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Comment by sandworm101 | Hacker News Reader

Lol. And in an interesting symmetry, prisons are the largest employers in many areas of the United States. The prison industry, or "corrections" more broadly, probably breaks the top five in most US states.

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>Organised crime groups in Mexico have about 175,000 members – making them the fifth-biggest employer in the country, according to new research published in the journal Science

Country in context is Mexico not US

But the US is where most of the drugs go after mexico. It is a multinational industry.

Drugs isn't even where the cartels make most of their money anymore, is it? I was under the impression iron mining was their #1 source of revenue nowadays with avocados, limes, and logging also being big money-makers.

Avocados are expensive sure but how can you beat $24/gram? Trade risk of spoilage for risk of seizure.

If you control most of the vertical, drugs are pretty massive profit margin. Probably more than bottled water.

Lol yea! Come to think of it it might even be preferable to have cartels replace law enforcement everywhere. Just think, no restrictions on drugs of any kind, and if anyone makes a fuss, just shoot them. Genius, sweet and simple.

edit: /s

They also hire the same PR people..

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35096436

Would you rather have cartels or prisons?

If you look at the top employers for any given medium sized town it will usually be school systems, a hospital, jail, and a Walmart.

If you're lucky you also get a distribution center or meat packing plant!

I just checked a few top 10s from Switzerland and there is no jail to be seen anywhere.

Kinda weird to think that so many people are jailed in an area that it turns to one of the biggest work providers.

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