Here is a link to a show titled "Border Wars" on the National Geographic Channel:
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/border-wars/all/Overview?source=banner_house_118
As you may have already guessed by the title, Border Wars is about what goes on along the 2,000 mile border between the U.S. and Mexico. Most of you are from the Midwest so this show is a good way to gain a better understanding of what it is like to live on the border, what Border Patrol agents go through on a daily basis, as well as the various reasons/motivations thousands of impoverished men and women have to immigrate into this country particularly through extremely harsh weather and terrain. I think this show will be an eye opener to those of you who are unfamiliar with what goes on in the south.
Based on the problems that the United States/ Mexico boards is based on the consumption and the need for drugs in the United States.
Based on a 2008 survey on the following link
http://www.drugwarfacts.org/cms/?q=node/27
I am going to do some rough estimates on how much money is involved not only for government/revenue but for drug trafficker/ dealers as well.
Alcohol : 205.40 million people
(case of beer for a 24 pack cost about est. $17.00 X 205.40 million = 3491.8 million dollars)
not including the sales tax that the government makes on it!!!!!!!
Tobacco : 173.93 million people
(pack cost about $6.00 x 173.93 million = 1043.58 million dollars)
(case carton about 60.00 x 173.93 million = 10435.8 million)
not including the sales tax
Marijuana : 102.40 million people
(Dime of Weed cost $20.00 x 120.40 million= 2408 million dollars)
(one ounce of weed 60.00 x 120.40 million= 7224 million $)
Cocaine : 36.77 million people
(one ounce 60.00 x 36.77 million = 96.77 million $)
(16 ounces {1kg} 960.00 x 36.77 million = 35299.2 million $)
Crack : 8.45 million people
Same as cocaine
Heroin : 3.79 million people
same as cocaine
All these estimation is what government, cartels, business men, advertisers, medical/prescription drug company's see is a fast way to make money...
Now from a different perspective flipping it so the shoe is on the other feet, how do you tell someone who is poor, living in low social economical standards, struggling, trying to raise a family to the best of his or her ability. To work for minimum wage, hell no there would rather make money quick to feed there family and take that chance in making quick, and fast money.
The United States shells out millions and billions of dollars to stop the violence for a problem that has affected all of us in some shape or another for the past 45 - 40 years. I am not saying that I am for or against the legalization of drugs, but if we stopped the epidemic by controlling the supply and demand of it cutting off the illegal actions of it we might be a more peaceful society.