Pretty shocking stuff...
http://traptv.com/2012/mexican-children-reenact-real-life-drug-wars-in-graphic-short-film/

...reminds me of this amazing video by the Greeks.
http://www.videolog.tv/video.php?id=660518

doesn't remind me of this NZ anti teen drinking video at all, but you should watch it anyway:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtWirGxV7Q8

this video is getting a lot of attention and talking in the news here in Mexico, and was made as a direct message to the 4 candidates for the Mexican government, and to all the lazy corrupt politicians

http://www.nuestromexicodelfuturo.com.mx

That first video is pretty powerful stuff. I seriously hope things get better. There was a great video report of a BBC journalist following a police team for a night somewhere along the border (Tijuana? Can't remember). I don't remember how many murders they saw, including a kid, but it was shocking. People, don't do drugs. Not only are you killing yourself, but you're directly responsible for a lot of trouble elsewhere as well.

In the same vein (though much less serious), check out Spike Jonze's video for the Yeah Yeah Yeah's Rich. http://www.kewego.com/video/iLyROoaftYWt.html

Nice sentiment, but I could just as well say "People, don't pay taxes. Not only are you indirectly killing yourself, but you're directly responsible for a lot of trouble elsewhere as well."

Drugs aren't the problem, greed, and human nature, are to blame.

You can't stop drugs. You have to look at other ways to deal with the issue. Which of course should not mean supporting phamaceuticals either (speaking of drug issues). The war on drugs is a huge part of the problem and many leaders are starting to speak out against it.

http://www.disinfo.com/2012/04/war-on-d ... n-leaders/

This is true, and I hope some solutions start showing up because it's getting critical.
I think, at least in Mexico, the focus should be more&better jobs/education/social conscience. I've said this before (I think it was to Steph) we Mexicans are so uninvolved, apolitical, apathetic, submissive as a group that it is URGENT that realize this and change it. We can hope for bills, legalizing, controlling, harsher punishments, etc... but we're always blaming Father Government for everything... I really hope we all start being more responsible, all the way from educating our children to doing our jobs the best we can. This is all very utopian but really, we need something to change. Anything...

Or all these earthquakes we've been having lately are going to take care of it!
3 above 6.4 in the last 4 weeks!!!

I'd take it a step further and say the war on drugs in not just a huge part of the problem, but THE problem. Legalize all drugs and it will alleviate/eliminate the peripheral crime involved in the drug trade, while creating billions in new tax revenue and further eliminating billions of dollars in current spending.

I don't understand your comparison. Your taxes go to schools, health care, roads, research, etc., and what weird choices the government makes are guided by the people who voted for them. Drugs... Well, not so many good points.

I do agree that legalizing would solve a lot of problems, but what about all the criminality that comes from drug usage? Isn't a high percentage of burglaries committed to fund fixes? What about women who become prostitutes to pay for theirs? Would that go away with legalization? I'm honestly asking...

Hmm! I think money is the problem. Things will never change anywhere due to money. Unfortunately, unlike drugs and every other personal pleasure money is a necessities in every society. For money people sell drugs, kill and steal. Now the only somewhat solution would be for the people in charge to put a little less in their pockets and a little more into the poor. I don't think that will stop everything but it'll definitely keep things calm. I come from a poor Country myself. It's sad when you can't stop at a red light and/or wear certain things in fear of being robbed.

That's why I loved the ad. It took everything into consideration not just drugs.

Drug use won't increase with legalized drugs, so the burglaries committed for the purpose of scoring drugs won't increase either. Prostitution is the oldest profession in the world - drug legalization will have no effect on prostitution. And besides, prostitution should also be legalized.
The question is, do we want to pay billions of dollars to ruin the lives of hundreds of thousands of people who buy/sell/manufacture drugs? Many of this spending targeted on a drug that is less harmful that alcohol and tobacco. Is it more of a crime to possess drugs, or to take someone's life away for possessing drugs?

THIS. Great point and well stated.

I think I'm not coming across right. I'm not saying burglaries and other crimes will increase with legalization. I'm saying that drugs are a major cause of this behaviour, whether they're legalized or not. Likewise with prostitution. I totally agree it should be legalized. But I don't think women should be forced into it because of drug use.

Oh and the BBC has done a report on the initial video: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-17705932

Ah, okay. I thought you were raising the possibility that legalization would lead to increased burglary/prostitution. I think drug use and the crime associated with drug use are two different sets of problems. Both are going to exist regardless of whatever laws are on the books, but we don't have to make drug use into the problem that it currently is. And while legalizing drugs won't eliminate burglary/prostitution, it very well could eliminate the cartel killings in Mexico, gang killings in the US, etc. Organized crime absolutely does NOT want drugs to be legalized.

We agree then: legalization=no/less murders. No drug use=no/less murders, no/less other related crime.

And we're only talking crime, but speaking as someone who sadly has had several friends and family members' lives completely messed up by all kinds of drugs, I still believe that people should stay as far from them as possible... People don't die from weed, like someone was saying, but it certainly hasn't improved the lives of anyone I know.

Not all women or men the work as prositutes due it because of drug habits. In fact there was a recent study of New York under age sex workers, of both sexes, and the amount of addicts was under 10%.

A great article by Sir Richard Branson on how well decriminalizing drugs worked for Portugal.
http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/b ... r-on-drugs

Prostitution is fueled by the male libido and instinctive desire to breed with lots of females. It has always existed even in areas without serious drug issues. Crime is driven by poverty but drug use can play into that. Drug users trying to get a fix don't smuggle or try to wipe out opposing gangs or cartels though. Drug related violence is much milder and less pervasive in countries that don't have a war against drugs. Legalization may not be the ultimate solution but decades of throwing billions of dollars and paramilitary action have only boosted the drug trade. A Failed policy is a failed policy. Not one inch has been gained in the war on drugs and it has helped to make the illegal side of it infinitely more profitable.

People, stop distorting what I say!

I'm not saying all prostitutes are forced into it, far from it. I'm saying addicts that get into prostitution might not have had the same free choice as others. Chester Brown's Paying for it is a great read on prostitution, btw.

I'm also not commenting on the War on Drugs. Don't know much about it. Hey, I'm in Canada, we have bikers and grow-ops and while it means a few murders, it's nowhere as bad as in the US, let alone Mexico.

yeah, the resounding success of portugal's policy change somehow never made it to the western mainstream media. what a surprise.

and now central and south america are finally speaking out against the military-industrial charade: http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2012/04/2012413142349136990.html

too bad obama's brand of 'change' wouldn't fill a bum's hat...he'll continue to toe the line for his corporate masters this weekend, i'm sure.

Sorry Oli, didn't mean to jump the tracks. It's a messed up situation and I can't pretend to have the answers. Coming from America though, it's insane how much money has been wasted to date and there are more drugs than ever. Mexico is surely caught in the middle of a consuming country like mine and a producing country like Columbia. Most honest attempts to slow the drug trade seem to be met with shear force of violence that effects every citizen.

Until you can get elected without the corporate masters bank rolling you, this will never change. Vote for whoever you want, they are two heads of the same bird and it will keep flying in the same direction. This is why I like toys, they are just plain fun. Damn politics.

oh, i'm not saying i believe 'the other guy' would do better, i'm saying it's all a giant dog and pony show from the start.

presidents don't make decisions in this country anymore, they sell collectible plates and coins from the franklin mint. voting is a pathetic distraction, the entire system is rigged...

I think the war is exactly about this. This because of money, obviously. And the real issue is, what percentage of the government is owned by organized crime.



And I just wanted to add, Mexico is in the way of Colombia and US BUT, it's been years since Colombian drug organizations work for Mexican cartels...