Why the Whack-a-mole Drug War Won't Work: The Geopolitics of Dope

A thorough analysis, published three years ago by the private security analysis firm Stratfor, on the many reasons why "winning" the drug war in Mexico is impossible. Would that U.S. politicians would read it!

The Geopolitics of Dope | STRATFOR: "The current efforts by the Mexican government might impede the various gangs, but they won’t break the cartel system. The supply chain along the border is simply too diffuse and too plastic. It shifts too easily under pressure. The border can’t be sealed, and the level of economic activity shields smuggling too well. Farmers in Mexico can’t be persuaded to stop growing illegal drugs for the same reason that Bolivians and Afghans can’t. Market demand is too high and alternatives too bleak. The Mexican supply chain is too robust — and too profitable — to break easily." Jan. 29, 2008