Perry's absurd idea

Governor Rick Perry ‘s statement supporting the idea of sending U.S. troops to help Mexico fight the drug cartels will create controversy on the other side of the border.

It is ironic that Perry made that statement exactly one day before Mexicans will celebrate the centennial of the revolution that ended up the 26-year dictatorship of General Porfirio Díaz.

Mexicans do not have good memories of U.S. interventions. You need only to mention the 1846-1848 U.S-Mexico War–when Mexico lost a big part of its territory–to provoke a complete rejection of any idea of American intervention.

Historically, Mexicans have not viewed American intervention as support for the people (el pueblo). When they have come into the country, Americans have supported the interests of private companies or they have backed politicians hated by the people.

In 1906, for example, when Porfirio Diaz was still in power, American troops came into the country to help the dictator to crush a miners’ strike in Cananea, Sonora.

The mine, Cananea Consolidated Copper Company, was owned by William C. Greene, who asked for help from the government of Arizona. In response to his petition, the government sent a group of rangers to protect the company’s facilities and to quell the unrest. In doing so, the rangers were actively involved in the killing of several of the rebel miners.  The Cananea strike is considered a precursor to the revolution.

Eight years later, U.S. troops invaded again, this time to occupy Veracruz and to reject the government of Victoriano Huerta, which, by the way, came into power due to the assistance of the infamous US Ambassador Henry Lane Wilson.  The U.S intervention in Veracruz lasted six months.

And again, in 1916, U.S. troops were sent to Mexico to pursue Pancho Villa, who had dared to invade the US through Columbus, Nuevo Mexico. General Brigadier John J. Pershing was appointed by President Wilson to lead an army of 4,800 troops on a punitive expedition into Mexico.  However, the mission failed.

The problems that Mexico is facing now are totally different from the ones that prevailed during the revolution, but the America’s special interests in Mexico are as strong as they were during the 20^th Century.  Shared concerns such as immigration, border security, trade, investment, flow of capital, among others, could explain Perry’s suggestion about sending troops to Mexico.

Mexicans are very concerned about the violence of the drug war and they want a solution to the problem, but that doesn’t mean that they support a foreign intervention of troops, although they would support more American involvement in terms of training and financial help.

Last August, the Pew Research Center released a survey that showed that 78 percent of Mexicans favor the US providing training to Mexican police and military personnel.

“A smaller majority (57%) favors the U.S. providing money and weapons to Mexican police and military personnel, down slightly from 63% last year… Opposition to the deployment of U.S. troops in Mexico has also increased, from an already high 59% last year to 67% in the current survey.”

The Pew survey also showed that the support for American assistance to Mexican forces tends to be strongest in northern Mexico, where the violence has affected people more directly and dramatically.

Mexico and the US have been working together to fight drug trafficking because this is a problem that concerns and affects both countries. As we know, through the Merida Initiative the US is helping Mexico with over $1.3 billion for police professionalization, judicial and prison reform, border security, intelligence and many other issues.

Furthermore, according to Mexican magazine Proceso, the US has already established a bi-national center of intelligence in Mexico, from where agents from the CIA, DEA, ATF and the Pentagon are already investigating drug trafficking organizations and organized crime.

If the US is already helping Mexico and getting involved in the drug war –through training, research, intelligence and resources–why would Perry voice such an absurd idea? 

 

Comments

[Rob]

Absurd? ok lets talk about absurd.

You want to continuously blame the U.S. for the drug war, but if we were to offer, you don't want us to take care for the problem for you..

Your inept army, corrupt federal and local police patrol the city in open pick up trucks while the narcos cruise around in armored vehicles with better weapons, but you don't want our help..

Your population is unarmed and defenseless..but you don't want our help..

Thousands of innocent people have been killed, but you don't want our help..

Your citizens are fleeing your country and taking their business, jobs and money to the USA, but you don't want our help..

and you want to lecture us on how absurd Gov.Perry's idea is?

[citizennobody]

You took the words right outta my mouth, Rob...

*APPLAUSE*

[Retired GI]

I'll second that. It doesn't seem like Mexico's current efforts are working... It may be time to invite the US military to intervene. The Oath of Enlistment has a line in it about defending the country from all enemies, foreign and domestic. If stray bullets from Mexico are coming onto our soil and hitting our buildings (so far), that makes them an enemy in my book.

[madmangunner]

You all need to put the "chaw" away and think clearly. With your reasoning, we should be invading most of South America, Africa, and Indonisia.

[Retired GI]

Bullets from those countries aren't landing in my backyard. As far as I know, people from those countries aren't coming into my country, kidnapping citizens, and beheading them. And I could be wrong, but I don't believe refugees from those countries you mention are flooding into the US, clogging our schools and roads, but not contributing to our infrastructure or tax base.

[madmangunner]

Relax GI, those aren't bullets, just mosquitos.
Give me a count of the the hundreds of citizens being kidnapped and beheaded. Can't huh? The only reason Perry talks tough and gets you all worked up is because that invitation will never happen,and he knows it. Perry's selling books amigo. Though unlike Palin, he didn't quit his job in the process. Might as well have though.

[Arturo Serna]

Why would Perry voice such an absurd idea?

I don't know, maybe because he, along with the rest of the world knows that the Mexican Government and Mexican Military is corrupt??

I guarantee you that if the citizens of Juarez were given a choice, over 90% of them would choose the U.S. Military over the Mexican Military to protect them..

[R Bane]

These comments read so much like those who were outraged by the deaths of El Paso citizens who were killed in the battle for Juarez in May 1911. And yes there was a Texas governor who demanded that President Taft send federal troops across the border to restore order. if Taft did not the Texas governor threatened to send the The Texas Rangers and the National Guard. Luckily Taft had a much clearer perception of what would happen if such a foolish move were made. Two years later when President Wilson was considering intervention one Cabinet member advised that the Mexican people would welcome the American troops with open arms. In response another Cabinet member spoke of the pueblo's collective memory of the Americans who had taken half their country.

[Retired GI]

Maybe you wouldn't be as mad if you learned how to read. Who said anything about hundreds? I'm thinking about the guy from the East side (Horizon, maybe?) that got kidnapped from his home and later found in Juarez. I'm not saying he was a model citizen, but I would still have to say it was an act of aggression more than a goodwill gesture. The Mexican Police and Military are so goofed up and corrupt, they don't stand a chance of solving the problems anytime soon without some help from someone...

[pgillenw]

Our Gov't has one duty and that is to protect our sovereign nation. To do this we need to force Illegals to return to Mexico, seal our borders, place sanctions against Mexico, force American company's to return to the U.S.. Cease Mexico's assets in the U.S.. Stop aid to the failed State. Perhaps then and only then will the good people of Mexico rise up against their Gov't that gains so much from the drug business.

The problem is not the United States it is instead the Mexican Gov't.

Stop blaming us for their own doings.

[el triste]

1. Most of the drug cartel's hitmen were trained in the USA by the usa army.
2. Most of the weapons used by the drug cartel's come from the usa.
3. Allowing armories in Mexico would only end badly.
4. The situation in Mexico might not be usa fault (why would it be) but you would be naive after all is going on in the world right now to think that the usa goverment is not involved in any way with all this.
5. usa troops in Mexico?? seriously you've got to be kidding me. If you say Mexico government doesn't want to legalize recreational drugs because of the cash it will loose mmm then what can be said about the money usa will loose if the cartel's stop getting their weapons from the usa?

The situation in Mexico is definitely bad but the only answer lies on the people, people need to take a stand and demand results from the government. Corruption needs to be minimized.

Violence is not an option and is definitely not the solution.

[Jennifer]

Mexico is a failed state, yet this article proves that many otherwise intelligent people still feel a need to blindly defend her. Oh, and like the Leftist in the media have taught....to blame the US for everything.

Weapons used in this bloodbath ARE NOT coming from the USA. This is a lie, based on sketchy evidence yet constantly repeated as the truth.

[Proud Texan]

To suggest that Mexico is a failed state is a curious remark considering that its constitution, government institutions,and people still stand (I also find it interesting how you gendered Mexico as female, Jennifer). Is Mexico a country plagued with corruption? Yes, most definitely. In fact, it has been so many times over through its history. The problem is that the Mexican Government now faces a parallel (and occasionally intersecting) entity that has become comparable to it in terms of economic and political power. The fortunate difference between the two is that the people of Mexico and the foreign governments alike still back the official Mexican Government. Alone, the Mexican Government cannot quell the drug wars and exterminate drug trafficking-at least not quickly enough. Thus, foreign assistance in terms of intelligence, infrastructure, and solidarity is definitely needed in Mexico. Intervention however, might be viewed as an attack on national sovereignty, as Ms. Cardenas has pointed out(Although, the validity of her argument only stands through a political lens, and it's worth noting that the situation is more than just politics now; it's war.). And on a side note we mustn't take anything Rick Perry takes too seriously. The guy isn't the brightest bulb in Texas - unfortunately Texans don't realize this.

[theonlytruth]

"Weapons used in this bloodbath ARE NOT coming from the USA. This is a lie, based on sketchy evidence yet constantly repeated as the truth." -Jennifer

Jennifer shut the FU*K up! do some research you ignorant FU*K!!! here let me enlighten you, click on the link below (or copy and paste).

http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/local-beat/Guns-in-Mexico-Drug-War-Traced-to-Dallas-Gun-Store-Report.html

Now Jennifer, did you comprehend the part that said "...authorities traced the origin of 60,000 guns recovered in Mexico to 7,500 gun dealers in the United States. Texas topped the list."

To simplify it, those guns do come from the "good'ol US of A" you dumb ignorant B...!

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