What's the value in protecting one's identity if colleagues are going to release it to the (possibly corrupt) government and media? If he does return, there's no way he can continue with the pseudonym, and in the (unlikely?) event of a safe return, it sounds as if he'd now be in jeopardy for past reporting.
It seems there's no positive end game, even if he is found safely.
Well, the value is in never giving up your identity and never being found, at least until your cause is no longer opposed.
Now that it's clear that his opponents know who he is, his colleagues decided he would be more valuable as a symbol if his real name was known. Whether that is actually good for his health or not is anybody's guess. It's entirely possible that he is safer this way, as now his body can't turn up anywhere without a whole bunch of raised eyebrows.
Right now he's very likely been cut to pieces already, as previous bloggers have been in similar situations.
Very sad, but this is how things now work in Mexico.
The real name has probably been used as last desperate attempt to find any bit of information.
There are four possible states for someone in his profession.
1. Identity is secret. This is his ideal state.
2. Police know his identity, drug cartels do not. Not as good as #1, as he has to worry about corrupt police working with the cartels, or poor police security letting his identity out.
3. Police do not know his identity, but the drug cartels do. This is the worst possible case. The cartels can target him, and the police cannot help him.
4. Police and drug cartels both know his identity. Worse than #1 and #2, but better than #3, as he might get some help from the police.
If he had disappeared voluntarily (for instance, if he had gone on vacation), he would have told his colleagues. We can thus infer that he was probably taken by the drug cartels. That means he's in state #3 or #4. By making sure the police know his identity, his colleagues ensure he is in state #4, not #3, which is better for him.
The positive end game for him if he is found safely is moving away from Mexico (or at least from the drug cartel territories), assuming a new identity, and trying to live a normal life doing some job other than reporting on drug cartels. The moment he was taken both his pseudonym and real identity died--the only question now is if that also means the end of his life.
please, americans, stop buying drugs that go through mexico.
i don't care if it should be legalised or not. you still have a choice. so this guy's blood (and his unimaginable suffering) is on your hands. and he's just one of thousands.
[and, to pre-empt the excuses, how do you really know what is home-sourced?]
I don't like this argument because you can replace "drugs" with anything a government decides to make illegal. If a product or service is made illegal and there's still a demand, it will be sold on the black market and everyone knows what that funds.
The people who created laws that pushed these "drugs" into the black market knew this too and they also had a choice; collect the money themselves through taxes and use it as they see fit (probably to, I don't know, reduce drug use) or keep funding these kinds of activities.
Obviously if all/some drugs were legalized they'd find something else to sell, but why make it easy for them by giving them total monopoly over some of the most sought after substances on earth, with an endless supply of customers, some who are legitimately in need.
Also, when it comes to legalization vs "getting everyone in America to stop buying drugs", I think legalization is a lot more realistic.
P.S. I know one sure fire way to make sure it's home-sourced, unfortunately I can't do that because it carries some risk, jail.
7 comments
[ 2.8 ms ] story [ 25.5 ms ] threadIt seems there's no positive end game, even if he is found safely.
Now that it's clear that his opponents know who he is, his colleagues decided he would be more valuable as a symbol if his real name was known. Whether that is actually good for his health or not is anybody's guess. It's entirely possible that he is safer this way, as now his body can't turn up anywhere without a whole bunch of raised eyebrows.
The real name has probably been used as last desperate attempt to find any bit of information.
1. Identity is secret. This is his ideal state.
2. Police know his identity, drug cartels do not. Not as good as #1, as he has to worry about corrupt police working with the cartels, or poor police security letting his identity out.
3. Police do not know his identity, but the drug cartels do. This is the worst possible case. The cartels can target him, and the police cannot help him.
4. Police and drug cartels both know his identity. Worse than #1 and #2, but better than #3, as he might get some help from the police.
If he had disappeared voluntarily (for instance, if he had gone on vacation), he would have told his colleagues. We can thus infer that he was probably taken by the drug cartels. That means he's in state #3 or #4. By making sure the police know his identity, his colleagues ensure he is in state #4, not #3, which is better for him.
The positive end game for him if he is found safely is moving away from Mexico (or at least from the drug cartel territories), assuming a new identity, and trying to live a normal life doing some job other than reporting on drug cartels. The moment he was taken both his pseudonym and real identity died--the only question now is if that also means the end of his life.
i don't care if it should be legalised or not. you still have a choice. so this guy's blood (and his unimaginable suffering) is on your hands. and he's just one of thousands.
[and, to pre-empt the excuses, how do you really know what is home-sourced?]
The cartels chose their actions, and their line of business. Culpability ends there.
He chose his job. Risk-taking for an admirable cause is admirable. Was his an admirable cause?
The governments chose their War. Enforcement focus on society-threatening crimes is appropriate. Are these society-threatening crimes?
And you're blaming the kid on the street?
The people who created laws that pushed these "drugs" into the black market knew this too and they also had a choice; collect the money themselves through taxes and use it as they see fit (probably to, I don't know, reduce drug use) or keep funding these kinds of activities.
Obviously if all/some drugs were legalized they'd find something else to sell, but why make it easy for them by giving them total monopoly over some of the most sought after substances on earth, with an endless supply of customers, some who are legitimately in need.
Also, when it comes to legalization vs "getting everyone in America to stop buying drugs", I think legalization is a lot more realistic.
P.S. I know one sure fire way to make sure it's home-sourced, unfortunately I can't do that because it carries some risk, jail.