Tag Archives: army

Is Mexico Responsible for Anything?

I have a simple question.

Is Mexico responsible for anything?

Admittedly, it is difficult to lay complete blame for the drug violence on Mexico when we (the U.S. citizenry) are consuming the product of, and we (the U.S. government) are arming, the drug cartels. So let’s be generous and say “we” are responsible for 60% of the problem. Seem reasonable? So why do we only hear about our 60%? What about the other 40%?

(Update the below paragraph with “Caravans heading North”…)

Considering the lines outside emigration services yesterday it struck me that Mexico was doing nothing to help “legitimize” the status of the individuals in line. But to Mexico’s defense even if they had I’m not sure it would have been warmly received.  In fact, several of the “on scene” interviews sounded more like asylum cases in that the individual would run down a list of how inhospitable and outright dangerous Mexico is. The idea of going back, to them, would be cruel and unusual punishment for crime they did not commit.  While I personally enjoy Mexico and find it to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth… I do not necessarily disagree, but it lends to the larger issue.

Is Mexico responsible for anything?  If so, what?

Let’s say Canadians were flooding across the border for reasons of escape… (which in some medically related scenarios is not so far-fetched) would we be so tolerant of the Canadian government as to continuously find ways to blame ourselves? And since we’re on that topic… blame ourselves for what? Is it our fault that we cling to the final visage of Free-Market Capitalism in the world and the prosperity it promulgates, thus creating a more desirable alternative than the place these folks are escaping from?

So why are we quiet in regard to Mexico?

Why exactly is it not Mexico’s responsibility to create that same atmosphere for their citizens?  (The same applies to all Latin American countries given our current predicament.)

Why should Mexico be absolved of the international cry to improve their economy, create jobs and control crime repeatedly leveled at the U.S.?  It’s certainly not a lack of natural resources, ports, or favorable climate… It’s clearly not the lack of population or strong work ethic. So why?

Partly it is a U.S. media predisposed to self loathe U.S. success and prosperity. It simply is not in vogue to appreciate the Capitalist system our country was founded on, assuming they know what that is, or the riches realized from it. The flip side of that is a programmed desire not to criticize Socialist countries, not because it might make the country look bad but because they would have to look in the mirror and re-evaluate their personal beliefs.

The final aspect is Political Correctness and the fear of being labeled racist should anyone step up and offer the truth. They know the first Journalist to speak out loud that ‘Mexico shares the blame for our border problems and must own their economic woes will be labeled a bigot who hates… I don’t even know anymore… Mexicans? Hispanics? Latinos? Mayans? Aztecs? Spaniards? I mean seriously. The world is cosmopolitan. Having a Spanish surname means little here in the U.S. but the census still counts you as Hispanic… Why?  Because that’s how the money is handed out.  Rest assured, someone would be offended somewhere, so you’d be a bigot somehow.
All I’m asking for is reasoned, rational, discussion.

What I’m saying simply is there must be a focus on other countries responsibility when it comes to their citizenry and internal economic problems.

Unfortunately it seems all too easy to blame the U.S. for all the ills in the world, especially by our own journalists. When I say “easy”, I mean both comfortably and safely. They are comfortable because they believe it, and they are safe because they know as long as they blame the U.S. First… there will be no punishment directed at them from the industry of the offended.  The Antifa Fascists will be fine with it, so they know their houses will not be burnt down.

Think about the comments from the EU and how the problems they suffer are always the fault of United States.  The starvation and disease in Africa is our fault.  The illegal immigration problem right here in the U.S. is our fault… because, like every other country in the world including Mexico,  we don’t openly accept just anyone who crosses the border.  It’s stunning how the world expects us to bend in every way imaginable while they conduct themselves in a way of “business as usual”.

It’s also stunning that absolutely no attention is paid to how we became a country that could help those less fortunate on our borders… and around the world.  But here’s a hint… it wasn’t by giving all of our stuff away.

I am a Capitalist.  As such, this is not a cry to seal the borders and not let anyone in, or pull all of our Diplomats home.  On the contrary, I like tall fences and wide gates.  I expect to have access to the best products at the best prices for my self-determined needs.  Having emissaries abroad is important to communicate the benefits of freedom and liberty of the individual as well as aid those who wish to embrace it for themselves in their own countries.

But there needs to be rational and reasonable assessments when determining the foundation of problems lest no solutions can ever be arrived at.

Unless that’s the point.

For more on “the point”: La Gran Mentira

(A repost from 8/16/12, since illegal immigration is now being used to destroy the Constitution’s Separation of Powers.  It’s dated, but brings up what I believe to be an important question.  What are we saying about Mexico?  Are we delaying a Revolution south of our Border?  If so, to whose benefit?  And if we are delaying a Revolution, is it serving to make Mexico, and Latin America as a whole, more Fragile?)

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Every Man a SEAL?

After reading a comment by Astronaut Mark Kelly speaking on behalf of SEAL Team 6 Alumni stating the arming of schools to be ridiculous, something struck me.  (Yes, it struck me as odd Commander Kelly would speak for SEAL’s instead of “all” the Astronauts… but whatever.)

What struck me is that everyone seems to be either a Marine or a member of SEAL Team 6.

It has reached the level of bizarre.

Let me preface these comments by saying that in my view these men are super-human. They are exceptional in ways almost all of us will never comprehend.

That being said… not everyone is a member of SEAL Team 6. Nor is every member not serving on SEAL Team 6 a Marine. (Not that being a Marine prohibits one’s membership on a Team.  Anyway…)

We have an extraordinary number of specialized troops in all the branches who see combat at the tip of the spear… among other places.

We also have a number of Specialized Marine Units… as we do SEAL Teams 1-5 and 7-?.

While I love that our troops enjoy the positive press I believe they deserve… I’m tired of the marketing push that has the public thinking we have two branches of the Service… the SEAL’s and the Marines.

In fact we have Green Beret’s, PJ’s, Rangers, Force Recon, SEAL’s and many others.  (Forgive me if I left you out… you know who you are.)  In supposition we have a number other individual and cooperative teams.  This doesn’t even begin to address other foreign service departments such as CIA, NSA, DIA etc.

No… I’m not a disgruntled Ranger chowing on sour grapes.

Actually, I’m a Fan of the Rumsfeld Doctrine… which has been a top down revision of how the U.S. views world conflict since WWII and has been embraced by Presidents Bush and Obama alike.  This Doctrine necessarily requires many specialized war fighters with greater flexibility and mobility than the traditional “2 Major War” doctrine allowed.  (Read: Learning to Eat Soup with a Knife which this doctrine is based upon.)  This “new approach” has made a large number of Generals whose power and prestige was based on the amount of men and material they controlled very upset.  It’s worth noting that Bush was endlessly hammered regarding Rumsfeld’s approach to the military… yet we hear nothing about Obama’s identical embrace of Rumsfeld… He’s still at the Pentagon…  Are those crickets I hear?

My point is that there are a number of very interesting groups of people out there doing things most of us cannot comprehend.  (When I say you can’t comprehend it… you cannot comprehend it.  Seriously.  We have all done things we consider extreme, but you cannot understand.  There is a reason some of these guys have earned the nick-name Jedi Knights.)  And, we would all be better for sending a little credit their way once in while.

And now the REAL point…

Once we learn a little about our military we can then address why the State Department feels they need their own heavily armed paramilitary force, which it has been building for over 5-years now…

It’s worth asking.  Because it brings us back to Benghazi… and where are the survivors… you didn’t know there were survivors?  Surprise.

Where is the Testimony from those in the State Department who had a finger on any rescue effort.  Why have we adopted a policy that demonstrates to the world that we don’t care if you kill our diplomats?  Not only do we not care, we’ll remove any reasonable protection of them to assist in their demise, because we don’t want to appear “hostile”…. yet build a brand new, unique, army answerable only to the State Dept… only to not be used.

All I’m asking is for all of us to make an effort to know a little more about those we profess to admire… and every once in a while ask “I wonder what SEAL Team 2 is doing?” or “How are the PJ’s holding up?” or “What the hell is the State Department doing and why?”.

Cheers to all of those doing what I cannot, or will not, do on my behalf!

Thank you.

Except the State Dept. at the moment… I’m a little upset with what’s going on over there.  Good thing they don’t write my check.