Scooterbug, your suggestions aren't lacking at all. An honest person like yourself, seeks a common sense solution. 'It's so simple! Why don't they just....'
But, IMO solutions aren't what status quo keepers want. Creating or maintaining conflict in order to increase levels of control is their solution. Control is the solution.
Legalizing marijuana on paper would theoretically not only allow the govt to save billions on the War on Drugs, but perhaps raise money by regulation and taxes, decrease crime, violence and jail overpopulation. Sounds great right? But one thing we common-sensers miss is the control the govt would lose. They would lose the ability to search based on "suspicion" only. They will never let loose the grip of control once they achieve it.
This is why we need to tread very lightly around these 'more enforcement' issues. These are perfect breeding grounds for the govt to ratchet up the level of control and once they have it they will never let it go. (Well they did repeal Sarbannes-Oxley but that controlled them, so I digress.)
Look at TSA now with their x-ray machines. Considering the bombing in the Russian airport and looking at our security lines here, the place for destruction isn't in the plane anymore. It's the security lines waiting to get x-rayed, prodded and poked. (Look at the crowds around Iraqi recruiting stations being blown up.) Once this happens, there will be more controls installed outside the airport never to be relinquished. And on and on and on.
The same way we pay debt with more debt, we solve enforcement failure with more enforcement laws. Name me one person of consequence in the past 3 years, who has gone to jail for the largest financial crime ever. Bernie Madoff and Martha Stewart don't count.
I know this isn't directly related to your topic of Mexican drug violence, but the issue of control is overarching.
Benjamin Franklin said something along the lines of "Those who sacrifice freedom for security deserve neither." Seeing a history of unintended consequences, I finally understand what he meant.
