Here We Go Again in Mexico

It will be high on the news budget the next few days as the visit of the Secretary of State and her assemblage of experts are pursued by a horde of reporters. No doubt, the focus will be on the drug war and the misplaced notion that somehow Mexico is close to being a failed state.

It's a nice comfortable cliché, but nonsense. With a population in excess of 110 million, 70 percent of it in the country's major cities, the problem still is a relatively isolated one. Unquestionably, the situation still can get out of hand. But those of us who have spent any time south of the border know that the gut issue is north of it. That is the uncomfortable word hardly mentioned at all... consumption. Not just by the petty punks and gangs on the streets of our inner cities, but the drug users in our upscale offices and neighborhoods that seem immune to prosecution.

We can only hope that when Hillary Rodham Clinton and Mexico's President Felipe Calderon sit down in private with their experts some serious solutions to the burgeoning crisis will emerge. President Obama will undoubtedly experience the same reality check when he visits Mexico next month. But the truth is that until the widespread usage of drugs in the United States is curtailed sharply, there can be no realistic or substantive solution to the problem inside Mexico. The drug market has to be dried up from California to New York and wherever else the cartel can thrive on its American customers. Unfortunately, it raises all kinds of uncomfortable issues for the U.S. Congress having to do with crime and punishment, civil liberties and gun control that have been ignored politically year after year.

Washington and law enforcement agents on our side of the border must shut down the countless gun shops and their owners who arm the Mexican mafia. But it takes the will to do so and at a time when the United States is burdened with so many other priorities. It's difficult to imagine how high the Mexican crisis can be placed on President Obama's agenda.

The narcotraficantes, safely ensconced along the Mexican border and the country's northern states, are bloodthirsty gangsters.They protect their deadly racket by terrorizing those Mexican police or drug enforcement agents who get in their way. Murder and torture are two of their favorite forms of coercion. They will use unemployed workers and gullible teenagers to help defend their turf no matter how many guns, helicopters and money the Obama administration delivers to Mexico's law enforcement agencies. Unfortunately, there's no escaping a historic reality. Mexico's cops have always been grossly underpaid with salaries ranging from 10 thousand dollars a year in the rural parts of the country and somewhat higher but measly wages in the larger cities. The pay is hardly enough to support their large and economically-depressed families and the inevitable consequence is widespread corruption.

The cops' collusion with the drug cartel is one of the problems the Mexican government knows it must address. But let's not go overboard. There is a tendency to exaggerate our neighbor's problem that unfortunately draws comparisons with Iraq, Afghanistan and a host of countries in Africa.

Writing in the March/April issue of Foreign Policy, journalist Sam Quinones says that "Mexico is wracked by a criminal-capitalist insurgency... that is fighting for its life and many Americans seem to have no idea of what's happening right next door."

That is not the Mexico I knew and which I saw as recently as four months ago during a visit. Nor is it the country that I became familiar with over many years as a professor and director of the University of Southern California's Center for International Journalism when I escorted American and Mexican journalists on summer-long fact-finding semesters. I remember all too clearly my months, living in the home of Vicki and Miguel P. in Morelia, while I improved my knowledge of Spanish at a local language institute. I spent weekends with their children, flying kites or trying my imperfect skills at soccer with them in a nearby park. I have fond memories of playing baseball with a group of youngsters on a sandlot in the outskirts of the city. Memories of renting a room in the home of a retired ambassador in Mexico City and of other years when I lived in various apartments in the capitol and commuted by subway, bus and taxi without any concern for my safety.

Certainly Mexico is an imperfect democracy, but change is underway as anyone knows who has watched the country changed politically from a one party to multiparty state. There was a time when the Mexican press almost always skirted coverage of the drug plague. But that too is changing. Its newspapers and television networks still have a long way before investigative journalism takes hold. One sign of change occurred when a number of Mexican journalists who were fellows in my USC graduate program joined with other civic-minded Mexicans to persuade former president Vicente Fox and the National Assembly to pass the country's first Freedom of Information Act. Nothing like it exists anywhere else in the rest of Latin America.

Mexico today is no longer the closed society it once was. At one point, the FOI's website attracted one million hits, satisfying a growing desire for accountability from the government and the people's right to know. It most assuredly is not the sign of a failed state that some Americans journalists are tempted to think of when they describe the country's drug problem.

I have walked the streets of Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, San Miguel de Allende and other cities, day or night. I have strolled the campuses of the capital's major universities and visited the offices of Mexico's corporate giants. I have brushed shoulders with urban Mexicans in their markets or watched them trying to eke out a living as hard-working entrepreneuers, Parents passed me by in my neighborhood, escorting their well-dressed children to school every morning. I rode shoulder to shoulder with Mexicans on the subways of the capitol. As I reflect on these vignettes of life in Mexico City, it is clear to me that the country has the desire to weather the drug storm that jeopardizes its stability. But it certainly needs American help, compassion and respect and a lot less cheap politicking about immigration. The ignorant notion that Mexicans "are taking our jobs" contradicts the reality of what makes the American economy tick. Until unions are restored to their rightful place, cheap labor will always energize our economy with workers who do not necessarily speak Spanish.

Those interested in the subject, should read an essay, entitled "The Mexican Evolution" in the New York Times by the distinguished historian, Enrique Krauze. I had the privilege of having him lecture to one of my classes of working journalists at El Colegio de Mexico some years ago.

"Washington," he says, "should support Mexico's war against the drug lords, first and foremost by recognizing its complexity. The Obama administration should recognize the considerable responsibility for Mexico's problems...." As Krause points out, no one thinks of the United States as a failed state. "Nor, for that matter did anyone ever see Al Capone and the criminal gangs of Chicago as representative of the entire country. For Mexico, as well, let's leave caricatures where they belong, in the hands of cartoonists."

Comments

[mommadona]

Soooooo

Anyone willing to tackle reporting
How many of the "grand families'" that control Mexican Governement
Are also in cahoots with those "drug lords'?

Anyone?

" The two countries with the greatest concentration of wealth and the greatest number of billionaires in Latin America are Mexico and Brazil (77%), which are the two countries, which privatized the most lucrative, efficient and largest public monopolies. Of the total $157.2 billion USD owned by the 38 Latin American billionaires, 30 are Brazilians or Mexicans with $120.3 billion USD."

"The principal cause of poverty in Latin American is the very conditions that facilitate the growth of billionaires. In the case of Mexico, the privatization of the telecommunication sector at rock bottom prices, resulted in the quadrupling of wealth for Carlos Slim Helu, the third richest man in the world (just behind Bill Gates and Warren Buffet) with a net worth of $49 billion USD. Two fellow Mexican billionaires, Alfredo Harp Helu and Roberto Hernandez Ramirez benefited from the privatization of banks and their subsequent de-nationalization, selling Banamex to Citicorp."

http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Petras_James/Global_Ruling_Class.html

[breakfast]

If success dealing with the drug situation in Mexico depends on curtailing widespread drug usage in the U.S., then Mexico is out of luck. We, and Mexico, could legalize the drug trade and minimize the drug problem, but no one is going to change human nature. People like to get high, have done it all throughout history, and will keep on getting high, legally or otherwise. Better to make it all legal and then deal with it as a social, rather than criminal problem.

After legalization, the cartels would still have to be taken down. They are sitting on piles of money that they would want to channel into other lucrative and presumably illegal areas, but that would be a different problem altogether.

[outnow]

Is Hillary Clinton going to eliminate a hundred million users in the US? Or does she propose to elimimnate the sale of guns manufactured or sold in the US and -wink, wink - sold to muder people in Mexico?

People and some animals have changed their mood chemically for millions of years.

When children kill at school with assault weapons they have been taking antidepressants sold legally and use weapons sold legally in the US.

Follow the money and you might discover who the real criminals are. Sure, take down the cartels BY TREATING DRUG ADDICTION AS A MEDICAL PROBLEM. Where there is no profit, the pusher doesn't push.

Alcohol and cigarets are the most destructive of drugs and increase the cost of medical care to astronomical heights. Again. look who profits from addicting your children.

[LB14]

"outnow", your idea sounds good, but it's not based in reality

treating drug addictions as medical problem will not work when it comes to changing demand.

As far as the gun problems. Yes we would all be better off if we took all of the guns and dropped them to the bottom of the ocean, but that isnt possible in reality either.

[LB14]

ha we could definitely get out of the recession quickly if they legalized weed and other drugs and put taxes on them....no way that ever happens in reality though obviously.

but im sick of people blaming "America's appetite for drugs". That has always been the case, but the new behavior of the cartels and higher level of violence is what is garnering the attention now.

[outnow]

Have you ever seen a Sinaloa cowboy? They come here from Mexico, deal drugs, bail out when caught, take out the "snitch" on the way out of the country when they jump bail. There is no extradition and the bounty hunters usually can't get them. They forfeit bail.

The war on drugs encourages this type of behavior. Our prisons are full of minor drug users while these guys just come and go, committing murder on the way out of the country.

[winningticket]

If they would just legalize the stuff they wouldn't have all these problems. But the lamestream media wouldn't even think of entertaining that notion.

[UnderMind]

Yep, here we go again. All of the readers know what the solution to the problem is, but the press and the politicians appear to be completely ignorant. You'd think that when thousands are being slaughtered for money the authorities wake up and smell the blood. You can't stop it with more guns - you just end up with more dead people. You can only stop it if you change the incentive. Those killers just want money, but if there was no money to be made, there would be no slaughter.

[TheLearnedEnglishDog]

American Prison Guards need high-paying unskilled jobs. That is more important than changing the laws

[BBackSoon]

It is not the guards. It is the Major Shareholders of the For-Profit Prison Corporations that are making all the money.

It looks like from the articles and TV shows I have seen that prisons are understaffed and underfunded just like every other major business, this is to maximize profits.

[Romeover]

This article is simply more ignorant insanity.

There is little or no "drug-related violence" in Mexico. There is way too much "money-related violence" in Mexico.

The violence is the direct result of poverty and prohibition.

Legalize drugs, and watch the violence evaporate overnight.

[outnow]

yep, just like during Prohibition. How many rum-runners and moonshiners do you see today? The gangsters moved into other substances - all of which are illegal. I say tax the stuff, give 'em clean needles and condoms, send them to a medical clinic for methadone, give 'em dopamine precursors to stop cravings..­..

Narco-terrorism would vanish tomorrow. Don't people realize that opium funds the Taliban and AQ?

[BBackSoon]

What is it that allows some people to realize that drugs have a hold on people that should be legalized and regulated or treated with recovery options, and those that think it is just weak people that should be put away?

[EducatedObserver]

Reading this article - as well as the responses - has been very interesting. For the life of me I cannot comprehend why the authorities cannot (or refuse to) see the obvious: that legalising and controlling the production and comsumption of "drugs" would be a far more effective way of handling the problem.

Of course it won't be easy, and will take considerable courage, but the alternative is to continue to fight an unwinnable war. Have we learned so little from the Prohibition experiment?

[AdaArmstrong]

well, you know, for any policy, to really evaluate it, you have to look at the winners and losers. Too many people are benefitting, apparently, to end the "war on drugs"; law enforcement, governments, treatment providers, Christ, its a whole industry. It's also a handy way to incarcerate large numbers of people who might be "troublesome", therefore forestalling sources of civil unrest. And, isn't it interesting theextent to which it's enforced in poor and minority communities ?

[AntiSocialite]

"And, isn't it interesting the extent to which it's enforced in poor and minority communities?"

When you see lions on the African Plains hunting, who do they go after? Always the weakest and most vulnerable. Why is that? Because it is easy. It's the same concept with the cops. Why in the hell would you want to actually investigate a crime when you can go down to the ghetto and just pick up some poor guy, most likely a minority, for possession. As a cop, you are much more likely to get a conviction (and that's the name of the game) on that poor, minority, drug user who is probably only represented by an overworked public defender than a lawyered up white collar criminal or just a white criminal in general.

[AntiSocialite]

It's all about money, too many people continue to profit from the status quo. Pharmaceutical companies, chemical companies, paper companies, oil companies, textile companies, the DEA, the FBI, the CIA, virtually every police district in the country, and private prison companies collectively reap billions every year thanks in large part to the 'War on Drugs,' and marijuana specifically (since it is obviously the largest illicit cash crop). And that is just on the legal side. On the other side of the law is where the real money is, all of it untaxed, and all of it easy to come by. Too many argue that legalization is an 'imperfect solution,' while ignoring that all around them the results of the current 'imperfect solution,' are slowly killing our society.

Peace

[sophiej]

and the 'war on drugs' seems to be helping subsidize our 'defense' industry.

[dhinds]

"the country has the desire to weather the drug storm that jeopardizes its stability.­"

Mexico's stability is not in question. The drug related violence is, with a few scattered exceptions, primarily a US Border related issue. In a large city like Guadalajara, isolated violent crimes occur at a rate similar to that which has occured at other times. The US mass media is blowing the story out of proportion.

"The ignorant notion that Mexicans "are taking our jobs" contradicts the reality of what makes the American economy tick".

They harvest the food most of you eat.

I've lived in Mexico since 1974 (over half of my life) and I consider Mexico to be the country that has changed most over the last 20 years without falling apart. It's electoral system is now far superior to that of the USA, Agrarian Land laws help minimize land speculation, capital punishment doesn't exist and Mexico doesn't invade other countries.

In short - it's far from perfect but poses no threat to the USA, which could make a greater effort to understand and collaborate with it's neighbor to the south for the good of both countries.

[jeffrey678]

Why not charge a user fee to pay for increase infrastructure and personnel on the border. This would pay for personnel and equipment to search for drugs and guns both ways. We could afford the best training and equipment without raising the deficit or taxes. This would provide continuous funding for continuous improvement.

[RTIII]

"Until the widespread usage of drugs in the United States is curtailed sharply, there can be no realistic or substantive solution to the problem inside Mexico."

Well, guess what; that (reduction in demand) ain't gonna happen.

And, the premise is wrong; there CAN be a realistic, substantive solution to the (drug-related violence) problem inside Mexico WITHOUT curtailing widespread usage of drugs in the USA. It's called decriminalization.
.

[jillian222]

I am grateful for your wisdom and words. I read an earlier blog here this afternoon about Secretary Clinton's visit to Mexico and was disturbed by many of the responses. I recommended in my post to seek out yesterday's New York Times article by Enrique Krauze as well, offering his quotations which reflect the true nature of Mexico.

I have spent 13 years documenting this country in words and images. I have lived in Guanajuato and have painstakingly learned the language. I have immersed myself in its culture and have come to love its people and their gentle ways. I am also aware of the underbelly of this country, " those dark corners" which give rise to fear and sensationalism. And, yes, many are quite true.

As Krauze so eloquently points out, Mexico is a young democracy. So is America. We have a great deal to sort out on both sides of the border. Endless layers must be peeled away and then made whole again so Mexico can rise to its fullest potential.

And it will.

I take every opportunity to defend "my second home" to those who have formed opinions without understanding.

Allow me to paraphrase the words of Krauze in closing: " Mexico is a tolerant state....i­t is without racial hatred." I pray that the enlightened readers of the Huffington Post will be exposed to more articles like Mr. Fromson's, and begin to embrace our friends on " La Linea".

[Halsey]

jillian..f­irst..I am SOOO jealous that you are able to spend time in Guanajuato­....I love love love that city (but let's not tell anyone else how incredible it is...I spent only a week there...do­ing the living with a family, attending language institute to improve my Spanish)..­I fell in Love! with the Pueblo!...

I've long dismissed cocaine use as..whatev­er...I don't do it...cause I like to sleep too much...but­, with the exponential rise in violence..­.I've concluded.­..that, unless and until drugs are legalized (and heavily regulated)­....the White collar user...MUS­T suffer big consequens­es...yes..­.the Movie Stars..the occasionals party "user".... all are part of this sad problem.. Hilary was brave (and I'm not a huge fan of hers)..whe­n she said "yes...the US holds

[jillian222]

Halsey,

I am glad that you had the opportunity to experience Guanajuato. Colonial Mexico, the heartland of this country, is rich with heritage and a true jewel of a very proud country.

Actually it would be wonderful if you told others about this beautiful pueblo. There is no time for secrets.

Many of my Mexican friends were thrilled with Enrique Krauze's New York Times article, feeling that at last, someone was speaking for them withTruth.

[mgloraine]

"...until the widespread usage of drugs in the United States is curtailed sharply, there can be no realistic or substantive solution to the problem inside Mexico."

That will never happen. Better look for a "Plan B".

Like many others posting here, I believe legalization of cannabis would take the wind out of most of those evil drug cartels' sails. As long as weed is a big-money cash crop, it will fuel big-money crime syndicates. When everyone can grow it in his back yard, the price will bottom out. Prohibition makes millionaires.

Then stop selling guns.

[overcat]

The notion that the drug cartels in Mexico are thriving on a weed based business is wrong. While no doubt there is a fair amount of weed grown in Mexico and brought into the US, it's hard drugs like cocaine, heroin and meth that are where the cartels are making their money. The overwhelming majority of the weed consumed in the US is grown right here, domestically. Every last bit of the cocaine consumed in the US comes from countries south of our border, quite a bit of the heroin does as well, and increasingly more meth is produced in huge labs in Mexico.

While I too believe that cannabis legalization would be a positive step, it's pretty much a non issue in the Mexican drug cartel situation, it's coke, smack and meth that's fueling the violence.

[Paradym]

Except that cannabis sales constitute 60-75% of the income of drug cartels in Mexico. It's not all their money, but it's significant.

[AntiSocialite]

Wow, I think you should do a little more research into the subject and stop letting Hollywood give you your information on the drug cartels. Sixty to seventy-five percent of cartel revenues are from weed. And as far as the supposed overwhelming majority of weed being grown here, the rough breakdown goes like this:

40% from Mexico
45% grown in the US
5% from Canada
10% from other places

It's more like a plurality.

Peace

[balickistan]

look i get it. we should legalize and tax it. the problem i see, and most of these posters have, is blaming america for the problems in mexico. you do realize that it i one of the worst stratified countries. the gap between the rich and poor is a huge chasm. with such a huge uneducated, poor underclass, it is easy to recruit shooters or mules. sadly until mexico deals with their unfair society, america will always be blamed.

[sheaves]

Just to add my voice to what I hope is a burgeoning chorus in the country: LEGALIZE.

From this article, "But the truth is that until the widespread usage of drugs in the United States is curtailed sharply, there can be no realistic or substantive solution to the problem inside Mexico."

This is not not even a possibility much less a 'truth'.

[EminemsRevenge]

I took my cousin's gun when I was eight years old and tried to KILL a junkie who stole the bike my grandfather had just gotten me for my birthday..­.South Ozone Park, NY...1966

Flash forward to TODAY...he­roin usage is UP on Long Island---and the day after Barack got into office they were selling that crap openly on the streets of Manhattan!!

Legalize and put a program similar to what they have in the U.K. and we can say *sayonara* to both our drug "problem" AND the Taliban...­OUR Victorian taboos RE: drug usage just don't work anymore, not that they ever did

[elaygee]

Legalize the drugs and tx them and all the crime goes away as it becomes just another supply, cheaply made and bought with no fuss and bother, no crime and no jails.

[indyleftist]

Yet again you completely misunderstand the problem

The problem is not consumption
The problem is criminalization