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Sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure

washingtonpost.com

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Re: Sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure

#2
According to a recent book, the United States sells more weapons to Mexico than any other country in the world.

Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera (2017) "Los Zetas Inc: Criminal Corporations, Energy, and Civil War in Mexico", p. 228.

https://www.amazon.com/Los-Zetas-Inc-Criminal-Corporations/d...

Re: Sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure

#5
This article focuses on illegal US->MX trafficking of .50 cal rifles, somehow missing that the problem is not .50 cal guns and not even guns in general.

The problem is weak southern border security, regardless of what items go through it illegaly - guns, drugs or people.

Re: Sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure

#6
This article makes it seem like .50 rifles are the main reason the cartels are more powerful than the government in some areas of Mexico. Those things cost well over $10,000 apiece, and over $4 per round to fire. No expert, but I don't think that's how you take on an army.

I wish the article had focused more on the overall arms trafficking problem (which is about lots of cheap guns, not a few expensive ones) and the overall government instability problem, and (what the hell) the war on drugs that fuels it. Instead, it has a bunch of pictures of scary looking guns, and feels sensationalized and focused on the wrong thing entirely.

Re: Sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure

#7
post #5

This article focuses on illegal US->MX trafficking of .50 cal rifles, somehow missing that the problem is not .50 cal guns and not even guns in general. The problem is weak southern border security, regardless of what items go through it illegaly - guns, drugs or people.

[deleted]

Re: Sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure

#8
If the US legalized drug possession and taxed their sales, the cartels would disappear overnight and we could use the additional tax revenue to fund healthcare.

We'd create an economic boom from the farming of hemp to new drug manufacturing companies. As other countries loosen up, we might even have an export economy.

Stability in Mexico could make our neighbor a more attractive manufacturing and trade partner.

The old generation that believed in drug wars is dying or dead. It's time to change US policy.

I don't even use drugs and I think our position is stupid.

Re: Sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure

#9
post #8

If the US legalized drug possession and taxed their sales, the cartels would disappear overnight and we could use the additional tax revenue to fund healthcare. We'd create an economic boom from the farming of hemp to new drug manufacturing companies. As other countries loosen up, we might even have an export economy. Stability in Mexico could make our neighbor a more attractive manufacturing and trade partner. The o…

They would pivot from drugs to some other market. Cartels are startups, too.

Re: Sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure

#10
post #8

If the US legalized drug possession and taxed their sales, the cartels would disappear overnight and we could use the additional tax revenue to fund healthcare. We'd create an economic boom from the farming of hemp to new drug manufacturing companies. As other countries loosen up, we might even have an export economy. Stability in Mexico could make our neighbor a more attractive manufacturing and trade partner. The o…

They would pivot from drugs to some other market. Cartels are startups, too.

Would they still have guns and murder people when their activities are no longer illegal? I have trouble thinking they would bother funding an army. There's no need.
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