What it has done is serve a Republican Congress well in whipping a Democratic administration. And for six years before that it served a Democratic Congress equally well in whipping a Republican administration. Each year sees threats to overturn Mexico's certification, as Congress has the right to do within a 30-day period. The threats spark some headlines but little action. The OAS process, already in effect, results mainly in watered-down reports that offend no one and do not allow Congress a pulpit or an active role.
Certification is a demonstrable flop.
Morally suspect, it ignores the U.S. contribution to the drug flow problem. And it greatly complicates the already strained U.S. dealings with Mexico. The outrage that certification generates in Mexico is simply not worth the slight value it may have in helping curb drug use here. Only shrinking demand at home, whether by better targeted enforcement or treatment, can reduce our country's drug problem.