[lit-ideas] Re: : Mexican protesting_ something illegal for free

  • From: "Kahn, Rupert" <R.D.Kahn@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 3 May 2006 23:41:06 +0100

If I'd read Robert's post first I might not have posted the same story.  

Here's a less alarming report on the new Mexican drug laws.
http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/04/29/a1.int.mexdrugs.0429.p1.php?section=nation_world
 
<http://www.registerguard.com/news/2006/04/29/a1.int.mexdrugs.0429.p1.php?section=nation_world>
 

 

A point that seems to be underplayed in a lot of reports is that at the same 
time that it decriminalises personal use it allows local police to become more 
involved in drug enforcement where before only Mexican Federal Police could 
prosecute certain drug offences.  The new law will actually allow local police 
to prosecute for possession where they couldn't before.

 

"Local police forces have been hamstrung in their efforts to stop street-level 
dealing. Lacking the training and authority to investigate under the old law, 
they could arrest someone only if the person was caught in the act of selling 
drugs. Only the federal police could arrest someone for drug possession."

 

I also enjoyed the quote form an unnamed US official who doesn't let ignorance 
stop him from commenting

"A U.S. Embassy official in Mexico deplored the new measure. ''We have not seen 
the text, so we cannot comment on it in detail,'' the official said. ''But any 
law that would decriminalize dangerous drugs would not be helpful.'' "

 

For a European perspective on low level possession the following has a table of 
prosecution trigger levels in EU countries (see annex 1 of the first item).

European Legal Database on Drugs

http://eldd.emcdda.eu.int/?nnodeid=5175 

 

On Mexican migrant workers I don't understand why any special explanation 
(culture etc) is needed for their behaviour.  What people haven't produced 
behaviour like this at some time?  Same applies for the Northerners who employ 
them.

 

Best wishes

Rupert

Sheffield

 

Google Earth

http://earth.google.com/

53°18'46.86"N, 1°21'36.86"W

 

 

 

 

 

________________________________

From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On 
Behalf Of eternitytime1@xxxxxxx
Sent: 03 May 2006 15:34
To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: : Mexican protesting_ something illegal for free



 Hi,
Thanks to both you and Robert for your information!
 
This report, in particular, showed the correlation towards land ownership and 
poverty.
 
Kind of makes you wonder about the theory of how free market without oversight 
will ultimately work towards the constructive greater good of the society in 
which it reigns...
 
How would the USA be different had the Homestead Act not been enacted here?  (I 
understand you can still homestead in parts of Alaska--or you used to be able 
to do so...)
 
And, yes--that piece on Mexico legalizing the drug trade in their midst is 
fascinating as we see so many children in this area being affected by being in 
meth families and how so many strategies to reduce access for its creation are 
now to be rendered null and void of any real impact...    Oh, well.  
 
Best,
Marlena  
-----Original Message-----
From: Kahn, Rupert R.D.Kahn@xxxxxxxxx 
There's also a report prepared for the World Bank which gives some background 
on the relationship between access to property and poverty in Mexico.  
http://are.berkeley.edu/~sadoulet/papers/Land_Reform_in_LA_10_lesson.pdf
 
 
Rupert 
Sheffield
 
 
 

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