Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Mexican protests - real or staged? - does it matter? Link Hundreds of Mexicans blocked roads and bridges into the United States on Tuesday in a protest of army operations against drug gangs that officials said was organized by drug traffickers. About 300 protesters, some with handkerchiefs tied over their faces, carried signs saying "Army Get Out!" in front of the town hall in the northern city of Monterrey, 130 miles (209 km) from the Texas border. It was the largest in a series of anti-army protests this week. Interestingly, Natividad Gonzalez, governor of Nuevo Leon state, claims that the Gulf cartel and The Zetas paid the people to protest. And Reuters claimed to find a woman who refused to be named who said her neighbor had been paid to come. "Rising levels of unemployment in Mexico make it much easier for Mexican drug traffickers to recruit youths to engage in demonstrations like this, for relatively low pay," U.S.-based security consultancy Stratfor said in a report. Think about that. The drug traffickers can already buy or intimidate police and government officials. Now, they can hire the people (and not just to work in the drug trade). This is a cartel public works project! Yep. The Zetas are providing a jobs stimulus package! What's left for the government of Mexico? How much more drug war victory can they afford before they become irrelevant? Meanwhile, Calderon remains stubbornly oblivious. Calderon said on Monday the rampant violence shows the drug cartels are desperate But I dare say the people are smarter than he is. And while it's possible that some protesters are getting a paycheck, I'd bet that some of them were there because they're tired of the violence and don't see it as Calderon's road to victory. They've been around long enough to know that there has always been drug trafficking, but it's the drug war that fuels the drug war violence. 8:36:54 AM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

Illinois trying again on medical marijuana Link This certainly isn't the first time for Illinois, but it could be the best shot to date. Now we still have Limey Nargelenas, deputy director of the Illinois Association of Chiefs of Police irresponsibly shooting off his mouth about gateways and children.. Nargelenas said the problem is that individuals who just want to get high -- and who aren't seriously ill -- could abuse a medical marijuana law like the one Haine envisions. Further, characterizing marijuana as medicine "sends a real bad message to the kids," he said. "We just see so many kids today that when they do try marijuana, they start experimenting with other drugs too," Nargelenas said. "We believe (medical marijuana) should be very restricted, just like any other kind of medication." ...but note that last comment: "just like any other kind of medication." Ah, Limey, so you're admitting that it is medicine. There's a step. Here are the positive things that Illinois has going for it this time around: John Walters won't be flying in with his entourage to browbeat the state legislature into defeating it There could be a less negative feeling about how the state law will interact with the federal law now. This year's bill sponsor, William Haine, is a former State's Attorney. That could ease things with law enforcement. The previous sponsor, John Cullerton, is now Senate president. Michigan passed it last year, so the midwest is in play. 8:08:03 AM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []

Programming note Tune into NPR today to hear Berwyn Heights Mayor Cheye Calvo's interview with Michelle Martin on her Program "Tell Me More." Cheye will be discussing the botched SWAT team raid on his home last July; the international response to the incident; and pending legislation in Maryland to require more transparency and accountability for police departments who use SWAT teams. 7:49:14 AM | drug policy | Related  | permalink | comment []