War on Drugs is Like Pushing a String

Perhaps there is no single subject that I have consistently posted opinions on this blog about than that of the appropriate policy approach to drug control. To my mind, the existing enforcement and militarized approach has nothing much to show in terms of good results other than a rise in violent death for innocent citizens and law enforcers. Painfully though, the deaths take place as the cartels and major drug trading enterprises continue to make enormous profits that enable them to destabilize low-income states. This trend continues as the last weekend saw the attack leading to death of two citizens of the United States and their Mexican associate in the Mexican City of Ciudad Juarez.

Obviously upset by the continued violence from the drug cartels, both President Calderon and Obama seem to have decided that more of the same will create the needed change. This NYT story states that the Mexican president visited and commisserated with the families and thereafter promised a more focussed military onslaught on the drug cartels. This is not new at all and will obviously not work even if it is spruced up with some judicial reform and social welfare expenditure. On the other hand, president Obama is to announce the expenditure of more money on joint military units and more law enforcement. This is consistent with the Merida Initiative that was predictably going to fail and from which no lessons seem to be absorbed.

So I offer some recycled simple advise regarding the Merida Initiative. Stop pushing that string.