Violence South of the Border
[Guest post by DRJ]
Violence in Mexico may be spiraling out of control:
Today’s bomb blast in Mexico City near police headquarters that was apparently detonated by remote control.
A series of drug-related killings and kidnappings.
Heightened security in El Paso because the drug war in Mexico’s border cities is spilling over into the US.
The intentional murder of a Border Patrol officer along the border in January, as well as DHS Secretary Chertoff’s statement that border violence is expected to increase.
Too bad Mexico doesn’t have someone like General Petraeus. Thanks to him and the US military, Iraq is celebrating the one year anniversary of the launch of Operation ‘Rule of Law’ and the surge.
— DRJ
Oh, no. Mexico has obvious warts and a troubled history, not nearly all of which can be blamed on the Yanqui norteamericanos like you and me and our representatives in Washington, DRJ. But it’s still not remotely comparable to Iraq. I know it sounds strange to say, but if we can get Iraq to the point of being as much of a functioning democracy as Mexico, it will be time to declare victory and bring home all but those symbolic/tripwire troops the Iraqis beg us to leave behind.
Beldar (3df1f4) — 2/16/2008 @ 12:07 amPerhaps the Mexican government can move some of their troops, who are there to keep their neighbors from moving across their southern border, up to their northren border where humane rule of law is desperately needed; then again the Mexican government treats their own as a commodity so they probably consider the loss of life as part of the cost of doing business.
syn (eb1ff1) — 2/16/2008 @ 3:46 amhttp://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080214_lj_hawes.bfc57dff.html
Investigators say they were definitely going to rob him – possibly even kill him.
But an 80-year-old North Texan wasn’t about to let that happen, so he took action.
One of the suspects is in the hospital and both are facing charges.
He just came through that door, stabbing and beating,” said Pickett.
Hazy (d671ab) — 2/16/2008 @ 7:48 amCaptain Clint Pullin said it looked as though the men wanted to kill him.
But before you worry too much about Pickett, learn a bit more about him.
He’s a WWII veteran, former firefighter and lifelong John Wayne devotee.
In short, even at 80, he is someone you just don’t mess with.
What the men didn’t know is Picket had taken a pistol and put it in his pocket before opening the door.
Meanwhile, President Bush tries to push the Merida Initiative that would give $1.4 BILLION to secure the southern border. Southern border of MEXICO, that is. So while President Calderon, who is in the U.S. trying to convince other dimwitted political elites that he should be given the money and we should still accept his greatest export, his own people, Calderon says that the money should be given without conditions or controls.
This is just another case of a Mexican president showing the U.S. his middle finger. When asked to account for the $70 BILLION Bubba Clinton gave to them to help stimulate the Mexican economy, Fox pretty much told the U.S. to go to hell and refused to cooperate.
Now Bush wants to give them even more. And the beauty part of this inititative is that Bush is trying to bypass Congressional hearings on the issue as it is stuffed in the omnibus package under “Iraqi” funding.
When there are no more Mexicans left in Mexico to take the jobs that Americans won’t do for substandard wages, will there be an exodus of Americans to Mexico to take their jobs?
retire05 (54f3db) — 2/16/2008 @ 12:57 pmAnother Gen. Petraeus would make no difference without disciplined and corruption-free troops to obey his orders – and the kind of society that supplies them.
Mexico’s drug-related corruption is the main cause of its crime pandemic. In an impoverished country, drug crime pays more than legal jobs. When illegal drugs are not so lucrative, and the legal economy provides better-paying jobs, only then will drug violence abate.
Bradley J Fikes (1c6fc4) — 2/16/2008 @ 4:03 pmYou may be right, but it’s hard to tell how willing and determined the Mexican people would be to change things if they are led by a good and strong leader.
DRJ (3eda28) — 2/16/2008 @ 4:30 pmThe political culture of Mexico tends, even more than that of the US, to make good strong leaders pretty rare. Of couse, they’ve had plenty of experience with strong (not necessarily good) leaders, so they may be suspicious of the idea nowadays. Santa Ana, for example, while he was very beneficial to Texas, was a disaster for Mexico.
kishnevi (1b4744) — 2/16/2008 @ 5:15 pmI’m sure glad that Compean and Ramos are in jail! Aren’t you?
Actually the border challenge could be solved almost free of charge, there are plenty of Americans willing and able to stand and create a barrier that most are not going to be eager to cross. Fast moving particles are real tough to judge.
Oh dear, but here comes the “refugees”!
TC (1cf350) — 2/17/2008 @ 2:14 amBeldar #1,
This response is so delayed I’m probably just talking to myself, but I think things have gotten significantly worse in Mexico during the past 2-3 years. For instance, since January 1, there have been 63 murders in Juarez alone. During the same time in El Paso, there was 1 murder – and not so long ago they had comparable murder statistics. That pattern of escalating violence is happening throughout Mexico and on the border except, instead of targeting primarily those involved in the drug trade, anyone is fair game now.
In addition, as the link notes, attacks on the police and law enforcement are becoming even more blatant. The Juarez police chief had to be treated for injuries in an El Paso hospital under incredibly tight security (including a complete lockdown of the entire facility for several days) because they are even willing to cross the border to complete their attacks.
DRJ (3eda28) — 2/19/2008 @ 4:03 pm