Is it true we work with cartels and other evil organizations...

[YUPPIE]

By "we" I mean the US government. I'm in disbelief at what an ex-friend told me about recently. Apparently, despite the War on Drugs and fight against drug cartels or other organized crime groups, we supposedly negotiate with them over weapons or other trade items. Assuming this isn't bullshit I'm honestly wondering what the crusade against these evil people are for then. Aren't we supposed to DESTROY shit like cartels? I also watched a shitty anime called Black Lagoon where something similar is a plot point and an acclaimed movie called Sicario where it's even crazier.

All this said, I further wonder what the point of the DEA is then.

[meian]

Iran-Contra, Fast and Furious, Operation Wide Receiver... Do they really not teach this stuff anymore? For more fun, check out the Tuskegee syphilis experiment/study.

Edit: I know the second two were attempts to "track" where weapons were going by the Obama and Bush administrations respectively but they were both moronic and equally flawed.

[unbound]

By "we" I mean the US government. I'm in disbelief at what an ex-friend told me about recently. Apparently, despite the War on Drugs and fight against drug cartels or other organized crime groups, we supposedly negotiate with them over weapons or other trade items. Assuming this isn't bullshit I'm honestly wondering what the crusade against these evil people are for then. Aren't we supposed to DESTROY shit like cartels? I also watched a shitty anime called Black Lagoon where something similar is a plot point and an acclaimed movie called Sicario where it's even crazier.

Yes we have, and I'm sure we still do here and there...although it certainly isn't to the point that we broadly help drug cartels everywhere.

Overall, it seems like you need a bit more background on the War on Drugs. Here are a few starting points:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJUXLqNHCaI

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontl...ws/drugs/cron/

http://world.time.com/2014/01/14/dea...n-drug-cartel/

http://www.wired.com/2013/05/afghan-poppies/

More recent news demonstrates that some of the intent of the War on Drugs is rooted in political aspects - http://www.nydailynews.com/news/poli...icle-1.2573832

[Sevyvia]

The CIA is (although not solely, but largely) responsible for a lot of the turmoil in the middle east, too. Which has caused so much trouble for Europe in recent years. So, yeah, shitting on your supposed allies too. Wonder why no one likes the US. :P

[Dug]

Maybe not directly but the "War on Drugs" is what keeps shitlords like the cartel in business.

[Stormspellz]

The US gov is literally the biggest arms dealer on the planet, We gave mujihadeen weapons to fight the soviets, they later became Al qaeda, we gave weapons to Suddam for his war with Iran. As you may guess; it tends to blow up in our face a lot as well.

[Deleted]

http://www.businessinsider.com/the-u...el-2014-1?IR=T

Sinaloa are up there in evil cunt land.

[DeadmanWalking]

Common CIA tactic, you throw support to A cartel so that it wipes out 10 other cartels and then let them do their thing unhindered. Why? Because you are not going to stop Americans from buying drugs from Mexico and if someone is going to supply the drugs you want them to wipe out their competition to keep violence over the sale of drugs to a low. Less chance of two cartels getting into a shoot out just over the border where some school bus gets caught in the cross fire.

[Independent voter]

By "we" I mean the US government. I'm in disbelief at what an ex-friend told me about recently. Apparently, despite the War on Drugs and fight against drug cartels or other organized crime groups, we supposedly negotiate with them over weapons or other trade items. Assuming this isn't bullshit I'm honestly wondering what the crusade against these evil people are for then. Aren't we supposed to DESTROY shit like cartels? I also watched a shitty anime called Black Lagoon where something similar is a plot point and an acclaimed movie called Sicario where it's even crazier.

All this said, I further wonder what the point of the DEA is then.

There's a lot of hyperbole, lot's of click bait. You'd have to work long and hard to find out the true history of it.

[Damajin]

As covered by other posters, yes we do work with those types of organizations. "We" though is highly qualified as being "The Government and its' chosen Beneficiaries" which is just as often foreign investors from other countries as it is US Citizens who share that common denominator of being investors. The population at large receives no benefit whatsoever from this, is often the only ones affected negatively by any reaction to or failed effort on the part of these partnerships and almost always is footing the bill for it.

People in other countries aren't exempt from this problem either, as we saw with the Iran-Contra thing, BCCI, and Operation Gladio there's often a rather broad network of involved parties in various countries all contributing to the BS they're doing so as to make as little to no waves as possible. There's people all over the place who want to hop on the corrupt money train that is funded by US taxpayers.

[Deleted]

The only reason drug cartels can exist is because we have war on drugs.

The US taxpayer cost of cannabis prohibiton is not a small fee, 10bn USD annualy, while Colorado cannabis tax generates 1bn USD, and the market is growing fast. Weed can literally cure cancer if you spend the tax on research programs in oncology, since the US cannot lose anything from its 600bn military budget.

I know other recreational drugs with amazing properties, but we can't use them legally yet. It's not reasonable. Cultivation or synthesis for self-medication is more punishing to an individual in a victimless crime, than dealing with dangerous substances of unknown quality on the street with edgy people. War on drugs is a big fuck you to common sense, and in my opinion must be an insult to any sane person.

/

Why? Because you are not going to stop Americans from buying drugs from Mexico and if someone is going to supply the drugs you want them to wipe out their competition to keep violence over the sale of drugs to a low.

Or you can legalize it, killing every cartel in existence while you get money off the tax, people get guaraneed quality for a reasonable price, and the system frees itself from punishing victimless criminals. You can even spend the money on education programs about drug abuse, and help the victims of abuse more effectively.

[DeadmanWalking]

The only reason drug cartels can exist is because we have war on drugs.

The US taxpayer cost of cannabis prohibiton is not a small fee, 10bn USD annualy, while Colorado cannabis tax generates 1bn USD, and the market is growing fast. Weed can literally cure cancer if you spend the tax on research programs in oncology, since the US cannot lose anything from its 600bn military budget.

I know other recreational drugs with amazing properties, but we can't use them legally yet. It's not reasonable. Cultivation or synthesis for self-medication is more punishing to an individual in a victimless crime, than dealing with dangerous substances of unknown quality on the street with edgy people. War on drugs is a big fuck you to common sense, and in my opinion must be an insult to any sane person.

/

Or you can legalize it, killing every cartel in existence while you get money off the tax, people get guaraneed quality for a reasonable price, and the system frees itself from punishing victimless criminals. You can even spend the money on education programs about drug abuse, and help the victims of abuse more effectively.

They are never going to legalize cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin coming across the border from Mexico. Marijuana is an entirely different subject because you don't see the jane rotting teeth out, OD'ing themselves into coma's or deaths and causing severe health problems that the harder drugs cause. The worst part of marijuana is that it can potentially damage young peoples developing brain cells and causes people to go out eating at odd hours of night. Most Marijuana consumed in the US is produced in the US unless those areas are near Mexico.

These harder drugs, whether you want to admit it or not because you enjoy using them, destroy lives and if you don't agree with me then go ask the families of drug abusers and not the addicts themselves.

[Deleted]

By "we" I mean the US government. I'm in disbelief at what an ex-friend told me about recently. Apparently, despite the War on Drugs and fight against drug cartels or other organized crime groups, we supposedly negotiate with them over weapons or other trade items. Assuming this isn't bullshit I'm honestly wondering what the crusade against these evil people are for then. Aren't we supposed to DESTROY shit like cartels? I also watched a shitty anime called Black Lagoon where something similar is a plot point and an acclaimed movie called Sicario where it's even crazier.

All this said, I further wonder what the point of the DEA is then.

No one can be told how fucking horrible and evil the stuff their country does is. They have to find out for themselves.

You know how to use google. You know how to use wikipedia. They are great tools, use them.

If I told you the truth you wouldn't believe me anyway. I wouldn't believe me if I didn't already know. The drugs issue is frankly a small droplet of blood on the carcass of savaged morality the US political machine is capable of.

Alternatively forget you read this and go back to loving your country, saluting the flag and towing the line. You'll be a lot happier living in the same bubble of ignorance everyone else does. There's nothing but misery in the truth.

[lockedout]

“George Herbert Walker Bush: ‘Sarah, if the American people ever find out what we have done, they would chase us down the street and lynch us.’ That is a famous 1992 quote by George Herbert Walker Bush to Sarah McLendon, a Texas journalist who Bush had known for years and who was the grand dame of the White House press corps at the time. McLendon had asked Bush: ‘What will the people do if they ever find out the truth about Iraq-gate and Iran contra?'”

[Scathbais]

By "we" I mean the US government. I'm in disbelief at what an ex-friend told me about recently. Apparently, despite the War on Drugs and fight against drug cartels or other organized crime groups, we supposedly negotiate with them over weapons or other trade items. Assuming this isn't bullshit I'm honestly wondering what the crusade against these evil people are for then. Aren't we supposed to DESTROY shit like cartels? I also watched a shitty anime called Black Lagoon where something similar is a plot point and an acclaimed movie called Sicario where it's even crazier.

All this said, I further wonder what the point of the DEA is then.

Unfortunately, no one on these forums believes in God, therefore, there is no good and evil (thus no evil organizations), only differences of opinion and conflicting interests.

Don't bring religion into this.

[Calfredd]

Unfortunately, no one on these forums believes in God, therefore, there is no good and evil (thus no evil organizations), only differences of opinion and conflicting interests.

Believing in good and evil is about differences of opinion and conflicting interests. No God required for that.

[Independent voter]

“George Herbert Walker Bush: ‘Sarah, if the American people ever find out what we have done, they would chase us down the street and lynch us.’ That is a famous 1992 quote by George Herbert Walker Bush to Sarah McLendon, a Texas journalist who Bush had known for years and who was the grand dame of the White House press corps at the time. McLendon had asked Bush: ‘What will the people do if they ever find out the truth about Iraq-gate and Iran contra?'”

This is what I'm talking about, the quote is fake, made up by Sarah.

Ask yourself this question: If this story is true, why was it not reported by any major US news paper at the time (1992)?

I found exactly the same lines of quotes in numerous webpages dedicated to rumors, conspiracies. etc..., without a single reference to source.

Sarah McClendon was famous for believing in and spreading conspiracy theories in spite of her status as the grand dame of the Washington press corps, but I think she is a victim of rumor herself in this case.

[ro9ue]

Wait, Sicario was REAL?

[Raldazzar]

By "we" I mean the US government. I'm in disbelief at what an ex-friend told me about recently. Apparently, despite the War on Drugs and fight against drug cartels or other organized crime groups, we supposedly negotiate with them over weapons or other trade items. Assuming this isn't bullshit I'm honestly wondering what the crusade against these evil people are for then. Aren't we supposed to DESTROY shit like cartels? I also watched a shitty anime called Black Lagoon where something similar is a plot point and an acclaimed movie called Sicario where it's even crazier.

All this said, I further wonder what the point of the DEA is then.

I do not think anybody on these forums is qualified to say anything other than pure hearsay! or quote a wiki! :P

I personally believe that they very likely do. as quite frankly, it's better the devil you know. I mean.

if you have 3 gangs rivalling over territory. shootings in the street. bodies dropping, crime in the area.. is it not better if ONE gang reigns supreme. and keeps all others in check? the locals know they are safe because the one monopoly does not want drama in their area. and the other criminals know that. so.. yeah?

[Rukh]

As Hubcap says, a lot of it is hyperbole. There's a few notable exceptions, but most of the covert stuff the US does consists of sticking a finger in the eye of political opponents and then claiming we're innocent and we don't know why they hate us, must be because of our freedoms.

The Iran-Contra affair is one such exception. The US explicitly sold arms to Iran despite international embargo, and despite explicit prohibition by US congress funding Nicaraguan rebels. I don't buy at all that Reagan didn't know about it. He was all about overthrowing the Nicaraguan government. Reagan was a crook and doesn't deserve all the idolation he gets from the political right wing. Or maybe he does. I think Trump is licking his lips at the chance to do much worse.

The US was sued in international court and lost, due to disseminating pamphlets instructing the contras in geurilla warfare, including such things as how to rationalize killing civilians. The US of course used our leverage in the UN to tell the court to fuck off. The point is though, the US was encouraging all sorts of really bad stuff.