History

The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade

The Dope: The Real History of the Mexican Drug Trade

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  • Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
  • Create Date：2022-08-26 19:21:42
  • Update Date：2025-09-07
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Benjamin T. Smith
  • ISBN：1324021829
  • Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle

Reviews

Arthur ，

Excellent popular history book about the history of the Mexican drug trade。 It is traces the evolution of the accompanying violence that resulted from the interplay between the protection rackets， the insatiable （and varying） demand for drugs in the US， and misguided US drug policies。 The protection rackets became increasingly violent when they moved from local （state police） to central （first federal police， then secret service） and then to the traffickers themselves。 While already shocking eno Excellent popular history book about the history of the Mexican drug trade。 It is traces the evolution of the accompanying violence that resulted from the interplay between the protection rackets， the insatiable （and varying） demand for drugs in the US， and misguided US drug policies。 The protection rackets became increasingly violent when they moved from local （state police） to central （first federal police， then secret service） and then to the traffickers themselves。 While already shocking enough， the recent shift from drug protection to more general protection rackets， both for licit and illicit business， again increased the level of violence and the degree to which it permeates society。 The book is very well written and insightful。 It is hard to see how to move forward， but the past， and it seemingly constant repetition of similar mistakes， offers valuable lessons and they are well documented here。 。。。more

Andrew Tollemache ，

I have read a ton of books about the North American drug trade and Mexico in particular。 This one of the best of the bunch simply because Smith goes back more than a century to trace how the Mexican drug trade got to the place it is now。 Ben Smith traces how Mexico faced its own conflict with domestic drug production and consumption in years around WWI when fears of Mexican soldiers soothing themselves with marijuana were mixed with anti-Chinese racism for the imiigrants who had bought opium to I have read a ton of books about the North American drug trade and Mexico in particular。 This one of the best of the bunch simply because Smith goes back more than a century to trace how the Mexican drug trade got to the place it is now。 Ben Smith traces how Mexico faced its own conflict with domestic drug production and consumption in years around WWI when fears of Mexican soldiers soothing themselves with marijuana were mixed with anti-Chinese racism for the imiigrants who had bought opium to the Mexican Pacific coast in the late 19th century， led to some of the 1st Mexican crackdowns on the drug trade。 Then over the coming years pressure from the US ran up against the decentralization and corruption of mid 20 th century Mexico to drive the drug trade even further underground。 From Harry Anslinger and the FBN during the 1930s and 1940s to Nixon's creation of the DEA in the early 1970s， the more the the drug trade was forced into the black market， the more violent and destructive it became to Mexican society。 By the time we get to Calderone's War on the Cartels in 2008 we see a Mexico being torn apart by unholy amounts of violence that left 50，000 dead in a decade。 。。。more

Oscar Romero ，

What a fantastic read。 Quite interesting to learn about how drugs and drug enforcement agencies work， either together or against each other。 I guess drugs are to be always with us， so why not make them legal？ Well-at least， that is my opinion。 I do remember about alcohol not being allowed--did that stop it？ Nah！ We can make things illegal， but that doesn't stop them--sometimes it seems it makes them more enticing to acquire and or use， or both。 An amazing job about the history behind Dope--espec What a fantastic read。 Quite interesting to learn about how drugs and drug enforcement agencies work， either together or against each other。 I guess drugs are to be always with us， so why not make them legal？ Well-at least， that is my opinion。 I do remember about alcohol not being allowed--did that stop it？ Nah！ We can make things illegal， but that doesn't stop them--sometimes it seems it makes them more enticing to acquire and or use， or both。 An amazing job about the history behind Dope--especially the Tijuana and Mexicali connection--I do recommend you read it。 You will love it。 。。。more

Daniel ，

A history of the Mexican drug trade is probably something more people should know about since it influences the world and the US more specifically far more than most want to think about and this does an excellent job of giving you this history。 It is equal parts horror， history and politics and explains how Mexico became the kingpins of the world。If you are a history buff you should probably give this one a go or something similar to get a greater understanding of the undercurrents of the main s A history of the Mexican drug trade is probably something more people should know about since it influences the world and the US more specifically far more than most want to think about and this does an excellent job of giving you this history。 It is equal parts horror， history and politics and explains how Mexico became the kingpins of the world。If you are a history buff you should probably give this one a go or something similar to get a greater understanding of the undercurrents of the main story that most of us read。Highly Recommended。 。。。more

Emiliano Moreno ，

Benjamin T。 Smith offers a great overview of the Mexican drug trade。 He discusses the origins of narcotics and how the trade has shaped Mexican society and the impact the U。S。 has had on the trade。 In his research Benjamin T。 Smith is presented with four distinct findings which he lays out in the introduction。 He uses these findings and breaks the book into 5 parts—each part corresponding to a certain time period—to offer a better understanding of the trade that is not captured by pop culture。Wh Benjamin T。 Smith offers a great overview of the Mexican drug trade。 He discusses the origins of narcotics and how the trade has shaped Mexican society and the impact the U。S。 has had on the trade。 In his research Benjamin T。 Smith is presented with four distinct findings which he lays out in the introduction。 He uses these findings and breaks the book into 5 parts—each part corresponding to a certain time period—to offer a better understanding of the trade that is not captured by pop culture。When we hear of drug lords， narcos， cartels， etc。 some immediately think of Pablo Escobar， El Chapo， Columbia， Mexico， so on， and create these stereotypes about Latin America that have been influenced by popular movies or tv series。 However， the origins of it all is lost and the influence different cultures have had is not there。 “The Dope” sheds light on all the important details left out by pop culture regarding the trade in Mexico。 I recommend this book to anyone interested in Mexican and/or other Latin American history， politics， culture， or the drug trade itself。 。。。more

John Mcpheat ，

I will NEVER go to Mexico。

Scott Martin ，

One of the best histories on the Mexican drug trade out there。 This author really dug into the history of drug smuggling and production in Mexico， going back to the 1800s and beyond。 While most other sources only attribute the drug trade and gangs in Mexico to either the mid-1800s or Prohibition， most do not address its history until the 1980s。 Yet， there is a far more detailed story about drugs in Mexico。 There is significant involvement from the US， which drives much of the demand as well as t One of the best histories on the Mexican drug trade out there。 This author really dug into the history of drug smuggling and production in Mexico， going back to the 1800s and beyond。 While most other sources only attribute the drug trade and gangs in Mexico to either the mid-1800s or Prohibition， most do not address its history until the 1980s。 Yet， there is a far more detailed story about drugs in Mexico。 There is significant involvement from the US， which drives much of the demand as well as the policies， which the author feels were for the worst。 The political figures who dealt with the trade and key players in the drug world had various levels of success and adaptability， but it was something that was never really defeated， and the various ills within the Mexican government and outside pressures set the stage for the brutal conditions that have haunted the country。 This can be a hard read， but it is extremely informative。 It should be a go-to for anyone wanting to know the real history/back-story of drugs in Mexico。 Hard copy/e-copy， or audiobook。 Should be read at least once。 。。。more

Katie Derus ，

This book was very interesting - to the point I literally said “oh wow” or “I did not know that” out loud/to myself mulllltiple times while reading。 That said。 It’s… dense。 Like maybe a slight step above a school history text book。 Personally that’s not a huge issue detraction for me because I really loved reading my history text books 😂， but it’s definitely just so chock-full of names and dates and towns that my head was spinning。 So definitely read if this topic truly sounds interesting to you This book was very interesting - to the point I literally said “oh wow” or “I did not know that” out loud/to myself mulllltiple times while reading。 That said。 It’s… dense。 Like maybe a slight step above a school history text book。 Personally that’s not a huge issue detraction for me because I really loved reading my history text books 😂， but it’s definitely just so chock-full of names and dates and towns that my head was spinning。 So definitely read if this topic truly sounds interesting to you， otherwise maybe skip it。 Also CW: lots of explicit and descriptive talk of torture。 。。。more

Gus ，

The most straighest dope on the real dope on the dopey dope Drug war in Mexico

Brandon Forsyth ，

Another book that occasionally suffers from trying to tackle a huge， complicated story in a comprehensive way。 Smith has a lot of fascinating insight and unbelievable stories packed into this book， and I do feel like I’m walking away with new insight into how we got to the current situation in “the drug war”， but I also really struggled at times to get through this。 Stylistically， I found that the book suffers from starting most chapters with an in media res anecdote， then backtracking to explai Another book that occasionally suffers from trying to tackle a huge， complicated story in a comprehensive way。 Smith has a lot of fascinating insight and unbelievable stories packed into this book， and I do feel like I’m walking away with new insight into how we got to the current situation in “the drug war”， but I also really struggled at times to get through this。 Stylistically， I found that the book suffers from starting most chapters with an in media res anecdote， then backtracking to explain how the situation evolved to that point。 Those anecdotes are well chosen and compelling， but it can really grind the larger narrative to a halt， as you’ve just traced the evolution of one part of the history and then you’re thrown into an entirely new situation and have to get your bearings again about how this phase of the history aligns with what you just read。 The book then reads in fits and starts， and ends up in an awkward middle ground between academia and narrative non-fiction。 All that being said， there are a ton of interesting ideas here and it’s left me with a lot more to explore。 。。。more

jon blackwood ，

InformativeI enjoyed the descriptions of the methods is d to grow and distribute the drugs，but would have preferred more information about the inner workings of the cartels

Diego ，

Benjamin T。 Smith presenta una historia del trafico de drogas en México de más de 100 años。 Desde el fin de la era Porfiria a hasta 2020。 Es una historia excelentemente documentada， bien narrada， de fácil lectura， entretenida y con un gran nivel de detalle， algo que sin duda apunta a la enorme calidad de la investigación histórica del libro。 La conclusión que uno puede sacar del libro es que el trafico de drogas en el país siempre ha sido un negocio de las más altas esferas del poder， usando los Benjamin T。 Smith presenta una historia del trafico de drogas en México de más de 100 años。 Desde el fin de la era Porfiria a hasta 2020。 Es una historia excelentemente documentada， bien narrada， de fácil lectura， entretenida y con un gran nivel de detalle， algo que sin duda apunta a la enorme calidad de la investigación histórica del libro。 La conclusión que uno puede sacar del libro es que el trafico de drogas en el país siempre ha sido un negocio de las más altas esferas del poder， usando los recursos que se generan desde para hacer proyectos públicos o simplemente para la acumulación de riqueza。 La enorme crisis de seguridad que vivimos hoy tendría sus orígenes más inmediatos en la década de 1980， con la rápida perdida de capacidades del estado mexicano。 La debilidad fiscal， las fuertes crisis económicas， la perdida de cohesión política e ideológica del PRI， junto con los enormes cambios de la híper globalización y su impacto en el negocio del tráfico terminaron por colapsar el estatal。 El resultado una enorme descomposición de corrupción y violencia que sigue estando presente。 Es un libro sumamente recomendable para tratar de entender qué pasa en México， como llegamos a donde nos encontramos。 。。。more

Clayton Cheever ，

This popular （not academic） history is intense。 The writing is very accessible and it makes a rather complicated history more understandable。 Recommended for everyone who's prior knowledge has been primarily gained from watching Narcos mini-series， anyone who appreciates large-scale history complications， and people looking for a better understanding of our neighbor to the south - and our own communities。Did you know that very recently a vast majority of the heroin consumed in the U。S。 was grown This popular （not academic） history is intense。 The writing is very accessible and it makes a rather complicated history more understandable。 Recommended for everyone who's prior knowledge has been primarily gained from watching Narcos mini-series， anyone who appreciates large-scale history complications， and people looking for a better understanding of our neighbor to the south - and our own communities。Did you know that very recently a vast majority of the heroin consumed in the U。S。 was grown in Mexico？ "Underground" agriculture dwarfs other revenue streams， but its the associated violence around control that is absolutely insane。 This makes a very strong case that the "war on drugs" is a farce and helps explain why it is failing so badly。 。。。more

Paige ，

Enjoyable narrative that adds a *lot* of historical context to what I grew up reading/hearing about as a US border state resident。

Scot Potts ，

Disappointing， as a read through the introduction in a local bookstore promised analysis and a deeper understanding of the Mexican drug trade with the US， potentially it’s links to the larger global drug trade， and some glimmer of an idea regarding solutions。 This book though， consisted of 400 pages of a one-damn-thing-after-another style history， turning into a mind numbing recitation of the saddening and depressing worst of greed and violence which human nature has to offer （which is saying so Disappointing， as a read through the introduction in a local bookstore promised analysis and a deeper understanding of the Mexican drug trade with the US， potentially it’s links to the larger global drug trade， and some glimmer of an idea regarding solutions。 This book though， consisted of 400 pages of a one-damn-thing-after-another style history， turning into a mind numbing recitation of the saddening and depressing worst of greed and violence which human nature has to offer （which is saying something）。 There are some scattered short periodic step back and look at the trends moments， but they are buried deep within endless stories of torture rape and murder which are well documented， perhaps too enthusiastically and voyeristically recreated for us， and just go on and on and on and on。 。。。more

Siobhan Harrop-McDiarmid ，

Well researched and descriptive book but I came away feeling sad about how shitty some things are in the world and how men cause a lot of the problems with their desire for control， money， power and sex。 The drug trade is just a shit show and I wish the whole thing would just go away。 Can we not provide better education and health care to poor Americans so they don't end up using drugs in the first place？ Well researched and descriptive book but I came away feeling sad about how shitty some things are in the world and how men cause a lot of the problems with their desire for control， money， power and sex。 The drug trade is just a shit show and I wish the whole thing would just go away。 Can we not provide better education and health care to poor Americans so they don't end up using drugs in the first place？ 。。。more

Gabriel ，

Maybe it is because I had just read some of the best nonfiction of the year， or maybe because "Narcos" overdramatized the reality， but this book just fell a little flat for me。 The first half was a slog。 One name after the next， with little tidbits about each person， only to never hear about them again。 No real cohesiveness between the stories other than the chronological placement and some geographic ties。 I felt like I needed a pen and paper to try and visualize all of the connections。 Yes， th Maybe it is because I had just read some of the best nonfiction of the year， or maybe because "Narcos" overdramatized the reality， but this book just fell a little flat for me。 The first half was a slog。 One name after the next， with little tidbits about each person， only to never hear about them again。 No real cohesiveness between the stories other than the chronological placement and some geographic ties。 I felt like I needed a pen and paper to try and visualize all of the connections。 Yes， the author clearly outlines the major shifts in the drug trade: from opium， to weed， to coke， etc。， but it wasn't until the back half of this book， where the author deviates from a list of names and tries to explain the why's and the how's that it really got interesting。 And sure， maybe that is largely the result of a lack of original source material， but then maybe the author was being a little too ambitious。 I think the first third of this book could be been distilled further and nothing would be lost。 The author's overall thesis， that the violence and problems are the result of actions from the state are well supported and that is an interesting perspective， but maybe I'm just a sucker for narrative nonfiction and this was not that。 。。。more

Alex ，

Amazing deep dive into the history of the drug trade with Mexico。 If you're a fan of the Narcos series， highly recommend。 Amazing deep dive into the history of the drug trade with Mexico。 If you're a fan of the Narcos series， highly recommend。 。。。more

Rafael Saucedo ，

Amazing history lesson。

Tyler ，

tough to keep track of everyone involved but well researched。 3。5

Jan Notzon ，

I felt compelled to give this four stars for the incredible research and scholarship involved， though there were times I had to work to stay focused。I completely agree with Mr。 Smith that the origin of drug problem is the demand in the United States （the author says little about the demand from Europe which I gather is comparable to that in this country）。 I also concur that interdiction， i。e。 trying to stop supply， beyond being ineffective， is horribly destructive both in Mexico and in the US， e I felt compelled to give this four stars for the incredible research and scholarship involved， though there were times I had to work to stay focused。I completely agree with Mr。 Smith that the origin of drug problem is the demand in the United States （the author says little about the demand from Europe which I gather is comparable to that in this country）。 I also concur that interdiction， i。e。 trying to stop supply， beyond being ineffective， is horribly destructive both in Mexico and in the US， exacerbating violence that is already of Olympian proportions。 Most people involved believe that those efforts stop at the very most 10% of the drugs， and there are many who put the figure at 2-5%。 I am sympathetic to the idea of decrimialization。 That said， I also find in Mr。 Smith's account the typical Brit progressive's fundamental belief that all evil in this world emanates from the flagitiously corrupt United States of America。 All suffering and obstacles on the way to a socialist paradise originates in its fetid corruption。 In this， he has much in common with American progressives （"Irredeemably racist"; "heartlessly lacking in compassion"， "founded on hypocrisies"， etc。 etc。The conclusions of anyone giving kudos to Andrés Manuel López Obrador （who is clearly an aspiring dictator） I have to take with a grain of salt。 。。。more

Arun Murali ，

This is a terrific history of Mexico as seen through the eyes of the drug trade。 While some of the world has its perception of Mexico and its culpability in the drug issue， this book provides a variety of perspective that makes it， at least， easier to understand why the issue exists。 Matters like this are very complicated and require a real historical understanding。 There is stories of survival， corruption， global demand， violence and more that make the book impossible to put down。 Hopefully oth This is a terrific history of Mexico as seen through the eyes of the drug trade。 While some of the world has its perception of Mexico and its culpability in the drug issue， this book provides a variety of perspective that makes it， at least， easier to understand why the issue exists。 Matters like this are very complicated and require a real historical understanding。 There is stories of survival， corruption， global demand， violence and more that make the book impossible to put down。 Hopefully others find it as educational as I did。 。。。more

Lynn ，

A history of narcotics trafficking from Mexico。 Begins with prohibition in the USA， where American law enforcement tries to stamp out illegal drugs and alcohol use。 Works up to more violent forms after drug trade is forced out of Columbia。 Good thorough account。

Jon Hainer ，

Drug Trade HistoryIt is difficult to rate this book。 If you are primarily interested in the last 20 years， you should give it a pass， and I would give it two stars。 If you want a really detailed and long explanation of how did we get here and why are these our policies and how does any of this make sense， then you have found the perfect book。 If you want scholarly research with detailed footnotes， a quick reading would make an effective overview， but otherwise the book will not help you。 A dilem Drug Trade HistoryIt is difficult to rate this book。 If you are primarily interested in the last 20 years， you should give it a pass， and I would give it two stars。 If you want a really detailed and long explanation of how did we get here and why are these our policies and how does any of this make sense， then you have found the perfect book。 If you want scholarly research with detailed footnotes， a quick reading would make an effective overview， but otherwise the book will not help you。 A dilemma for the author I surmise was to find a nonfiction voice that was interesting but not tale-telling， detailed but not pedantic， inclusive but not unfiltered。 The narrative tone is not consistent。 There are times when the author makes judgments when the reader nods along and times when the reader wants to know how the blank did he know that or who says？ This could have been a great book and it doesn't achieve that， but it is illuminating and thorough in an area almost impossible to cover。 。。。more

Susan Sherman ，

Smith has written a comprehensive history of the Mexican drug trade。 As he says "America outsourced what it desired but didn't want to see" There was money to be made on one side and thrills often leading to need on the other。 It seems that the two sides will always have this relationship。 Smith has written a comprehensive history of the Mexican drug trade。 As he says "America outsourced what it desired but didn't want to see" There was money to be made on one side and thrills often leading to need on the other。 It seems that the two sides will always have this relationship。 。。。more

Kevin ，

This is an impeccably researched and well-written saga。 I got bogged down in the names and details at times， especially at the beginning of the journey in the early 1900s， but the paced picked up rapidly as the author pushed into the last 30 or so years。 This book pairs very well with any of Don Winslow’s stellar novels about the cross-border drug trade， and will leave you both shaking your head in frustration and wincing at the staggering violence and suffering that has resulted from the War on This is an impeccably researched and well-written saga。 I got bogged down in the names and details at times， especially at the beginning of the journey in the early 1900s， but the paced picked up rapidly as the author pushed into the last 30 or so years。 This book pairs very well with any of Don Winslow’s stellar novels about the cross-border drug trade， and will leave you both shaking your head in frustration and wincing at the staggering violence and suffering that has resulted from the War on Drugs。 It shines a glaring spotlight on the failures of US intervention and begs for us to reckon with the fact that American Exceptionalism has contributed to immeasurable death and tragedy on both sides of the border。 。。。more

Andrew Paxman ，

On the subject of Mexico’s narcos， The Dope really is the dope。 Popular convention and recent TV series claim that Mexico’s drug trade got going in the 1980s， when ramped-up vigilance by the US Coast Guard forced Colombians to switch from the Caribbean to Mexico when shipping up their cocaine … Enter the Guadalajara Cartel。 But Smith takes the story back a hundred years or more， for the United States has been sourcing its highs from Mexico since the Harrison Act of 1914 severely limited public a On the subject of Mexico’s narcos， The Dope really is the dope。 Popular convention and recent TV series claim that Mexico’s drug trade got going in the 1980s， when ramped-up vigilance by the US Coast Guard forced Colombians to switch from the Caribbean to Mexico when shipping up their cocaine … Enter the Guadalajara Cartel。 But Smith takes the story back a hundred years or more， for the United States has been sourcing its highs from Mexico since the Harrison Act of 1914 severely limited public access to narcotics。Smith’s historical perspective clarifies the dynamics and economics of the trade。 The book argues that， whatever one may hear about drug “pushers”， flows from Mexico have always been mostly demand-driven， for the USA has historically shown a massive hunger for narcotics by global standards。 Smith shows that narco-economics， based on high US demand and low Mexican wages， have inevitably made Mexico the main supplier to its northern neighbour; Smith claims that in the recessionary 1980s a Mexican could earn as much growing a single marijuana plant as driving a taxi for a year。 More revealing still are Smith’s findings on how Mexico’s politicians and police have long run protection rackets to profit from the trafficking they supposedly worked to suppress。 It’s the competition between local and federal authorities to control these rackets， coupled with pressure from the US government to produce TV-friendly drug busts， that have done most to drive the violence associated with the trade。 In the early years， traffickers went about their business peacefully。 The final chapters， on 1990 to the present， zip by too quickly; I’d have happily read another 100 pages of Smith’s engaging and often humorous prose。 Beyond its analytical savvy， what makes this book really swing is Smith’s eye for stories。 One subject is Dr。 Leopoldo Salazar Viniegra， who tried to kill Mexico City’s black market in the late 1930s through legalisation and official dispensaries， a programme that worked well for four months before the US government bullied Mexico into nixing it。 Another is female border crime boss La Nacha， who controlled the Juárez market before converting to Christianity。 A collection of sleazy state governors features Chihuahua’s Oscar Flores Sánchez， so eager to continue profiting from drugs in the 1970s that， as the nation’s attorney general， he had at least one noble crime fighter framed and shot dead。 。。。more

Steve ，

The history of the Mexican drug trade is complex， the path to a restoration of order and calm， far from obvious。 Professor Smith has written an excellent account of why this is so。 To begin， the drug trade， which dates back more than a century， has involved multiple products， notably marijuana， opium – and its derivatives， morphine and heroin – and cocaine， and multiple constituencies， namely Chinese immigrants， Mexicans at the local， state and federal levels both in and out of government， the F The history of the Mexican drug trade is complex， the path to a restoration of order and calm， far from obvious。 Professor Smith has written an excellent account of why this is so。 To begin， the drug trade， which dates back more than a century， has involved multiple products， notably marijuana， opium – and its derivatives， morphine and heroin – and cocaine， and multiple constituencies， namely Chinese immigrants， Mexicans at the local， state and federal levels both in and out of government， the French， Colombians， and， of course， the Americans， both as consumers and enforcers。 Interestingly， Professor Smith notes that while Mexico has been a significant producer of narcotics through the decades， Mexicans as a whole have not been large users。 The principal users are American。In his introduction， Professor Smith notes four findings from his meticulous study。 First， the drug trade and its effects on the Mexican people fundamentally relate to economics。 Second， members of the drug industry and various governing authorities have experienced an ever-changing relationship， where local protection rackets transitioned to the state then to the federal level and ultimately back to the industry itself。 Third， the counternarcotic policies have largely been drivenby invented panics， the need for bureaucratic fundraising， and managerial scapegoating。 They target whatever group is deemed easiest to cow， capture， and sell to the public as a victory。 And they are supported by the relentless manipulation of facts and figures through administrative sleight of hand， the deliberate distortion of evidence， or straight out lying。 Fourth， the connection between the trade and the use of force had two components， the appearance of new governing actors seeking to alter the status quo and the war on drugs itself。 These observations along with Professor Smith’s documented history make for a distressing， revealing read。Good stories are best with villains， of course， and there’s no shortage of them in this book; Professor Smith reveals one of the bureaucratic American variety in Harry Anslinger， at one time head of the US Federal Bureau of Narcotics。 Given an enlightened attempt to offer drugs at low cost through Mexican government programs in 1940， Anslinger worked to shut down the entire effort in the name of the standard demonic drug myth， beginning a series of policies that continue to this day。 His is apparently a name to be remembered in understanding how Mexico arrived at this sad situation。Because the issues here are so thorny and the fix so daunting， if not impossible， no wonder there’s so much appeal for the tough on crime rhetoric of political simpletons。 I’d like to place some blame on my favorite presidential simpleton， Ronald Reagan， however， he barely figures in this story， though his administration’s Central American drugs for arms initiative is discussed， largely as a possible factor in the death of a prominent US DEA agent， Enrique “Kiki” Camarena。 The book ends with things appearing to get worse in Mexico， the murder rate today rising to some astonishing levels nationally。 What does a modern lawless realm look like？ Professor Smith offers a glimpse in his concluding remarks。 。。。more

Meli ，

NYT Review: The Phony War on Drugs"mythmaking and storytelling have served to “demonize the drug traffickers and cement the narrative of the drug war as a struggle between good and evil。” Despite the inescapable truth that the illicit trade feeds America’s unending demand for narcotics， this portrayal of Mexico has tilted American political realities。 “Drug war myths provide the essential background for the upsurge in U。S。 nativism，” Smith writes， and with it “the expansion of a massive deportat NYT Review: The Phony War on Drugs"mythmaking and storytelling have served to “demonize the drug traffickers and cement the narrative of the drug war as a struggle between good and evil。” Despite the inescapable truth that the illicit trade feeds America’s unending demand for narcotics， this portrayal of Mexico has tilted American political realities。 “Drug war myths provide the essential background for the upsurge in U。S。 nativism，” Smith writes， and with it “the expansion of a massive deportation industry [。。。]But as profits increased， competition for protection schemes intensified and eventually engulfed the federal government。 By early 1997， even the Mexican Army general in charge of the nation’s war on drugs was taking payments to protect the cartels [。。。] The cartels spread their infection to car theft rings， kidnappers and illegal loggers， and then demanded protection payments from legitimate businesses。 They even stalked Mexican elective politics。 Just this past June， 35 candidates for local office were killed as cartels ensured that their own candidates won。" Sure to be a worthwhile read 。。。more

Nisso Bucay ，

Excellent introduction and overview of the Mexican drug cartelsThis is the first time I was able to understand the evolution and changes that drug trafficking in Mexico has undergone since the beginning。 It is a must read for anybody interested in the topic。 The only downside was that it felt a little rushed discussing the most recent time period。