Drugs
Got your attention now, huh? But in all seriousness, how are drugs cartels actually really important in Mexico's economy?
Drugs are everywhere. In America, you don't have to do much digging to find your drug of choice. Its pretty much garenteed that you can get access to it. So with druggies happily running (or tripping, should I say) rampant, where do they even get their drugs? Latin America. Over ninety percent of cocaine in America comes from Mexico. Mexico continues to be a major exporter of marijuana and heroin.
Drug cartels aren't just a bunch of punk kids with too much time on their hands running across the border with some crap quality drugs to sell to those rich kids in America. They are extremely professional, complex systems that strategically place themselves and their product to maximize profits. They have territories that they will defend to the death. But territories mean that cash money and that'd one of the reasons of why we have drug wars. They are also between the cartels and the governments of Mexico and other countries, specifically the United States' Drug Enforcement Administration.
So obviously, this is a problem. The drug trade leads to significantly increased violence, corruption and human rights abuses. The drug wars in Mexico have resulted in over 70,000 people dead in just six years. Damaging chemicals are sprayed on crops grown for the drug. The cartels are willing to do almost anything to increase their profits. Teenagers, desperate for money will smuggle drugs across the border, even if for a couple hundred dollars. Yet despite all this bloodshed and government forces against drug trade, how has it gotten so powerful and indestructible?
So obviously, this is a problem. The drug trade leads to significantly increased violence, corruption and human rights abuses. The drug wars in Mexico have resulted in over 70,000 people dead in just six years. Damaging chemicals are sprayed on crops grown for the drug. The cartels are willing to do almost anything to increase their profits. Teenagers, desperate for money will smuggle drugs across the border, even if for a couple hundred dollars. Yet despite all this bloodshed and government forces against drug trade, how has it gotten so powerful and indestructible?
Cartels run by the plaza system. Basically, the drug lord and the police official or government official of the area make a deal to work together. But wait! Why would a someone in the government work with or support a drug dealer? Well they can be forced to or they might be in it for the money. So they decide on the trade routes and territories. Then they get less powerful traffickers for the drug, going down on the chain of command, distributing the drugs until it gets to consumer. Border patrol agents are bribed to turn a blind eye to the drugs passing through their checkpoints. (Thesis statement is coming up) The drug trade is integrated with the government. (That was the thesis statement.) The money made by the drug trade goes back into the economy and supports Mexico.
Thousands of farmers and agricultural workers in poverty are sucked into the drug business. Seeds, fertilizer and vehicles are provided to farmers willing to grow plants used for drugs. The estimated number of people involved in the drug trade is at half a million, and that's just in Mexico. That's almost twice the number of people enrolled in the Mexican army.
Much of Mexico has a narcoeconomy, meaning the area has been taken over and is controlled by the drug cartel. One of the reasons Mexico is like this is because of poverty. People are willing to get involved in the drug trade for money. This is partly the governments fault for not providing decent jobs with good pay. They also join because the demand will never go down, especially in the United States.
Thousands of farmers and agricultural workers in poverty are sucked into the drug business. Seeds, fertilizer and vehicles are provided to farmers willing to grow plants used for drugs. The estimated number of people involved in the drug trade is at half a million, and that's just in Mexico. That's almost twice the number of people enrolled in the Mexican army.
Much of Mexico has a narcoeconomy, meaning the area has been taken over and is controlled by the drug cartel. One of the reasons Mexico is like this is because of poverty. People are willing to get involved in the drug trade for money. This is partly the governments fault for not providing decent jobs with good pay. They also join because the demand will never go down, especially in the United States.
I found this interesting because I was just thinking about why people even do hard drugs with such a high chance of addiction and overdose. Or why people would do such questionable drugs like krododil (which is actually really disgusting. It's an awful homemade version of a painkiller. Fast acting but made from codeine mixed with gasoline and other things that would make most people go "Yeah, no, I'm not crazy enough to do that." It will rot your skin and flesh.) Then that lead to me thinking about where most drugs come from so I looked it up. And then I was like why are drug cartels in Mexico so powerful? And here I am now.
It relates to Human Geography because it has to do with the development of Mexico, Chapter 9. Chapters 10 (agriculture), 11 (Industry) and 12 (Services) relate. One of Mexico's take-off industries was drug trade. The drug trade is mostly a basic industry but also a nonbasic because drug consumption along major drug routes is also really high.
It relates to Human Geography because it has to do with the development of Mexico, Chapter 9. Chapters 10 (agriculture), 11 (Industry) and 12 (Services) relate. One of Mexico's take-off industries was drug trade. The drug trade is mostly a basic industry but also a nonbasic because drug consumption along major drug routes is also really high.
Canales, Rodrigo. "The Deadly Genius of Drug Cartels." TED. TED Talks, n.d. Web. 27 May 2014.
Izaguirre, Pamela F. "Narco-Politics: How Mexico Got There and How It Can Get Out." Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 May 2014.
Redmond, Helen. "The Political Economy of Mexico's Drug War." ISR: International Socialist Review. International Socialist Review, n.d. Web. 26 May 2014.
"Drug Trafficking in Latin America." Drug Policy Alliance. Drug Policy Alliance, n.d. Web. 26 May 2014.
Izaguirre, Pamela F. "Narco-Politics: How Mexico Got There and How It Can Get Out." Council on Hemispheric Affairs. Council on Hemispheric Affairs, 22 Aug. 2013. Web. 27 May 2014.
Redmond, Helen. "The Political Economy of Mexico's Drug War." ISR: International Socialist Review. International Socialist Review, n.d. Web. 26 May 2014.
"Drug Trafficking in Latin America." Drug Policy Alliance. Drug Policy Alliance, n.d. Web. 26 May 2014.
Research notes:
https://docs.google.com/a/parkhill.k12.mo.us/document/d/1NhtVKrHERwZtENdJJCzCHTR6L18VGfKLAylmOUQVgd0/edit
https://docs.google.com/a/parkhill.k12.mo.us/document/d/1NhtVKrHERwZtENdJJCzCHTR6L18VGfKLAylmOUQVgd0/edit