Friction between the U.S. and Mexico
http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2011-03-03/friction-between-us-and-mexico
Mexican President Felipe Calderon is on an official state visit to Washington to meet with President Barack Obama. The two are expected to discuss gun violence, drug trafficking, border tensions, and immigration. We'll look at what's at stake for both countries and the prospects for improving cooperation.
Guests
Eric Olson
Senior Advisor on US-Mexico Security for the Woodrow Wilson Center's Mexico Institute, coordinates a major binational project on cooperation against organized crime
Francisco Gonzalez
the Riordan Roett Chair in Latin American Studies at Johns Hopkins' graduate school, SAIS, in Washington D.C.
Vanda Felbab-Brown
Foreign Policy fellow at the Brookings Institution and author of "Shooting Up: Counterinsurgency and the War on Drugs"
Julian Cardona
reporter for Reuters in Juarez, Mexico
Comments
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Ask any "conservative" economist, commerce done right is going to cause friction. No one wants to stand in the way of "free trade." Friedrich von Hayek would throw a modicum of "creative destruction" on the conflict and move forward to higher profit. Gunrunning, human trafficking and drug dealing comprise such a high proportion of the border trade that to curtail this commerce would result in Depression. Calderon is doing his job, he's skillfully manipulating the monty shells, and isn't that what he was selected for in a rigged election? Our electronic security fence project has failed as expected and armed personnel are gradually being transferred to Texas, Arizona and California. Mercenary contractors will be added. The mark-up on security is also profitable.
Concrete and barbed wire, concrete and barbed wire, It's only concrete and barbed wire. Now if the economy "picks up" no self-respecting corporation will let a border slow the flow of cheap docile labor. How can the P-tardy resist guest worker legislation when their oligarchs call? And there's always boats and ships and planes and helicopters, even military vehicles, and boxcars, always the boxcars headed to "camps."
The primary characteristic of corporatism is corruption. Our society and government have now been so thoroughly corrupted by corporate dominance that border violence is only a preview of the oncoming commerce.
As previous comment I believe, "if the economy 'picks up' no self-respecting corporation will let a border slow the flow of cheap docile labor".
I've heard fairly respectable sources say, that we need these people to "clean our bathrooms" and do all the jobs us Americans are too good to do. Let them have all those dirty construction jobs. Americans are too good for that sort of thing. Americans need to sit around and pass information back and forth- isn't that what the "info age" is about. We don't actually need to create anything of value. Let those scrubby Chinese factory workers do that. There was a time when taking on some of these jobs were stepping stones and character building steps in a life-long journey of bigger and better things. Now we let others do these things- let us not be associated with Mexicans. And we wonder why unemployment is so high??
I admire the tenacity and ability of Mexican immigrants and their hands-on abilities- a whole lot more than those in corporate offices devising ways to make hundreds of times the average employee of the same company and calling this the "American dream".
Part of our "trickle down" economy, along with eliminating unions at home to "trickle down" low wages, is to corporatize farming in foreign countries, forcing ex-farmers to move north, further "trickling down" pay. The black market, alternative economy is naturally going to gravitate to the gateway, but who cares? Those that really matter, the beneficiaries of this system (you know, the unfortunates constantly struggling under an intolerable tax burden imposed by the working and non-working classes) can live elsewhere and be protected.
On the other hand, although I believe most of the imigrants who enter the country in hopes of citizenship may be great workers who may even contribute to our economy in short run; in long term, flooding our country with illegals adds too many burdens to our all-too-fragile system.
If we believe that this policy we should continue than, we should also allow a similar percentage of people from all other countries in- there are good workers all over the world who would love a "crack" at our system- let a billion or so in.
There should be immigration laws in our country and they should be enforced.
Without the incredible downward effect on wages that this glut of individuals cause, some of these "menial jobs" could pay wages enough to sustain many "legal" Americans.
At the interior of the Mexican government there is three problems that prevent effective control of the drug traffic and diplomacy:
1. Lack of legitimacy. Calderon was NOT elected; it was imposed by the same political system that has survive the "democratization"of Mexico
2. The political system that is in the hands of a few, name: Carlos Salinas de Gortari and his inner circle
3. The strong link with the USA economy, the same way China is taking over the production of this country, Mexico's industry/food production is at the mercy of its neighbor
From the USA there is strong forces that will keep the status quo of the drug cartels:
1. Its military production. Drug cartels and Mexican military are great clients
2. The hypocritical position on maintaining some drugs as illegals. Tobacco, alcohol, and pharmaceutical companies don't want competition
Drew,
I respect people with solid or sound arguments... Your opinions ... well-- you write a lot, you must like to see your words on online print!
Well, Drew Kelly, the Commerce Department reported productivity up in February and unemployment claims down slightly. Another survey says 50K jobs are soon to be cut in the private sector. Add to that the state and federal government layoffs. So no 'recovery" yet and maybe a double dipper.
Your concern about displacement by immigrant labor is real. And the repugnant nature and drudgery of many American jobs is real. These jobs could be reapportioned and redesigned to be more humane but America seeks a strong element of sadism. Some of our people have been conditioned so that they can't enjoy what they have unless they can see a competitor deprived. This is in tune with the current attack on labor rights and human rights.
Our ranks of discouraged workers and black/gray market workers has swelled to more than 60 million with no taxes paid. I think these lost ones and the immigrants may be partially responsible for the inexplicable rise in "productivity" (actually intensified exploitation). Witness here again the corruption that results from corporate culture domination.
The jackpot mentality will have half the country hauling guns, cigarettes and meth up and down the Interstates in the coming years. Who benefits?
The increase of violence in Mexico is strongly tied to the increasing poverty in rural Mexico and unfair wages in the border (maquiladoras), which in turn are a product of NAFTA that has benefited in large Americans’ corporations.
In the other hand, let’s not forget that the DRUG MARKET AND GUN SALES ARE IN THE UNITED STATES and for that reason; there must be a chain of corrupted officials in this side of the border who are facilitating the entrance of drugs and the proliferation of guns in Mexico.
There is no doubt that both countries need to work together to reduce these problems and address the huge demand for drugs that the Unites States has, and not only try to reduce trafficking and violence, but also consumption and addiction.
Education is the key.
President Calderon might be trying to win the war on drugs using the military and police, but hey! what kind of ethics and education they have? Sadly, the majority of them didn't even finished elementary school. I had a lot of disappointing experiences regarding this issue when I had to work with the soldiers during my required 6-months military service back in 1995.
With respect to immigration, the United States and Mexico need to improve the requirements for labor workers entering this country.
The DREAM act is another issue that needs a lot of attention and that would benefit both countries tremendously!
Gloria: I, and most thinking and caring US citizens, concur 100%.
Eugenio: It is always good to seek education and resist brainwashing.
Our two mistaken middle class myths have become as repulsive as P-tardy talking points:
1. Campaign finance reform will completely solve our problem of rigged and bought elections and we will never have to address the wealth and income gap.
2.Education alone can solve our national economic problems and also those of every individual. The truth is that well prepared workers cannot elicit jobs from corporations unless they (in debt for education) are willing and able to produce for slave wages.
Logic predicts the same is true in Mexico. When it comes to doing needed work one worker is about as capable as any other. The best training occurs on the job.
I apologize for writing so much today. I was wound up like a spring.
Windsword
I also respect others opinions-
I spend much time in research of my own. I've read quite a bit from many many sources - I've studied the founding fathers and the constitution. I've studied the complexities of the recent financial crisis. I've studied the reasons Iraq War and the causes of the fantastic inequities in our current American system. I do this not because it's always fun or easy or because there are no other more profitable ways to spenfd my time. But because I care about my country- a lot. And I do it because I believe that no one really has a right to an opinion unless they have done their "homework".
It scares me to think that so many Americans opinions are informed by passively listening to fair and balanced Fox "News" (obviously an oxymoron)or many other media sources that shallowly touch upon issues; Or by repeating mantras fed them through think- tanks or frankly grow up in a small clique from which their whole life they never venture far away from. All that said, I realize my opinions are my own- I think they are well-founded, but I'm not afraid to change them if I learn more reliable information.
I sometimes say things to try and provoke people to think, because all and all I believe ther are a lot of Americans have forgotten or never learned how to think.
But you're right- perhaps I take advantage of the DR show to help focus my thoughts.
Certainly wish to offend no one
I think that taking the rug out from underneath such militant drug dealers, at least partially, enough to destabilize their cash flow would help substantially. While in this awkward footing strikes against the gangs would be most effective. To do this legalizing marijuana in the states, at the very least California, and possibly Mexico or the border areas at the same instant. This argument has merit and so does the other legitimate reasons to legalize.
I live in Arizona 26 miles from Nogales AZ/Mexico, south of Tucson. There is no way that all the drugs that come into and through the US are coming in backpacks on the backs of "mules" (drug smugglers who smuggle on foot) through the desert.
No one ever brings up the corruption on both sides of the border. Guns are going down right through the legal checkpoints and drugs are coming up in tractor trailer trucks the same way. I just cannot believe that bribery of border staff on both sides is not a big part of this.
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