Quote Originally Posted by a completely inoffensive name View Post
They won't have money if no one is buying drugs from them. This is the key point here.
No, the key point is the cartels ability to, with military means, crack down on western nation states.

Sure, they have B-countries such as Mexico and Brazil in their grasp (but only because it is still illegal there, and the countries are B-countries anyway). To think the drug cartels could stand up to a A-nation is a joke though. Sure they can get their hands in as long as it is illegal, but legalize and you would have half-empty-glasses of mercs against the industrialized western worlds army.