Bad Proposal

Via the Mexico Institute, this news comes from the AP:

A new proposal by Mexico's ruling party could result in musicians being sent to prison for performing songs that glorify drug trafficking.

The proposed legislation would mean sentences of up to three years for people performing or producing songs or films that glamorise criminals.

"Society sees drug ballads as nice, pleasant, inconsequential and harmless – but they are the opposite," Oscar Martin Arce, a National Action party MP, told the Associated Press.

The ballads – known as narcocorridos – often describe drug trafficking and violence and are popular among some norteño bands.

I don't imagine this is going anywhere, but what a horrible, short-sighted, Orwellian scheme. Just as arresting NWA would have done nothing to halt the crack boom, this is a mindless idea that is a distraction from the very pressing problem of organized crime in Mexico. Of course, free speech must be restricted in extreme cases, but this isn't one of them. Furthermore, what would the benefit be here? Would Chapo et al be any less powerful if this law were somehow wildly "successful" and no one wrote songs about narcos anymore? Organized crime derives its power from bribes and bullets, not from music.

More here and here on the silly habit of jailing musicians connected to drug traffic.