WatchI visited Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, and Coba over Thanksgiving and was surprised to see many military units armed with assault rifles guarding the roads, the stores, and the city gates. Apparently Mexico has regressed to the walled cities of the ancient world and keeps active checkpoints; not for tourists, but for locals who might be potential gang members.
While both Cozumel and Carmen are developed tourist destinations with heavy security and 1st world luxury, Coba might has well have been war torn Somalia and the 70 mile road from Playa Del Carmen to Coba was decimated with burned out and abandoned homes, walled complexes, and military units. The interesting thing to me was that the Yukatan isn't generally known for gang violence.
Then there's this:
Insight: Violence creeping into Mexican capital
http://news.yahoo.com/insight-violence-creeping-mexican-capital-121021881.html
On a sunny afternoon this month, a group of gunmen drove into a slum in the north of Mexico City, the streets packed with shoppers and children leaving school. In plain sight, the killers lined three crack cocaine dealers against a wall and shot them in the head with AK-47 assault rifles. They then forced another two men into a black van and drove away past terrified onlookers.
I'm betting we see waves of refugees coming from Mexico at some point in the coming years. I'm reprogramming my crystal ball.
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Whatever we do drugs must stay prohibited from the underclass. At my advanced age, I do not want to be competing with underclass teens for my pure uncut rock cocaine. The good stuff's gotta be saved for me.
Let's send in the Army to kill a bunch of mulattos in the name of drug enforcement. That should calm things down.
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Because in Mexico it's a crime to own guns, leaving guns only in the hands of the criminals. Average, good citizens are left helpless, unable to defend themselves against these thugs.
And than all those Mexicans come over to CA and continue that same anti gun garbage here, rebuilding the no rights land they had back in Mexico.
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The upcoming election should be very interesting. PAN barely won - some say they stole the vote a la Florida - and there are allegations of assistance by the US.
A substantial gap between exit polls and actual results is only a sign of fraud when the neoliberal loses.
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I have lived in Mexico and can offer some comments.
Mexico is corrupt and the PRI dictatorship which ran for 71 years was completely complicit with drug gangsters, they were corrupt and accepted millions.
The PAN taking power and the gangs starting to do crime against Mexicans stimulated the "war on gangs" which will continue for some time.
In no way does the Mexican government wish to eradicate the drug industry from Mexico. The money Mexico gets from sales to the USA is about $25 billion of so. The money Mexico gets from illegal alien workers is also about $25 billion. $50 billion/year is a huge % of the GDP of Mexico and the government knows that without both Mexicans will starve.
Culiacan Sinaloa for example is a city whose economy is almost entirely based on illegal drugs.
Mexicans feel that if Americans will addict themselves and buy the drugs, why prevent them? So, all the talk by any Mexican politician about stopping the drug trade is just lip service.
Today unfortunately, Mexico has descended into almost anarchy in the mainland. There was always a nice vibe in Mexico that you were kind of able to do what you want with no interference from anyone. This means however that now gangsters can kidnap, extort, murder and do whatever they want all over.
RE: Owning guns in Mexico. Technically it is legal to own one, but they diluted the constitutional right (sound familiar?) so that now you may own in a caliber lower than the goverment, i.e. you can own a .380 not 9mm. There is ONE gun store in the entire Republic of Mexico, in Mexico City, run by the military.
ALL of the Mexican illegal aliens I know here in California are afraid to go back. They will vigorously resist being kicked out of the USA although they are of course illegal and committed felonies with false IDs, false names, etc.
The only safe part of Mexico today is Baja Sur state. But, no place in Mexico is entirely safe.
Strangely, Americans are slightly safer in Mexico than Mexicans. The Mexicans are all quite aware that the USA has the will and the abillity to go after criminals, unlike their own law enforcement. The lesson of Bin Laden was not lost on Mexicans. My own close friend in Mexico said that being American has a slight aura of protection, because they think if they mess with one too many, the USA will come on down and clean their collective clocks.
I also will say I know Mexican illegal aliens who bought guns in Salinas and smuggled them down to Mexico. I know Mexican illegal aliens also who defaulted on mortgages. Imagine that.
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It's not a civil war by the way, it's more like anarchy by large segments of the society. Mexicans I have noticed are actually slightly proud of being ignorant. Just 33% of adults in Mexico have even graduated high school.
Mexico's mascot is the rooster, and it's the symbol of many products in Mexico. The large cement company there is Gallo Cement=rooster cement.
Anyone know what a rooster is good for? Fighting, crowing, stupidity, uselessness.
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It's a libertarian utopia.
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Huntington Moneyworth III, Esq says
It most certainly is. Look forward to more Mexican-style freedoms if the Republicans gain power next year.
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clambo,
interesting thoughts.
moneyworth - right on the money.
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clambo says
A good full sized Rode Island red is good for keeping the meeter reader out of your yard.
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Wasn't the Yucatan also known for the Zapatistas?
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MarsAttacks! says
Exactly. Thank you for supporting my point that Republicans want to turn us into Mexico.
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FortWayne says
FortWayne says
FortWayne says
zzzzzzzzzzzzzz...... Lock your doors, fence your yard, clench your gun while you shake and wait for them to come and get you- HAHAHAHA I love these people
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I think the Democrats want to turn the USA into Mexico.
All of the bleeding hearts I know believe that Mexicans should be all free to come here "they just want to work" (actually, they just want money).
All of the Democrats I know think that illegals do "jobs Americans won't do". Of course, the same Democrats tend to be types who have not actually touched a tool or a shovel or lifted anything in their lives.
The huge army of govt. people passing out the benefits, wic, etc. love the illegals and want to help them get everything that they can. I know several of them.
Most people who feel illegal aliens like the USA don't know any. Mexican women love it here: they have rights and protection of our laws and system.
The Mexican men don't, they will tell you (if drunk enough) they are just reclaiming what was "stolen from Mexico". My answer is "why didn't you go live in those parks along the border with Arizona and Texas if it was territory you seek?"
Since I studied Spanish grammar even after I lived in Mexico, I now notice how many of the Mexicans here make mistakes and are almost illiterate. I have met some actually illiterates: I was in a Mexican restaurant that had both Spanish and Engish menus and my guest sheepishly confessed she could read neither one. It's rare but interesting to see who is up here working.
To guys who are afraid of the gangs, etc: If you go to some empty parts of Baja, there won't be anyone around usually to bother you.
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clambo says
Remind me again about the steps the Republicans have taken to clean up the illegals. Oh yes, Reagan made them all legal residents. Bush II had the justice department clamp down on employers, there were as many as 5 companies a year prosecuted for employing illegals under Bush II. Wow, that's impressive. That must have been at least .0001% of the companies employing illegals. Ceo's must have been shaking in their boots.
What a lot of crap, dumbocrats and repugnicans both say they want to do something about illegals, but the fact is everyone is making too much money off exploiting them to actually anything.
clambo says
No shit sherlock holmes. Why would educated Mexicans become illegal immigrants? Have trouble grasping the obvious often?