Language

political considerations

Submitted January 14, 2005 - 10:28 pm by Don Henry Ford Jr.
In Charles Bowden's book, Down by the River, (in my opinion, the best book ever written about the Mexican--American drug trade), I found some startling figures.

According to Bowden, during Amado Carrillo's reign as the premier Mexican drug trafficker, drug revenue provided 60% of the Mexican economy and perhaps as much as 20% of the US economy.

I look at this and wonder what would happen if this source of money dried up.

The illegal drug trade is the second largest business on earth, second only to war.

Obviously those that run governments don't really want to kill that business any more than they want to kill the business of war.

In my experience, a very small portion of drug proceeds end up in the hands of the indeginous peoples that grow the raw product--more perhaps than what they would earn growing legal crops--but still a pittance.

Only the wealthy elite (usually of europeon descent) get rich (playing both sides). Just like in so called legitimate business.

The question about drug addiction is really a non-factor. In truth these power mongers of the world don't give a damn about the people, either there or here. So long as it isn't their kid doing the bleeding.

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