That’s all very true. But you forgot another similar problem, i.e., immigration. Half measures to deal with the problem have only made the problem all that worse. If the southern border were subject to total closure with shoot-to-kill enforcement tactics, it would end illegal immigration. Similarly, if the US simply abandoned border enforcement and granted work visas to all comers, the problem would be solved.
But here’s the thing I see........the half measures are taken because, they are, simply profitable. Opening the borders to all takers would result in the unemployment of tens of thousands of Border Patrol personnel, INS employees, etc. As well, it would end the underground economy in bribes and kick-backs of myriad sort to tens of thousands of government employees and their families. Same issue with drugs. Half measures have resulted in a “war on drugs” business economy.
So........in the final analysis, nothing ever gets fixed, it only becomes more broken. That result is having two peculiar effects. 1) Washington DC is declining in relevance to the denizens of fly-over country, and 2) the charade that these national elections are is becoming near cartoon-like, so much so that anymore, practically no one is paying attention. And that’s precisely why the Dems win! They got the buses and the welfare plantation and the unions and they vote for the donuts and coffee and free ride to the community center.
If we had shoot-to-kill enforcement tactics, we wouldn't be the U.S.A., we'd be the USSR. If you think the wrong side won the cold war, good for you, but stop spewing your anti-American B.S. here.