Having a military presence on the border with Mexico is not a productive response to the problem with the cartels. This will only increase the violence and actually have it cross over to the U.S. side. The cartels will begin to fight our military they way they fight each other and the Mexican military.
The problem needs to be dealt with in a different way. The current violence is related to long term economic problems in Mexico, a split among the Mexican ruling elite that is using the cartels to fight a quasi civil war, and a ready and enthusiastic consumer drug market in the U.S.
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Link to audio and video of the democracy now program on the Mexican Drug Warthe interview with Greg Granden is particularly informative
Obama Signals Readiness to Further Militarize Drug War with Potential Deployment of National Guard to Mexico Border
Democracy NowMarch 13, 2009
President Obama is considering deploying National Guard troops along the border with Mexico in response to the escalating drug war. More than 7,000 people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence in the last year. Much of the drug-related violence in Mexico has been fueled by the ability of drug cartels to purchase AK-47 assault rifles and other arms in the United States. We host a roundtable discussion with Laura Carlsen of the Center for International Policy, NYU professor and author Greg Grandin, and Paul Helmke of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
Laura Carlsen, director of the Mexico City-based Americas Policy Program of the Center for International Policy. Her latest article is called “Drug War Doublespeak.”
Greg Grandin, professor of Latin American history at NYU and author of Empire’s Workshop: Latin America, the United States, and the Rise of the New Imperialism. His forthcoming book is Fordlandia: The Rise and Fall of Henry Ford’s Forgotten Jungle City.
Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence.
JUAN GONZALEZ: President Obama is considering deploying National Guard troops along the border with Mexico in response to the escalating drug war. In his most direct comments so far on Mexico’s fight against drug cartels, Obama told reporters from regional newspapers, quote, “We’re going to examine whether and if National Guard deployments would make sense and under what circumstances they would make sense.” But Obama ruled out any immediate military move.
More than a thousand people have been killed in Mexico in drug-related violence this year. 6,000 people died last year. Vice President Joe Biden highlighted the threat posed by drug traffickers this week when he announced Gil Kerlikowske as the new drug czar...moresee "Drug cartels' new weaponry means war," LA Times, March 13, 2009
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