When are we going to start arguing about who lost Mexico?

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article belong solely to the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Fresh Toast.

There is a lot of debate about the loss of Afghanistan, but for the most part it followed the Supreme Directive: “Don’t mention the drug war!”

Still, it seems relevant that Afghanistan is still the largest producer of opium poppies in the world.

According to Reuters, “Despite the threats posed by Afghanistan’s illicit drug trade, experts mention that the United States and other nations seldom raise public awareness of the need to address trafficking which UNODC estimates represents more than 80% of global opium and heroin shipments . “

Photo by Mohammad Rahmani via Unsplash

So did we control the country? And did the Taliban subsidize our drug war?

And now we are rightly tormenting ourselves about having to hand over the approximately 31 million Afghans to the unscrupulous thugs who literally live halfway around the world. Meanwhile, the Washington Post reported last year that violent criminal groups are undermining Mexico’s authority and claiming more territory.

So Mexico, with a population of approximately 126,014,024, more and more people are living under the effective control of murderous gangs on our border!

Americans are rightly concerned about the security and freedom of the Afghan people we are leaving behind, but what about the freedom and security of the people of Mexico and Central America, Colombia and Venezuela, etc.

SEE: Murder, Robbery, “Mountain of Death” await migrants crossing Darien Gap

While our southern border is the visible focal point for American politicians, it corresponds to the Kabul airport. More and more people from all over the world are trying to get to the US via Mexico, which cannot even protect its own people.

SEE: Why Was Vice President Harris Greeted With Trump Campaign Signs In Guatemala?

While Mexico and most of Latin America have long had problems with corruption and general lawlessness, the drug war has become an existential threat to their governments’ control of their own territories. To do justice to them, the United States appears to have lost control of some parts of its large cities to violence in the drug war.

Photo by John Coletti / Getty Images

If Mexico continues to lose control of its territory and the international wave of refugees continues to be treated as a Mexican problem, it will have a major impact on both the American and Mexican economies. By the way, these people are human beings and sometimes literally our brothers and sisters.

Yes, we should do everything we can to help the Afghan people, especially those who have worked with us, but we have an even greater obligation to our neighbors and our own people to at least mention the drug war. But I really don’t think we can.

Richard Cowan is a former NORML National Director and author of CBD Wax and Its Benefits.