After promising to stop the flow of drugs during his first term, the president blames foreign officials for his failure.
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“I’mgonnacreateborders,”DonaldTrumppromisedduringhis2016campaign.“Nodrugsarecomingin.We’regonnabuildawall.YouknowwhatI’mtalkingabout.Youhaveconfidenceinme.Believeme,Iwillsolvetheproblem.”
Trumpdidnot,infact,solvetheproblem:Theannualnumberofdrug-relateddeathsintheUnitedStatesroseby44percentbetween2016andthelastyearofhisfirstterm.NowTrumpblamesforeignofficialsforhisfailure,whichiswhyhedecidedtoimposepunitivetariffsonChina,Mexico,andCanadauntiltheytake“adequatesteps”tostop“dangerousnarcotics”fromenteringourcountry.
Thatbenchmark,whichisnowthefocusofnegotiationsaimedatavoidingapotentiallydisastroustradewar,isdeliberatelyvague,withgoodreason.Thehugeprofitsgeneratedbydrugprohibitiongivecriminalorganizationsapowerfulincentivetofindwaysaroundgovernment-erectedobstacles,whichexplainswhypoliticianshavenevermanagedto“st
