It looks like you're using an Ad Blocker.
Please white-list or disable AboveTopSecret.com in your ad-blocking tool.
Thank you.
Some features of ATS will be disabled while you continue to use an ad-blocker.
Originally posted by jam321
reply to post by babybunnies
I have been noticing recent reports that the war against the cartels is spreading to Central American countries like Guatemala and Honduras.
Originally posted by fleabit
The police and FBI are all bought and paid for.
That's a bold statement. Any proof? You are suggesting a couple of kids.. 15 and 16 years old, have "bought and paid for" the police and FBI to turn their heads, so they can collect 250 bucks a household? I find that difficult to believe.
Things are bad, but the border patrols, and the police, have been busting their hump to try and curb this disaster that our government won't fix. Don't write them off with some flippant comment you can't even back up with proof.
Originally posted by ~Lucidity
Send CNN and all the other MSM the story and see what happens.
This kind of news at the border has been being surpressed for maybe decades and most certainly for the last 10 years.
Ummmm, so.... where are the explosions as advertised in the title of said thread?
Originally posted by Krzyzmo
The border states and the rest of the country need another General Houston to restore our borders before we end up with another Alamo.
Originally posted by GreenGlassDoor
Maybe some of you should read up on Mexican gun laws before wondering why they don't have guns.
For all the rampant crime and inhospitable behavior, Mexico is the United States' 18th biggest creditor. Think about that one for a minute. Mexico actually defaulted on its debts in 1982.
What does this have to do with the price of tea in China and the Mexican problems? Everything.
For those who don't know, Mexico is the third member of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Chances are something in your line-of-sight was assembled in Mexico. For all the jobs that went South the per capita GDP of Mexicans has gone up:
Compared to that of the United States:
What this is saying that US experienced 36.5% per capita GDP increase while Mexico experienced a 63.5% increase. Nonetheless, the Mexican per capita GDP is still approx. $14K a year.
So why is Mexico going to Hell while they're actually experiencing a pretty good growth rate? Well, because we can have both economic growth and a social breakdown. We're seeing the rise of "Feral Cities" (a short summation on feral cities can be found here). The important concept is this:
As public services disintegrate, residents are forced to hire private security or pay criminals for protection.
The 'criminals', for all intents and purposes, are now the government. Going door-to-door and shaking down residents is akin to collecting taxes.
The bottom line is the US is in no shape to help in this effort. We really can't afford a three-front war. Mexico is more than able to create its own Lincoln Brigade, but it's really up to Mexico to do that. Private citizens engaging in the foreign affairs is a violation of the Logan Act.
Although civil people may disagree with how the cartels govern their regions, it's the lay of the land. Gruesome images and video doesn't really do much to help -there isn't much we Americans can do. We're broke and occupied with concerns on the other side of the world.
A point to ponder: what does it mean when your creditor is melting down?
[edit on 31-7-2010 by GreenGlassDoor]
I am sure it is happening to hundreds of people, but with an average population that doesn't read or write very well, let alone use a computer, they have no voices.
Originally posted by Orygun
I read about the cartels and think of Chicago during prohibition. Maybe it's time to legalize pot and put some of these guys out of business. If we legalized coaine that would really do it, but I can't in all good conscience agree to legalize coc aine. Pot is relatively harmless but lots of lives are destroyed by coc aine. I say this after spending 25 years in human services with a state government dealing with addicts.
It is time to legalize pot just to stop this violence. Tax it. Control it. But if it is legal, the cartels won't be killing to sell it.