from Hacker News

Sniper rifles flowing to Mexican cartels show a decade of U.S. failure

by mitchelldeacon9 on 11/20/20, 12:33 AM with 18 comments

  • by echelon on 11/20/20, 2:27 AM

    If the US legalized drug possession and taxed their sales, the cartels would disappear overnight and we could use the additional tax revenue to fund healthcare.

    We'd create an economic boom from the farming of hemp to new drug manufacturing companies. As other countries loosen up, we might even have an export economy.

    Stability in Mexico could make our neighbor a more attractive manufacturing and trade partner.

    The old generation that believed in drug wars is dying or dead. It's time to change US policy.

    I don't even use drugs and I think our position is stupid.

  • by karaterobot on 11/20/20, 2:20 AM

    This article makes it seem like .50 rifles are the main reason the cartels are more powerful than the government in some areas of Mexico. Those things cost well over $10,000 apiece, and over $4 per round to fire. No expert, but I don't think that's how you take on an army.

    I wish the article had focused more on the overall arms trafficking problem (which is about lots of cheap guns, not a few expensive ones) and the overall government instability problem, and (what the hell) the war on drugs that fuels it. Instead, it has a bunch of pictures of scary looking guns, and feels sensationalized and focused on the wrong thing entirely.

  • by coolspot on 11/20/20, 2:03 AM

    This article focuses on illegal US->MX trafficking of .50 cal rifles, somehow missing that the problem is not .50 cal guns and not even guns in general.

    The problem is weak southern border security, regardless of what items go through it illegaly - guns, drugs or people.

  • by mchusma on 11/20/20, 2:00 AM

    Mexico should really be complaining about the war on drugs more than the weapons. Cut off the economic fuel for these groups.

  • by hiyer on 11/21/20, 4:41 AM

    An idea - you could treat guns the way you do drugs. Possession of one or two guns can be considered self-defence or sport. Possession of more than that would be a crime. Most smugglers wouldn't bother if they can only purchase/carry one gun at a time across the border.

  • by mitchelldeacon9 on 11/20/20, 12:38 AM

    According to a recent book, the United States sells more weapons to Mexico than any other country in the world.

    Guadalupe Correa-Cabrera (2017) "Los Zetas Inc: Criminal Corporations, Energy, and Civil War in Mexico", p. 228.

    https://www.amazon.com/Los-Zetas-Inc-Criminal-Corporations/d...

  • by coolspot on 11/20/20, 1:59 AM