Mexican Standoff

We've all seen the old movie cliche where three opponents with weapons aimed at each other have reached the profound realization that any first strike will endanger his own life. If he should shoot first it takes his aim away from the other opponent destroying the crucial aspect of multiple deterrence. It makes great drama. When it comes to international politics it is a disaster waiting to happen.

Such as it has become on our southern border. The national government is losing control of the country. The drug cartels have infiltrated, corrupted or coerced every aspect of society in the Mexican states that border the USA. There is another problem: one of the three combatants has a blindfold on.

The government controlled Mexican Army, or the subset of it that has not taken up with the other side, the drug lords and a deaf, dumb and blind United States are the players in what may be the biggest drama on the world stage right now. Unfortunately we Americans are almost completely oblivious. We are so inundated with Obama's deity, Jessica Simpson's waistline and Caylee Anthony's murder that there just isn't time to report on the potential collapse of one of America's most important strategic partners.

I have seen a few articles on the Internet with this being the latest - a fine piece in the Wall Street Journal (which I consider the last great NEWSpaper). This one excerpt says it all.

If Mexico isn't a failed state, though, it is a country with a weak state -- one the narcos seem to be weakening further.

"The Mexican state is in danger," says Gerardo Priego, a deputy from Mr. Calderon's ruling center-right party, known as the PAN. "We are not yet a failed state, but if we don't take action soon, we will become one very soon."

Based on what we are hearing from the major media and the Obama Administration... (crickets chirping)... One can almost hear the fiddle playing in Washington DC. I know it's only been a month since they took over but we heard nothing during the 2 year long campaign either.

There are 100 million people on the southern border of the U.S., meaning any semblance of a collapse would flood the U.S. with refugees. Cities like Phoenix, Houston, San Diego and Los Angeles would falter under the weight of such an invasion. How long before they would be in your town?


CW