Organized Crime In Mexico and Elsewhere

Midalake wrote:

Lets l@@k at the term "organized crime". Drugs like you alluded to, but ALSO INCLUDES:
Kidnapping
Trafficking of Women/Children
Gasoline theft
Protection Payments of all sorts.

THIS IS WHY the threat is so great to any society.

Yes, the examples you include are aspects of broader organized crime. Kidnapping, exploitation of women and children, thefts, "protection"... Exploiters of vulnerable people in society have had victims for generations. Some of the activities have gone on for millennia.

(I remember stumbling on the 2002 movie title "Gangs of New York". I started watching it, thinking it would be about gangs in the new millennium. It turned out to be about gangs in the mid-1800s.)

With regard to organized crime in Mexico, I think there have been seismic changes in recent years. The severe restrictions on the Caribbean route of drugs to the USA resulted in the tremendous increase in drug flow through Mexico. This gave tremendous growth to the cartels. They expanded terrifically. As with most businesses in capitalism, increased wealth resulted in expansion and diversification. When did the mob start its control or influence of gambling in the US? I knew a physician who did a locum at a hospital in the US. When the physician got there others were surprised that they didn't understand that the hospital was largely funded by organized crime. (I don't know whether the hospital was funded by organized crime, but that was the belief of many who worked there.)

Mexican organized crime is even diversifying into attempts to control legitimate commodity business like avocados.

Yes, organized crime is a problem. The activities they exploit and profit from are criminal, so organized crime operate those activities.

But what if the "vices" were not crimes. Gambling gave criminals great profit. That profit and control has reduced through legalized, regulated gambling. Cannabis gave criminals profit and control. Legalization and regulation has significantly reduced that. The profits from other drugs can also be drained from criminal organizations. The exploitation of women and the control of women's bodies through pimping can similarly be reduced through legalization and regulation.

We had a war on drugs.

Drugs won.

We have other wars that will not be won, and civilians are the casualties.

We need to negotiate a detente.