Oh, down in Mexico I never really been so I don't really know Oh, Mexico I guess I'll have to go . James Taylor With President Obama meeting with Mexico's president this week for the second time in four months to discuss guns, drugs and money laundering, the world ponders Mexico's future. To be sure, Mexico is not a "failed state," but as Latin American scholar Shannon O'Neil suggests, in a recent Foreign Affairs article, it may be "on the brink." [continues 749 words]
Law Enforcement Has Failed to Keep Pace With Rogue Drug Websites. The illegal drug trade, one of the last free markets in the world, has taken to the Internet, where it is possible to buy prescription drugs without a prescription or consultation with a physician. All you need is a predilection to get high, and the drugs are virtually as easy to come by as candy. According to a recent study, conducted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, there is a welcome decline in the use of Ecstasy by teens, with marijuana use holding steady. The alarming figures, however, concern the abuse of Vicodin, Oxycontin and other opiate-like painkillers that are offered online. [continues 580 words]
When U.S. District Judge Richard Owen of New York earlier this month sentenced Frank Quattrone, the top technology banker at Credit Suisse First Boston, to 18 months in jail for obstruction of justice, it raised a few eyebrows in the legal community. Although the federal sentencing guidelines called for a sentence of 10 to 16 months, Owen chose to "enhance" that sentence, saying he was moved to extra severity because he believed that Quattrone had lied under oath when he took the stand in his own defense. [continues 861 words]
The illegal drug trade may be the only free market left in the world. It operates without tariffs, taxes or unions. It is the classic economic model: low production costs, dependable avenues of distribution, a price structure dictated solely by supply and demand, and, with more sophisticated methods of money laundering, a way of getting huge returns quickly. But drug trafficking is contrary to U.S. laws and policy. And drugs are a dagger to the heart of civilized society. Yet U.S. policy has done nothing to deal with the core of the problem -- curtailing demand. At the same time, the United States has spent much and accomplished precious little when it comes to eradicating the supply. [continues 714 words]
The Bush Administration Should Shift Its Focus Away From The Source Countries And Toward Cutting Domestic Use. The illegal drug trade may be the only free market left in the world. It operates without tariffs, taxes or unions. It is the classic economic model: low production costs; dependable avenues of distribution; a price structure dictated solely by supply and demand; and, with more sophisticated methods of money laundering, a way of getting huge returns quickly. But drug trafficking is contrary to U.S. laws and policy. And drugs are a dagger to the heart of civilized society. Yet U.S. policy has done nothing to deal with the core of the problem -- curtailing demand. At the same time, the United States has spent much and accomplished precious little when it comes to eradicating the supply. [continues 733 words]
