Calderon Facing Growing Anger Over Drug Violence

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Calderon Facing Growing Anger Over Drug Violence

Flickr / CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture Some rights reserved

Felipe Calderon speaks at the Forest Day conference in Cancun, Mexico, in December.

The recent slaying of a popular poet’s son and the discovery of mass graves filled with hundreds of bodies have prompted a strong public outcry against Mexican President Felipe Calderon and what critics call his failed anti-drug policies. A massive demonstration is planned for Sunday in Mexico City. —ARK

Los Angeles Times:

Calderon, in a series of recent comments, has sought to steer blame toward the violent drug gangs, which at times act with the help of police under the control of local authorities. The president has accused detractors of political aims, and vowed to continue his 4 1/2-year-old crackdown on drug cartels.

... Outrage over the rising death toll, with more than 34,000 people killed since Calderon took office pledging to fight cartels, has already generated sporadic street protests.

... Big crowds are expected again in Mexico City’s main plaza Sunday to urge an end to the bloodshed. Hundreds of marchers set out Thursday from Cuernavaca, 60 miles south of the capital, and were expected to be joined by many more after reaching Mexico City.

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By AmishEcstasy, May 8, 2011 at 4:42 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Mexico is yet another reason to legalize marijuana and stop this ridiculous"war on drugs”. Take a good look at Mexico. Grinding poverty with low paying jobs with a few rich autocrats running the whole show. The United States will be in that condition soon!

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By TDoff, May 7, 2011 at 10:06 am Link to this comment

Calderon should start passing out lots of free public pot, to soothe the anger and hostilities his drug policies seem to engender.

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By frecklefever, May 7, 2011 at 9:44 am Link to this comment

MEXICO IS A FRACTURED COUNTRY OF GREAT POVERTY…AND RULED BY
THE PRIVILEGED…DISGORGING THE WEALTH FROM THE FEW IS THE SAME
PROBLEM AMERICA IS NOW FACING..THE MATERIAL WEALTH OF ANY
COUNTRY BELONGS TO ALL THE CITIZENS…NOT THE UNHOLY FEW..MEXICO
AND AMERICA NOW HAVE A COMMON FOE AND IT IS THE INSANELY
ACQUISITIVE..

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By Timothy Gawne, May 7, 2011 at 8:13 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Mexico is not fighting a “drug war”. That’s absurd.

Mexico is a failed state where brutal crushing poverty is tearing the social
contract to shreds.

Canada doesn’t have a raging “drug war”. Because Canada is prosperous and
Canadians have better things to do than kill each other in the streets.
Mexicans, increasingly, don’t.

Legalizing drugs will only make things worse. Do you really thing that all those
newly unemployed drug dealers will simply starve to death quietly? Rubbish.
They will turn instead to kidnapping and piracy.

What caused Mexican poverty is that, in brief, Mexico did exactly what the Wall
Street Journal demanded. They engineered a massive population explosion.
They crushed unions. They raised taxes on the working poor to pay for bailouts
of rich people who made bad investments, They allowed the formation of
massive cartels that jacked up prices for basic commodities like cement and
phone service. They allowed pro-businiess political parties to steal elections
from progressives. And where Mexico has gone, the United States is following.

It can happen here. And illegal drugs have nothing to do with it.

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By Jimnp72, May 7, 2011 at 6:21 am Link to this comment

whatever it is they are savaging each other for-should be legalized, regulated and taxed. such would take the profit away from the drug cartels. maybe not right away, but done with foresight and care, the goal could be achieved.
But no, the usa wont let them, and Im sure the korrectional korp of amerika wouldnt be too keen on it, either.

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