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Jack
15-01-2010, 10:18 AM
That news made even me choke on my coffee!

Mexico, it would seem, is turning more and more into a lawless Wild West type country as a result feuds between cartels and cartels and the government. Enjoy your holiday in Acapulco!


Mexico kicked off 2010 with a grim record: On Saturday [the day we played Irvine Meadow] the violence-plagued country tallied 69 murders in a single day. As drug cartels stepped up retaliation against the government's war on trafficking, Saturday's count included 26 murders in the border city of Ciudad Juarez and 13 in Mexico City. Murders are also becoming increasingly grotesque: Last week one victim's face was peeled off and sewn to a soccer ball, and yesterday the remains of a slain police officer were found in two separate ice chests.


More people have been slain in the Mexico drug wars over the past few years than as a result of the ‘war’ in Iraq! Holiday in Iraq or Mexico? Difficult choice!

A grim record indeed but to a lesser extent its happening all round the world as gangs and drugs swarm into every nook and cranny of society – possibly even in an Asda car park near you!

Some folk say that if drugs were legalised all this would stop, to a greater or lesser extent, but we all know that isn’t going to happen. Some folk are up in arms when drug mules are sentenced to death and we know that will continue.

Never mind the money. How many people were murdered, or died, for someone to get that next fix?

LiverpoolHibs
15-01-2010, 10:34 AM
That news made even me choke on my coffee!

Mexico, it would seem, is turning more and more into a lawless Wild West type country as a result feuds between cartels and cartels and the government. Enjoy your holiday in Acapulco!

More people have been slain in the Mexico drug wars over the past few years than as a result of the ‘war’ in Iraq! Holiday in Iraq or Mexico? Difficult choice!

A grim record indeed but to a lesser extent its happening all round the world as gangs and drugs swarm into every nook and cranny of society – possibly even in an Asda car park near you!

Some folk say that if drugs were legalised all this would stop, to a greater or lesser extent, but we all know that isn’t going to happen. Some folk are up in arms when drug mules are sentenced to death and we know that will continue.

Never mind the money. How many people were murdered, or died, for someone to get that next fix?

Sorry!? There is no way that's true.

Sylar
15-01-2010, 11:51 AM
Current civilian body count in Iraq is somewhere around the 100,000 mark, and that doesn't include military casualties. Granted, the murder rate in Mexico is pretty shocking (8536 up until December, with another 2000 people estimated to have been murdered since January 1st), but not quite comparable.

Sadly, the tourist trade in Mexico probably doesn't help matters, with tourists looking for a quick fix or recreational holiday high.

I got grizzly knot in my stomach reading about the guys face being peeled off and sewn to a football - that's utterly barbaric.

Edit: Total nationwide body count for the drug wars in Mexico is estimated to be around 14,000.

Jack
15-01-2010, 11:56 AM
Sorry!? There is no way that's true.

Not since the start of the Iraq war, that’s why I said the last few years. The fact is that last year was the lowest casualty figure (through violence) since the war in Iraq started in 2003.

The statement I made was based on something I read following reading more articles after the one I quoted. Having looked around for figures the best I can come up with is;

Mexico
2009 6,290
2008 5,612
2007 2,700

Iraq
2009 2,800 - 4,497
2008 5,886 - 9,226
2007 couldn’t find a figure

Mexico is solely drug related deaths; Iraq is all deaths as a result of violence.

OK so maybe it was a bit of artistic licence from the guy who originally said it but its damn close and while Iraq is getting ‘better’ Mexico is going way the wrong way fast.

LiverpoolHibs
15-01-2010, 12:03 PM
Current civilian body count in Iraq is somewhere around the 100,000 mark, and that doesn't include military casualties. Granted, the murder rate in Mexico is pretty shocking (8536 up until December, with another 2000 people estimated to have been murdered since January 1st), but not quite comparable.

That's the IBC's laughably conservative estimate.

The Lancet's latest estimate in December '09 suggests 1.4 million in total.


Not since the start of the Iraq war, that’s why I said the last few years. The fact is that last year was the lowest casualty figure (through violence) since the war in Iraq started in 2003.

Ah right, sorry didn't get that.

Sylar
15-01-2010, 12:17 PM
That's the IBC's laughably conservative estimate.

The Lancet's latest estimate in December '09 suggests 1.4 million in total.



Wow. Really? Does that include ALL deaths (military/militia) or just civilians? That's a staggering number if accurate.

LiverpoolHibs
15-01-2010, 12:41 PM
Wow. Really? Does that include ALL deaths (military/militia) or just civilians? That's a staggering number if accurate.

It counts everyone, combatants on all sides and civilians. The ORB survey pretty much corroborates it (they suggested just over one million deaths in total in January '08).

Sorry for the thread hijack, btw.

Ritchie
15-01-2010, 02:33 PM
i've been to mexico twice in the past 5 years and would go back every year if i could.... saying that though, i go to Cancun which is nothing like Mexico City.

when i was there i got to know the entertainment staff quite well. Most of them were from mexico city and they had some horrible stories.

they said they'd never go back.