This week a lot of media attention has been focused on the drug war going on in Mexico. Some outlets have been saying that Mexico is slowly slipping into anarachy and close to becoming a failed state. I've even read articles comparing Mexico to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Focus has obviously shifted because of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's trip south. Also this week, President Obama has been discussing sending more national guard troops to the border. The Border Patrol is even planning to spray poison on plants near the border of Ciudad Juarez as a way to kill the plants and make it easier to view bad guys coming across the border.
Back to the topic though, is Mexico a failed state?
An NY Times opinion piece says no. [The Mexican Evolution] The piece cites the established democracy and changes that have happened to the country over the last hundred years. Most notably, the author brings about points that Mexico has come across many challenges and it always comes through, trying to forshadow that Mexico will come through the drug war.
After reading the article, my opinion changes and I no longer believe Mexico is a failed state. These are rough times for our neighbor to the South. It is not the end though. And the key to getting Mexico throug this is doing our fair share. I hate to say it but Mexico's problems are because of us. The United States is the number one consumer of drugs. If we weren't addicts, the drug market would not be there. So the real question is whether America can kick its habit. Unfortunately, I will say no. Drugs, going back to the 70's, have become an established part our our culture. If you disagree, it is time to wake up. To change the culture of the countires (America as the addict, Mexico as the pusher) will be extremely difficult because it has been established for so long.
So what do we do about the Mexico drug war?
Daniel - Mexico is an oligarchy [ rather than an "established" democracy as you suggest ], run by 100 families { who supply all of the candidates for the higher offices ] and two primary drug cartels. When I visited Mexico City extensively from 1957 - 1959 the local population was 2,000,000 - the local population is now over 30,000,000. Relying as you apparently do on the NYT for you information will by definition result in unparalleled misinformation. Mexico's current "challenges" are not like those of Pancho Villa's day, Danny boy, they are unbelieveably horrific. We as a country are not failing to do our "fair share" aside from our failure to complete the border wall, funds for which have already been appropriated but which both parties fail to support for fear of losing the illegal immigrant vote. By the time your pal D'Ohbama reactivates pre-1959 relations with Cuba and has Hugo Chavez and his new fleet of Russian attack helicopters and fighter jets cruising up the Hudson River on Russia's ancient sole aurcraft carrier as his personal guests, D'Ohbama will have already begun efforts to use NAFTA as an excuse to open the borders - then you and your liberal pals can tell me how the problems in Mexico are no big deal. It is already a failed state - our Defense Department has so stated and you and the NYT saying otherwise will not diminish that fact. The CIA has already found that cross-border trains have been knowingly used by major corporations on both sides for major transshipments of drugs. The major weak link is the Mexican government.
PS - 2200 knowingly stolen cars PER WEEK cross the border from our side at Tijuana
( recorded on video operated by the US government ) and nobody does anything about it. Why don't you send D'Ohbama a little note ? Unbelievable naivete and / or plain ignorance surrounds everything Democrat lately. I might suggest you and all democrats familiarize yourselves with the Cloward / Pivins Strategy as expounded in 1966 by two leftist social scientists. It promotes the following idea: Take any U.S. government agency or private industry ( banking or autos, for example ) - and force political change through orchestrated crisis. Sound familiar ? D'Ohbama sending any troops to the border is a use of that strategy. Using ACORN to hassle the banking industry is a use of that strategy. Forcing GM's president to resign is a use of that strategy. STATING THAT WE NEED TO SPEND TRILLIONS ( WHEN WE DO NOT ) - and attempt to force the unnecessary bankruptcy of portions of the business community of this country for solely political reasons should be considered a treasonable as well as an impeachable offense and is a use of this strategy. Literally hundreds of Tea Parties around this country on April 15 will testify to what the country's majority of citizens consider inept leadership by this thug from Chicago (Clinton's description) who runs around the world diminishing this country. Your suggestion that the US "do its part" is another naive attempt to minimize this country and is simply playing into Mexico's PR strategy
which suggest it's our fault.