In 2008 thus far almost twice as many people have been killed in Mexico as a result of drug prohibition as died in the World Trade Centers on 9.11. However, because their deaths didn’t happen in a single cataclysmic event but in hundreds or thousands of ditches, basements, and other locations, it has not received much attention. But it should. Because the vast majority of these deaths could have been averted if those in government decided to end their failed war on drugs.

Granted, the Mexican government took steps to do just that two and a half years ago after Congress passed a bill that would have legalized drugs, which then-President Fox vowed to sign, yet after being leaned on by the U.S. government Fox allowed the bill to fail. “Leaned on” being billions of dollars of aid from the U.S. government (courtesy of taxpayers), which, after this latest bout of Mexican military v. drug cartel violence, has again, pledged monetary support (to the tune of $400million) to the Mexican government to continue pursing drug prohibition.

An argument against current drug policies can be made on many levels — that it misallocates police resources, lessens respect for the law, creates corruption on a massive scale for law enforcement, judges, and politicians (dozens of Mexico’s highest-ranking military and government officials, including their Drug Czar equivalent and head of their federal police, have been found guilty of corruption in just the past couple of years), not to mention the fact that individuals own themselves and therefore have the right to put into their bodies what they choose (but, just like if they were sober, if they harm someone else, they should be held accountable). Whatever rationale makes the most sense to you is irrelevant. What is relevant is that we end the war on drugs. Now.

For more on this, check out our Who Owns You? overview and Stoners of the World Unite! group on Bureaucrash Social.