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The amount of money spent on fighting the long-failing drug war is shocking; the United States continues to fight the war (even with the economy failing) within its borders and outside (in large part by giving monetary incentives to other countries). This approach should be stopped immediately, but unlike the 1st post, I think all drugs should be decriminalized. Crime would go down and less money would be wasted on keeping civilians jailed.

Read "Legalize This" by Douglas Husak (http://www.amazon.com/Legalize-This-Decriminalizing-Practical-ethics/dp/1859843204) which carefully argues that it is one of the most important moral issues today and the decriminalization solution is simple, sensible, and right.

I agree, this interview was painful to listen to. The ambassador avoiding questions and denying facts was truly disappointing. There was no debate whatsoever about the drug related violence and Mexico/US relations.

i always wonder if the USA had not taken texas and CA would mexico be the superpower?

Samuel #18 - I partially agree with you.
I think that either drug use should be legalized and heavily taxed or the use of hard drugs should be aggressively reduced. I don't think our government really tries to address heavy drug consumption.

I think that ambassador Rubén Beltrán's NON-answers - specifically as it relates to the Mexican economy - clearly show why Mexico is in the dire situation it is in today. It's ruling elite is horrible.
NAFTA and the changes to peasant/ejido landownership which were instituted in the Mid-90' have had a very negative impact on wealth. These policies have pushed millions of farmers from their communities and forced them to the maquiladoras and the US seeking ANY job. This has led to not only serious economic hardship for the majority of Mexicans but also great social upheaval which has been a benefit to the drug cartels.
Mexico would be a wonderful country were it not for it's ruling class

Brian,

Perhaps a less clearly biased and political guest next time? This was a painful, uniformed interview. I appreciate Mr. Beltran's difficult position but it was just awful!

Leo I agree with you on all your points except the first.
We have been trying to reduce our us of drugs in this country and its not working. We should continue to fight against the use of heroin and coke and all the hard drugs.
On the other hand if some people want to smoke a bit of cannabis that should be their right and not a crime.
The fact that cannabis is illegal is contributing to the violence in mexico and the us.

Brian,

Are Palestinian children dying in times of war more important then Mexican children dying during times of war? Your line of questioning suggests so.

Can you ask him about the working standards there? I know many factories in Pennsylvania moved to Mexico and our rivers and air is cleaner. Are environmental concerns even considered in Mexico?

#2 hjs from 11211 : The demand is in the US - Not from inner city kids, but the professional middle class in this country which has a very high drug consumption.
These habits, either for addicts or recreational users, is in the hundreds of dollars a month.
The US never wishes to discuss the drug use problem and the negative impact it has on other countries.

Brian,

After doing some quick internet searches, it seems pretty clear that thousands of people, including hundreds of civilians, are dying in Mexico’s war on drugs. Isn’t Mexico responding in a disproportional manner to the war on drugs? Civilians are dying at the hands of Mexican government aggression. Shouldn’t the Mexican government stop this war because civilians are dying? I mean, you asked similar questions about Israel, I am curious why you are not asking the same type of questions about Mexico? Hmm, why treat Israel and Mexico differently? Odd.

I would like to hear more about the legalization of drugs and dealing with the problem as a public health issue. No matter how much interdiction there is, the problem has to be addressed from the production and comsumption side; and even more, from a public health perspective, which would also help reduce the violence the war on drugs fosters.

The US Government should do the following:
(1) Agressively reduce drug consumption
(2) STOP gun and weapons trafficking and smuggling to Mexico
(3) Help Human Rights organizations in Mexico
(4) Check ALL traffic going IN and OUT of Mexico through the US border (This should be done at different locations as we have US border guards already working with the drug cartels

I love Mexico and think that it is a very rich country in terms of resources, labor pool, resourcefulness of its people and cultural traditions. But your guest just said that most of the drug violence is concentrated in 'FOUR (4) COUNTIES'. It is concentrated on ALL states bordering the US and bordering the Pacific. The governments of these states, as well as most municipalities in more than 1/2 the territory of Mexico are under the control of drug traffickers. This does not include most of the Federal agencies and paramilitary forces under the control of the cartels.
I do understand that the US (WE) have a lot of responsibility for this problem.

What about police corruption? Mexico's Federal police are accused of working for drug lords, extorting and kidnapping civilians, and assaulting migrants whose coyotes don't pay their passage.

Ask him about law enforcement corruption - these numbers he's spitting out are a smokescreen.

Low oil prices, endemic corruption all bode ill for Mexico which appears to be sinking really fast.

I completely agree with the first poster. Brian, could you raise this point on the air?

Please ask Ambassador Rubén Beltrán how many civilians are dying in the drug war.

Go to southern Mexico, it's safe. Was just in Chiapas, and had zero problems whatsoever. It's like a different world from the North.

Unfortunately the drug violence has caused so many other types of problems not directly related to drugs. My friends and family from my hometown in Mexico tell me about burglaries and kidnappings on the raise, just because the police is distracted trying to fight the drug cartels. Sadly, not many of us feel the government is winning this war mainly because many of those in charge to protect us are colluded with the cartels.

@hjs from 11211 What does 'these drug' mean?

I used to go to Mexico all the time....Mexico City, Oaxaca, Morelia...sadly it's too dangerous these days.

where is the demand for these drug?

The problem of drug related violence would be reduced enormously if the US would stop the prohibition of Cannabis.
Not only would it diminish the power of gangs and organized crime, but it would save the tax payers billions of dollars and if we were to tax the plant like we tax alcohol double that amount would be made.
The benefits of legal cannabis would have a great effect on US / Mexican relations.