The Mexican Evolution
While we bear responsibility for our problems, the caricature of Mexico being propagated in the United States only increases the despair on both sides of the Rio Grande. It is also profoundly hypocritical. America is the world’s largest market for illegal narcotics. The United States is the source for the majority of the guns used in Mexico’s drug cartel war, according to law enforcement officials on both sides of the border.
In addition to the highlighted excerpt, the piece raises several good points concerning the on-going turmoil south of the border. Certainly, the drug gangs are responsible for some terribly brutal murders, but the coverage, as usual, has seemed a little hyperbolic. Much like the war in Iraq, it is impossbile to tell if the drug war is being won or lost from the coverage. The news media focuses on the grotesque and sensational, rarely providing much useful perspective. The upsurge in violence has been due in a large part to the fact that the government forces have successfully put pressure on the drug gangs, rather than just pretending they don't exist.
Update: I don't mean in any way to trivialize the violence. It is terrible; however, I think the assesment of Mexico as a 'failed state' is over the top. This is a serious challenge, but I think the Mexican people will rise to the occaision.
Update 2: Uhhg. I should have seen this coming:
Clinton: US shares blame for Mexican drug wars
Is Clinton suggesting we should have built a wall? How else does she suggest we could have averted 'blame' for the drug war?
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