4/8/09 Meria interviews Laura Carlsen, Director of the America’s Policy Program living in Mexico City. What’s really going on in Mexico? Laura’s been there for years. Spillover violence - do facts support it? Narco-violence; Is Mexico a “failed state”; drug violence happens amongst drug dealers; did Calderon really win the election? Legitimate? 40,000 troops are now in the streets of Mexico; marijuana and Mexicans; the war on drugs is a failure; A public health approach is needed; supply and demand; 40% of U.S. favors legalization; drugs are a transnational problem; bi-national responsibility; Operation Xcellerator; beware statistics; are the stats on kidnapping in Mexico and Phoenix real? express kidnappings; prohibition policies create organized crime; NAFTA’s effects on 2 million small farmers in Mexico; what to do? Bush’s “Merida Initiative” - a military approach to a social problem! why continue failed policies? who benefits? “Plan Colombia” another failure; more people die from prescription drugs; which is worse -drugs as morally wrong or transnational crime networks?
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