The Unintended Consequences of a War on Mexican Cartels

Concern for the trafficking of fentanyl has made it onto the campaign promise lists of many Republican politicians, but some of their solutions are misguided.

Mexican soldiers stand guard on a Panhard VCR at Guadalajara-Barra de Navidad highway, in Juchitlan, Jalisco State, during an operation to capture drug cartel leaders in May 2015. Hector Guerrero/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

When you don’t learn from the past, you’re doomed not only to repeat it but also to rationalize those future failing outcomes. While we could be acknowledging our mistakes to implement a better political strategy in the future, instead, I’m witnessing a rehashing of foreign policy theory that has failed us time and time again in recent years.