Obama, Calderon Pledge To Fight Drug War

MEXICO CITY — President Barack Obama and Mexican President Felipe Calderon are pledging to work together on challenges confronting both countries.

A main focus for Obama is the battle against the Mexican drug cartels, and the drug-related violence plaguing the border region. He says it isn't just Mexico's problem to solve. He says the United States needs to work against the demand for drugs from Mexico, and against the flow of guns into Mexico.

Obama wants the U.S. Senate to ratify a treaty that he said would limit the number of those weapons going to Mexico.

Obama said at a news conference Thursday in Mexico City that he and Calderon also spoke in their meeting about reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving their economies.

Comments

[Chaimirija]

You know, this war on drugs i could understand if we had a legit reason, but we don't. I was nervous about flying for the first time, so my doctor gave me a six pack of paxil. Like it was candy...I took one, had a headache for a week, threw the rest in the garbage and had two drinks on the plane. That headache only lasted a couple of hours.

[winningticket]

The Drug War is so 20th Century. I like Obama, but his moving forward rhetoric rings hollow in this instance.

[Chaimirija]

'so 20th century' i like that!

[Independent voter]

Dear Obama,

For a president who smoked pot, you're awfully slow to understand that prohibition is a complete and total failure. Wake up !!

[SamKnause]

Prohibition caused the problem. Legalization will fix the problem. Simple. I am so tired of our government trying to make everything so complicated. The solution is simple but money talks and buys the votes to keep this so called drug war going.

[Chaimirija]

It certainly provides business for the private contractors running our prisons.

[DodgeCounty]

"He says the United States needs to work against the demand for drugs from Mexico. . . ."

One way to do that is to legalize it and start farming it here in the USA. That would eliminate the demand for pot from Mexico. The icing: huge savings from ending the costly drug wars and huge revenues from sales tax on marijuana products.

[Chaimirija]

umm, if the SSRI's haven't done that, it ain't never gonna happen.

[stell]

What a fraud B.O. is. he blames the U.S. the most be cause he cannot afford to portray Mexicans in a negative light whatsoever, especially when he's going to try to ram amnesty down the throats of Americans this summer before all of his political capital is spent. He also needs the Hispanic vote for re-election.

[JMBrodie]

Stell, it's about demand and supply. They have the supply. Wanna venture a guess as to where the demand comes from?

[Independent voter]

If it were legal, there would be no demand for smuggled drugs.

Get it?

[TheFobster]

Chains we can believe in!

[Balzac]

Regulation would be a more appropriate word than war.

[whyzer]

The Boomers passing the generational torch to Generation Jones may be a game changer in the movement to legalize weed. Obama, and many of his key appointees, are members of GenJones-—born 1954-1965, between the Boomers and Generation X.

Jonesers are by far the biggest pot smokers compared to the other generations. While Boomers are associated with pot, it was only a small, albeit very visible, segment of Boomers who actually smoked pot back in the day. Govt. and independent studies show that Jonesers as teens (in the 1970s) smoked 15 to 20 times more pot than Boomers did as teens. And not only did Jonesers smoke much more grass than any other generation of teens in US history, but still today--in middle-age--smoke it a remarkable amount. The data is really striking.

Additionally, one of the key collective personality traits consistently attributed to Jonesers is their pragmatism; they are far likelier to put aside ideology and deal with drugs in a realistic and practical way.

If ever there was a generation of leadership open to legalizing pot, it probably is Generation Jones. And if there ever was a time that the country might be open to this change in drug laws, perhaps it’s now…

[livefromthewafflehouse]

Let's hope Barry doesn't bow to another head of state on this trip. He really needs to stop this disburbing habit. He should bow to the constitution of the United States and not to foreign heads of states.

[JMBrodie]

You really miss the Bush cowboy show that much?

[WilliamL]

hmmm,

Bush flew Bin Laden's/Saudi families out of the country instead of holding them.

I am not too much into seeing a president bow to any foriegn leader, courtseys for the queen, or any of it but compared to what went on following 9-11, and still, pretty insignificant.

[AspenFreePress]

I don't like the idea of Obama being so tight with a guy Mexicans view as a Bush stooge who gained power through a fraudulent presidential election. Some 63 percent of Mexicans were voting for Calderon's opposition when the hammer fell on a vote recount. Sterling Greenwood/Aspen Free Press

[Citizen54]

Where's the Change We Can Believe In, Mr President?

And don't you have enough wars on your hands?

[SPZig]

You know, it is absolutely infuriating how no matter what party gets into office everyone keeps ignoring the elephant in the room. LEGALIZE ALREADY. Why fight a war when you can end it? Why flush time, money, and resources down the toilet when you can finish the drug "problem" once and for all and improve quality of life in 2 countries in the process? The US would get at least 14 billion dollars in new tax revenue (source: NORML) and Mexico would see a decrease in the violence of cartels. But no, that would be too easy. Instead we should dance around the issue to save political face. I voted for Obama, but in my opinion he is showing himself to be just as much of a tool as any other politician. First the weak stance on torture prosecution and now this. Some "change"..­.

[Citizen54]

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

[SPZig]

No need it wonder now. Its clear where his loyalties are.

I anticipate a huge spike in third party votes next election cycle.

[dawn2dusk]

WHATever..­.legalize all that sh&t! That's it, war over.

[gbrooks]

Oh for god's sake. People have been doing drugs since recorded history and prior. When will this BS end with a rational solution? Almost all recreational drugs are naturally occurring substances and can not be stopped unless you declare war on nature.

Obama did drugs. Bush did drugs. Clinton did drugs. I've done some drugs, only pot though. Almost all my fellow scientists were very much into pot, LSD and occasionally ecstacy. I'm sure hundreds of other politicians did drugs--how do they justify putting non-violent offenders in jail?

Hell, throw everyone in jail--we're all guilty of something. I'm sick of the hypocrisy.