy that? No, they want in! They want some of that money! Heroin production has skyrocketed since the U.S. invaded Afghanistan. Hmm. I wonder why? It would be easy to destroy the poppy fields. Just fire bomb them. You want to knock out cocaine? Destroy all the coca plantations, attack the cartels with heavy duty weapons, kill them or lock them up for life. Wage an all-out war on these people. Sorry, it's not gonna happen. The money is just too good.

  • Posted By: dstrass @ 12/02/2008 5:18:36 PM

    I SEE JIMBO THINKS ALL THE PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY LIBERAL DEMOCRATS--IF HE WOULD JUST REMEMBER THAT CONTOL OF THE CONGRESS HAS BEEN WITH THE REPUBLICANS DURING THE TIME THE PROBLEMS FROM MEXICO HAVE ESCULATED TO THE POINT THEY ARE NOW. THIS HAS NOT JUST HAPPENED IN THE PAST TWO YEARS SO MAYBE IT'S NOT THE DEMOCRATS WHO WERE LIBERAL AND ALLOWED THIS TO HAPPEN.

    • Posted By: SAhlf @ 12/04/2008 12:25:10 PM

      He didn't say that liberals were the "cause" of the problems but "against this backdrop" they want to get more votes by any means... Dependents on the social system vote for the ones that will maintain them or increase their benefits. Unless someone stands up to criminals in Mexico or dependent Americans we will all have to become criminals or dependent on the system. Someday that will be clear enough that even liberals may vote against increased benefits?

  • Posted By: msfcom @ 11/04/2008 11:15:06 AM

    I completely agree that the situation has escalated to a point where innocent lives are being taken everyday. If you read any of Mexico's newspapers you will see horrific stories of children being kidnapped and killed. Mexicans don't care if drug traffickers are killed but when their children are being caught up in this wave of crime it is an injustice. This is obviously a situation that occurs in Mexico because it is the "gateway" country for the drug routes from South America to the U.S. and Canada. In any case it is Mexico's problem and they have been dealing with it for many years. What is quite clear is that they do need help, whether it is advice or aid from the U.S. Maybe it is not the U.S. immediate concern but they send troops to Iraq to defend the innocent from extremists why not lend a helping hand to their neighbor with which they have elaborate political ties.

  • Posted By: jimbo3800 @ 11/01/2008 8:33:59 AM

    And against this backdrop, the liberal Democrats want "open borders", drivers licenses for illegals, social security benefits for illegals, etc, in order to encourage lots of Mexicans to come here and become dependents on our social system. All so they can vote for Democrats, of course.

    Just once I would like to see the Democrats truly do what is best for their country, rather that what is self=-serving to their gaining power at all costs.

  • Posted By: idonow @ 10/30/2008 7:21:36 PM

    maybe mexico should put up afence that way the drugs could'nt get out and the guns couldn't get in

  • Posted By: mfenwick @ 10/29/2008 11:41:56 PM

    America should invade and conquer Mexico. There would be no more immigrants, legal or illegal. Wipe out all the drug lords and tell Calderon how things will be or else.

  • Posted By: Vote Now @ 10/29/2008 7:18:22 AM

    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: Vote Now @ 10/29/2008 7:18:10 AM

    I follow an economist named Bob Proctor. He has called the top and bottom of every market crash since the 70s correctly.
    He perfectly predicted the current meltdown and the picture he paints about what will happen next
    is terrifying.He thinks it will be worse then the great depression.
    The banks in the U.S. are going under one after the other. Countrywide ,Bear Stearns, Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch , Fanny and Freddy Mae ,AIG
    The government took them over because they are bankrupt. Even with the goverment nationalizing hundreds of billions of dollars in debt the stock market is crashing
    the credit markets are frozen and all of us may suffer beyond anything seen in generations
    McCain just like Bush " doesn't understand the economy".
    That not just my opinion its his own words. Not only does he not understand how to fix it but he does not understand how its been broken.
    It is no surprise that he doesn't. The people that make up these securities use quantum mathematical models very few people understand.
    Bush and McCain both can take the credit for this mess since they helped deregulate the laws that were protecting us.
    Bush's economic advisor Phil Graham wrote the deregulation bill that allowed banks to take huge risks with all of our future.
    Now, Phil Graham is the head of McCain's economic policy.He is also McCain's choice for the next secretary of the treasury.
    No one in this country can afford for that to happen. The last time Bush met with his economic advisors was in March. He was the last to know somthing was wrong. Phil Graham had the guts to say that we are in a mental recession after he helped create the worst economy meltdown in our lifetime. Check out this link to the truth http://my.barackobama.com/keatingvideo
    It will take the best and brightest minds in the world to get us out of this nightmare. As bad as Bush has done, McCain would be
    even more destructive because things are in much worse shape. The next president will not inherit a budget surplus like Bush did but a crashing economy and a 11,600,000,000,000 (trillion) dollars deficit. Most of it Bush created and it will take decades to pay it back.
    If you do what you have always done then you will get what you have always got.
    When it comes to policy Bush and McCain are the same 90 percent of the time.
    So why are the polls even close then ?
    Mccains team just said they no longer want to talk about the economy.Instead they would like to spend time talking about obama
    which means running the biggest smear campaign in history.
    They think they can just tell you lies and you wont be smart enough to see through it
    Let's teach him we are smarter than that
    Stand up and hold them accountable
    Bush isn't on the ballot this year but his policies are
    Elect Obama Biden 2008






    Check out this video of sarah palins interview and ask your self if she understands what she is talking about.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r36Xc0GG4iQ

  • Posted By: rube @ 10/28/2008 2:06:22 PM

    Posted By: TheVigil @ 10/28/2008 12:01:02 PM
    Comment: "That is all Mexico is, ONE BIG METH AND DOPE LAB. "
    The ugly American reares his ugly head.
    My question about this sort of ugly conjecture is, where does all the meth and and all the dope go?
    Where is the market? This war on drugs is yet another failure killing innocent people on both sides of the border! This will keep happening as long as the policies are the same! I could have written these words in the early 60s and they would still ring true! keep building walls, more agents, and more guns and lawyers.
    All this will do is raise the price of narcotics and crime will continue to sweep both nations!

    Another federal failure for our nation!

  • Posted By: Tsbt1998 @ 10/28/2008 12:22:11 PM

    I say legalize drugs, especially marijuana. Of all the drugs on this planet, alcohol is by far the most dangerous, and...it's legal. It makes no sense to me that if alcohol is legal, other drugs are illegal. Prohibition in the 1920's proved that you cannot legislate behavior. So, it seems the lesser of two evils would be to legalize drugs in the USA. It's a sensical solution and it would solve more problems than create.

  • Posted By: ndrock @ 10/27/2008 1:18:28 PM

    I guess we should feel sorry for the innocents that are getting caught in the middle? Not from here! When someone other than the drug dealers are in control of Mexico, maybe. The people let it get this far, and now they are paying the price.
    That is all Mexico is, ONE BIG METH AND DOPE LAB. The people want it back, the average Mexican will have to band together and fight. Most will be killed at first, but that is what it is going to take.
    When the government is made up of the drug cartel, what can one expect? Just like all the South America, it is just one big illegal drug company.

    • Posted By: TheVigil @ 10/28/2008 12:01:02 PM

      "That is all Mexico is, ONE BIG METH AND DOPE LAB. "

      Do you really expect people to believe you understand the situation when you say something this generalizing and stereotyping? Do you think your "average Mexican citizen" is going to take your advice about "taking their country back" when you talk about it like this? Would you respond with anything except anger if anyone said "America is ONE BIG METH AND DOPE LAB", even though our rural areas are dirty with methamphetamines these days and the Northwest grows a massive amount of weed?

    • Posted By: chitown @ 10/27/2008 1:51:04 PM

      Really, So why havent you banded together to fight the war on drugs right here in the USA? Yes most of the drugs come from South America, but you fail to mention that the Majotity of the consumers are from North America! The people here also let it get this far here too, and as the economy gets whorse so will the increase in buying, drug addiction, and crime all right here in the US of A. You know what you should not do when you live in a glass house don't you?

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