Can Ending the Drug War and Legalizing (All) Drugs Reduce Illegal Immigration?

[TZK203]

I read this: http://theweek.com/article/index/263...legalize-drugs

In a macroeconomic sense, by ending the drug war now and legalizing drugs here in the United States so that they can be taxed, the drug gangs in Central America are stripped of a lot of their revenue and therefore, power. Seeing as that happens, violence will decrease in those countries affected by drug gang activity because of these aftereffects, making it less of an incentive for people to come to the United States illegally. Although, drug gangs may just find new alternative sources for money funneling, but the damage by then would have been done.

So, as the title says, would ending the current drug war reduce illegal immigration, even if by a smidgen, or not?

And if it wouldn't or you feel the reduction to be negligible as to mean absolutely nothing in the long-run, how can the United States make it so illegal immigration, whether it is from someone crossing the border illegally, overstaying their work visa, etc., is less prevalent and therefore less of a problem?

[Wells]

Stable countries see less emigration, so yeah.

[Vizardlorde]

Most immigrants come here to work picking up fruit in some farm to send money back home or so that their kids can lead a better life. The demand of drugs is mostly american people trying new shit or already addicted.

[Tradewind]

I am dubious if whether or not cutting off the american drug trade would make these cartels and shit just disappear. They'd surely just get involved in other nefarious shit. Probably much more aggressively to make up for the lost revenue and to an even larger detriment to the people in their own country.

But then again I'm just a downer.

[Deleted]

As a dutiful member of the thread derailment into Swedish matters organization i must refute this.

No worky work for Sweden.

That is all, thank you.

[Tradewind]

As a dutiful member of the thread derailment into Swedish matters organization i must refute this.

No worky work for Sweden.

That is all, thank you.

I don't understand why all the warm climate people want to emigrate to Sweden, or Canada for that matter. Did nobody tell them before hand that it gets cold as shit for like half the year there/here?

[Deleted]

I don't understand why all the warm climate people want to emigrate to Sweden, or Canada for that matter. Did nobody tell them before hand that it gets cold as shit for like half the year there/here?

I'd of said their extremely attractive women would be a contributing factor for Sweden...

And Swedes are totes racist in that fact, i know 'cuz one wouldn't want to bang me, i'm not blonde you see.

Freaking nazis.

And Canada...

Well...

They have maple syrup and shit!

[Deleted]

Exactly why/how would legalizing drugs reduce illegal immigration?

[Tradewind]

I'd of said their extremely attractive women would be a contributing factor for Sweden...

And Swedes are totes racist in that fact, i know 'cuz one wouldn't want to bang me, i'm not blonde you see.

Freaking nazis.

And Canada...

Well...

They have maple syrup and shit!

I met some dude from Uganda who was going up north to Fort McMurray for work in the oil fields...for the winter...

fucking Uganda...to this



He was being all hard as fuck about it too, like how he was in the army and fought rebels and shit (I may or may not be embellishing this part). I wanna see him in January and just laugh my ass off.

[Wells]

Exactly why/how would legalizing drugs reduce illegal immigration?

Drugs are fueling cartels that are destabilizing central america.

[Deleted]

Drugs are fueling cartels that are destabilizing central america.

There's not one single reason why people leave their countries. You can't just narrow it down to "hurr, cartels and drugs make people leave".

[Gwiez]

Well, ending prohibition did have some effect on the strength of organized crime in the US, but I don't think it's a silver bullet. And I don't think the negative consequences of legalizing all drugs would make up for it. Like would legalizing PCP reduce violence in Central America enough to balance the increase in violence caused by the use of PCP?
I think another part of the solution would be to stop scapegoating undocumented immigrants. The politics of scapegoating gets in the way of comprehensive reform. Comprehensive immigration reform was probably the issue George W. Bush was most qualified to handle effectively, but his own party torpedoed his efforts.

[Wells]

There's not one single reason why people leave their countries. You can't just narrow it down to "hurr, cartels and drugs make people leave".

No shit sherlock. But if the country is more stable its economy can grow and you'll see fewer people braving the desert to try to eek out a living in a legal limbo here in the States.

[Deleted]

No shit sherlock. But if the country is more stable its economy can grow and you'll see fewer people braving the desert to try to eek out a living in a legal limbo here in the States.

So why bring up the cartels and drugs then?

No, stabilitity and economical growth still won't stop illegal immigration. You're not understanding why people want to leave, you can't just narrow it down the way you do, it's far more complex than this.

[Korgoth]

Seems a little too optimistic to think that without the US market the violent power hungry cartels are going to simply go away.

[Tradewind]

So why bring up the cartels and drugs then?

No, stabilitity and economical growth still won't stop illegal immigration. You're not understanding why people want to leave, you can't just narrow it down the way you do, it's far more complex than this.

I don't think you read the OP...

They're not saying it will stop it entirely, but curious if it will have a noticeable impact or reduction...

[Deleted]

I don't think you read the OP...

They're not saying it will stop it entirely, but curious if it will have a noticeable impact or reduction...

It won't. People aren't leaving because of one single issue.

[Wells]

So why bring up the cartels and drugs then?

No, stabilitity and economical growth still won't stop illegal immigration. You're not understanding why people want to leave, you can't just narrow it down the way you do, it's far more complex than this.

If there are jobs and opportunities people are less likely to emigrate. The cartels stand in the way of development. Pretty fucking simple d00d.

Seems a little too optimistic to think that without the US market the violent power hungry cartels are going to simply go away.

They'll still need to be hunted down of course, but crippling their primary market is going to do a lot to help that.

[Tradewind]

Drugs are fueling cartels that are destabilizing central america.

Personally, I think the fact they're focusing on the drug trade is actually redirecting their focus from really shitting on the locals in their own country.

Not that they don't already...but I can imagine it being worse if they suddenly had no other source of income.

[Slaskra]

I am dubious if whether or not cutting off the american drug trade would make these cartels and shit just disappear. They'd surely just get involved in other nefarious shit. Probably much more aggressively to make up for the lost revenue and to an even larger detriment to the people in their own country.

But then again I'm just a downer.

I share your skepticism. Human trafficking is that other nefarious shit, since its only marginally less profitable than drugs. Legalizing drugs wont change the nature of the game.