Afghanistan Next Door

This less than encouraging news from south of the border:

"MEXICO CITY – One candidate was gunned down with his son inside his business. Another is missing after assailants torched her home. In some towns near the U.S. border, parties can't find anyone to run for mayor.

The violence is intensifying fear that Mexico's drug cartels could control July 4 local elections in 10 states by supporting candidates who cooperate with organized crime and killing or intimidating those who don't."

While we are (not without some justification) consumed with concern about the failed narco-states of Afghanistan and Pakistan, I am afraid that we may be witnessing one developing right next door. And would you like to guess, if these drug cartels establish effective control over areas of Mexico, how little Saudi money it would take to persuade them to let Al Qaida set up bases just a few hundred miles away from our border, rather than halfway around the world? Imagine, just for a start, sending predator drones to bomb villages in Mexico, with thousands of relatives of the innocent victims living right here in the U.S.

And either no one has the foresight to see what may be developing in Mexico, or no one dares speak out loud about this truly disastrous possibility.

Comments

magpie said…
Pakistan is not quite a failed state yet.

How would you be with legalising cocaine and treating it as a social and health issue, like alcohol?
Just asking.
Kevin Robbins said…
I'm with Peter Tosh. As long as vices are criminalized, criminals get rich and victims cannot seek treatment.
Green Eagle said…
1. Magpie, you are right about Pakistan as a whole, but I think the northwest part of the country has already deteriorated into something beyond the control of the central government.

2. I lived in San Francisco during the seventies. I will not provide details, but let's just say that I have some expertise on the behavior of people when coke is involved. I think legalizing coke is just fine if you don't mind having to swerve around dead bodies in the streets every day when you are driving to work.

Popular posts from this blog

Wingnut Wrapup

It's Okay, Never Mind

Hamas