The American Spectator

Get Real| 6.18.09 @ 8:10AM

Why not focus on the Obama Banking solution on giving the FED more powers, to rob the American people. Mexico is not the issue today!

Colin| 6.18.09 @ 8:15AM

With all due respect Mr. Codevilla -- go tell it to LaRaza. Or as they say in the "hood" -- Viva Reconquista."

Steve| 6.18.09 @ 8:36AM

Get your point, we have to have young people to work since the young people in the USA have decided to learn to work with their heads not their hands. Question is why do all the new workers have to come from Mexico. Are there not any other people from other countries wanting to work in the US

Michael L. Hauschild| 6.18.09 @ 8:37AM

I can read no more. (got to page five) The violence in Mexico is our fault, the immigration laws in America are to blame for the illegal population living here raping our viability to support the incredibly corrupt Mexican government, and our economy would benefit if aliens were driving trucks unrestricted across the borders. Illegal aliens, good; American college students, bad. Not to mention that we should just give up our sovereign identity, sing the Coca Cola commercial and open the borders.
I can only assume that TAS placed this article in the consciousness stream as a morbid joke.

Steve| 6.18.09 @ 8:42AM

Further if the left is admitting that the number of Illegal aliens from Mexico are 12 to 13 million it is most assuredly closer to 20 million. Also with chain Immigration another 15 million will be allowed to become citizens. At least 10 million will be parents who will be allowed to receive S. S. and Medicare. Can anyone tell me why this is a good thing.

JP| 6.18.09 @ 8:55AM

If the author wishes to win the hearts and minds of people here at TAS, he is doing it in a strange way. Most people have heard many of the complaints the author makes here (our drug addicts suppy the demand (ie the drug wars are our fault); unfair immigration laws; racism, etc...

Funny how Pro Hispanic groups never even mention legitimate American concerns -namely border security, the radical politicization of many pro-immigrant organizations, and the economic fall-out that so many low wage immigrants would cause to low skilled American workers.

The normal method of debate is to scream racism when these issues are raised. The author doesn't even consider them. His attitude is that by virtue of thier race, Mexicans are entitled to enter the US and do as they please. If my memory serves me correctly, President Reagan offered full clemency to all illegals in 1986. Back then, there were about 13 million illegals living here. Less than 2 million took him up on his offer. Many Americans have the impression that most illegals do not wish to live here, but only take advantage of greedy businessmen who offer them jobs below the table. In return, these illegals are willing to forgo minimum wages, benefits, etc..

If Mexicans wish to work over here, I am sure that most Americans would be more than happy to accomodate them via official working permits. If they wished to live here long term, there are the normal immigration laws they can follow.

But, I get the impression, that the author wishes niether.

blackelkspeaks| 6.18.09 @ 9:02AM

I found this to be a very well written exposition. Codevilla's arguments concerning the American-Mexican drug problem are sound. His critique of the implementation of "free trade" laws is also valuable. I generally agree with Codevilla that these American inconsistencies have engendered difficulties. However, I agree with Steve that Codevilla's assumption that the US must continue to accept millions of illegal Mexican immigrants is weak. Assigning some sort of preferred status to these nationals 0ver every other group of immigrants is not advantageous to the US. And Codevilla's historical chronology ignored the part where Mexico became the first nation to implement a Marxist revolution (even before Russia!). The policy of allowing waves of Marxist sympathizers to invade the US will lead to no good end. We already have a serious homegrown societal problem when over half of our own people, born and bred here, can't appreciate or are unwilling to adhere to the US Constitution. Illegal immigration simply must be stopped.

Old Texican| 6.18.09 @ 9:53AM

Mexico has been a bleeding corrupt boil on the face of the earth since founding.

Mexico is a tiny oligarchy perched upon a mountain of hopeless people.
Many Mexican citizens here (illegally by the way) are thrilled that there IS a border with Texas, Arizona, etc.
Here they can work hard, send some money home, and enjoy more freedom and hope than they can at home.

A sad state of affairs with no end in sight.

Allen E. Ons| 6.18.09 @ 9:55AM

I think your are right about borders. Therefore, the U.S. should implement the same immigration laws Mexico applies to it's southern border with Guatemala!

Highlands Observer| 6.18.09 @ 9:56AM

Thanks to Prof Codevilla for authoring this interesting piece, which certainly presents a contrarian view for many of us. It raises the important questions of how much damage might have been done by doing the wrong things for the right reasons, and how overwhelmingly powerful the geographic, demographic and economic factors behind Mexican immigration into the U.S. might be, despite any policy efforts to the contrary.

Cris Angelini| 6.18.09 @ 10:10AM

Thanks for the history lesson Mr.Codevilla, but I’m an American. If I went to Mexico, would I get food stamps, free education, childcare and medical treatment? Would my kid become a Mexican Citizen at birth, even though I am not? Cuba is also close to the US, should blue collar American taxpayers be saddled with paying for the Cubans who the Island's tyrannical government refused to help; in the same way your ridiculous rant implies American taxpayers should work to support illegal Mexican Aliens? Yes, for better or for worse, Mexico shares a boarder with us, and its Citizenry, should thank God for their lucky fate- each and every waking minute of each day of every day they are alive; for if this wasn't the case some of them would need to invariably perish in a revolution to overthrown the incredibly incompetent and corrupt government running their Country. A nation with good soil, abundant natural resources, tons of oil, a pristine tropical climate and coastlines on two oceans; with more than 70% of its population living in poverty. You should be concentrating on chatting up the white Spaniards in charge down in Mexico City, to consider offering opportunities and education to the majority of its population which is made up of Mexicans of Indian descent. By the way, why do illegal alien support groups like La Raza claim that Americans are racist, who do not want their tax dollars, used to accommodate Foreign National trespassers, when to my knowledge, there has never been a white Mexican, of the same ethnicity as any of the Mexican Presidents (present or past), jumping over the border fence to enter the United States?

As Conservatives, we erred in the 1980’s and 1990’s, by allowing our Representatives to cower and not address the issue-under the misguided assumption that “business” would suffer and become disenchanted with them, if they took positions which were seen as inhibitory to illegal immigrant migration. First and foremost, the result of this dimwitted philosophy was based on the premise that if Republicans stood up for our Nation’s sovereignty, that big “business” would suddenly break ranks and support the high taxing, union supporting, regulatory, obstructionist Democratic Party. The absurdity of this assumption is a wonderful example of how weak and misguided the Republican Party had become in its inability to sell the basic principles of individual liberty on which it had been founded. Subsequently, the result of the Republican Party’s failure to utilize this issue in its favor, proved colossally damning to mainstream American: It lowered wages for blue collar workers (employers were not obligated to provide illegal aliens with healthcare plans, pay SS or workman’s compensation, for the burden was shifted to the tax payer), facilitated exponential increases in healthcare insurance premiums, caused thousands of emergency rooms to close, mandated the spending of billions in tax dollars for bi-lingual public education school conversions and illegal alien healthcare, gave birth to the expense related to illegal aliens representing 1/3 of all housed, Federal felony inmates, as well as, a very high percentage of the inmates in our State Prison systems , directly contributed to a steep decline in public school proficiency levels based on 22- 23 students per teacher ratios, increased (on average) to 45 students to 1 teacher etc., etc. All of the described issues were unnecessarily created and exacerbated by shortsighted policies which resulted in minimal, inconsequential savings to business and an enormous cost to the American Citizenry and the Republican Party. In fairness, the Democrats have always been complicit in support of illegal immigration; however, anti-American idiocy and failure to consider the end result of policy implementation is within their creed. True traditional liberalism, also known as, Conservatism, means equal opportunity availed to all, without bias. Allowing business to employ foreign nationals and unduly force the American Citizen Taxpayer to subsidize the costs associated with these workers is egregiously iniquitous, dishonorable, UN-American and an insult to the core principles of Conservatism.

Doctor Right| 6.18.09 @ 10:14AM

Go sell crazy someplace else, Senior Codevilla...We're all stocked-up here.

Thomas| 6.18.09 @ 10:21AM

This piece opened my eyes. I now see that I have been wrong all of these years. If only the United States had embraced Mexico a century ago we would all be happy and secure.

The fact that the U.S. has imported Mexican goods, which just as easily could have been manufactured at home; Mexican labor, most of it illegal, and Mexican drugs; while exporting American jobs and U.S. dollars has clearly not been enough. That the U.S. has financially bailed out the Mexican government on several occasions is simply not enough. That the government of the United States continues to allow 15 to 20 million lawbreaking illegal Mexican immigrants to remain in the country is not enough. That the U.S. has given Mexico privileged trade status and lifted the tariffs on virtually all Mexican goods, while allowing Mexico to keep many of her tariffs on American goods in place is not enough. The fact that the U.S. grants civil rights protection to Mexican nationals accused of crimes in the U.S. while Mexico regularly denies it to Americans is not enough. And, somehow, it is the fault of the United States that they prospered while Mexico teeters between being a second or third world country, even though Mexico was home to European colonists before the present United States was.

Yes, if only the U.S. was more like Mexico; with staggering unemployment, unbridled criminal activity [kidnapping and drug smuggling being the new growth industries there] and the best politicians, bureaucrats and police that money can buy. Then we too would be a second or third world country and the citizens of Mexico would no longer feel inferior and would stop disliking Norte Americanos.

I see it all now, Amigos.

Bob K.| 6.18.09 @ 10:51AM

And what will happen after they are here, Professor Codavilla? All 20,000,000 of them! After all, they are Hispanic. A preferred minority in our diversity obsessed society. I can understand why you would not want to address this issue. You are a professional academic and you know better than most that "diversity" is the third rail of the academy, not to be touched under any circumstance. After all, there you are, at Boston University, just across the river from Harvard and you know what happened to the former President of Harvard when he made a less than judicious observation about women scholars.

Will there ever be a more fertile soil for the seeds of the "Law of Unintended Consequences" than when Diversity meets the Hispanic invasion on our field of culture? How will the Black culture which does so well in the federal and state bureauocracys of our large cities react to a new preferred culture that suddenly outnumbers them and challenges them for jobs and promotions? What will happen to the white women of the Academy under these circumstances?

Perhaps it is time to re think the definition of "hispanic?" Why is it limited to peoples whose names, if not heritage, are traced to the Spanish section of the Iberia? Perhaps it is time to expand it to those with connections to Portugal also? It would be tough to expand it to Italy, where you come from, Professor Codavilla, but it may be worth a try.

Isn't it grand to be 5 or 6 generations removed from Pizarro and Cortez and from Galicia, Nueva Leon, Extra Madura and Catalonia, and after all that time, having avoided interbreeding with the native cultures while still exploiting them, to still be one of the culturally elite in diversity mad North America? How grand to relocate into a society where preferences are settled by the accidents of birth and are "reserved for women and minorities!" To a society where one of the most important facts is specifically where your grandparents originated!

Geoff | 6.18.09 @ 10:55AM

I continue to wonder why this discussion exist and the factions that push for more rights and benefits for Mexican nationals want more from America? Why do you not press your government to rid the country of corruption, increase education, provide basic social benefits and most important provide jobs for your people. Just because we are compassionate people and an easy target doesn't mean that you can be lazy and take the easy way out. Fight with your country for the quality of life you want, if you do and you win the 1 out of 5 people in America will once again be back in Mexico working hard for your benefit.

Ryan| 6.18.09 @ 10:58AM

I think that the article didn't make the point that it should have.

That the American political parties have prevented each other from forming a solution to the illegal immigration problem. Bush came up with one that was a bit too comprehensive, but was probably better than the current situation, but he put it through the wrong congress four years too late.

Neither party wants the other to "win" on the matter, because that party would probably receive a substantial amount of the Hispanic vote in return for a solution that allows workers to come over and do what they do.

Don't get me wrong here - I'm mostly for the conservative side on this one, but I DO think that we need to do a few more things than just controlling the border and offering worker permits. The green card system needs to be revamped, and the angle of the drug war DOES need to be changed somewhat.

However, I think that the more extremist views on both sides dehumanizes the Mexican population, and like most people they're just looking to make life better for themselves and their families by working for it. Unfortunately, the way the laws are structured they are more or less forced to break the law to get it done.

It's the 5% of the rest that make them look bad, and their refusal/inability to rise up and force their government and people in power out.

Joe| 6.18.09 @ 11:18AM

Why let Mexico but in front of the line without going through the proper way. My wife and mother in-law are from Colombia. They did it the proper way. They know people who need work too, who would love to work in America. I know others from other countries as well. Please look at all sides of this issue, including taxes, insurance, welfare, etc.

Frank Natoli| 6.18.09 @ 12:20PM

Nowhere in Professor Codevilla's article does the word "oil" appear. Because of Professor Codevilla's intentional omission, please accept a few relevant facts. Mexico has large oil reserves. But virtually none of those oil reserves are being exploited because: (1) Socialist policies in Mexico have a government run company, Pemex, controlling all oil drilling, (2) the Mexican constitution prohibits foreign equity in the government run oil company, (3) Pemex being a typical Socialist government entity is penniless and without the capital to drill and without the revenues to contract with international companies to do the drilling. In other words, Mexicans would rather be impoverished, which they are, than admit they can't do it themselves.

But it's not just Pemex and the constitutional prohibition on foreign equity investment. Neither Mexico nor any Latin American country ever implemented a political and business environment that compared favorably with the United States, or Canada, or Australia, or New Zealand, or Hong Kong, or Singapore, or even India and Rhodesia and South Africa. This is all apparently a legacy of what Britain bequeathed to its former colonies, versus what Spain bequeathed to its former colonies. [Look at my name, I'm stating a fact, not puffing up my family tree.]

Mexico's and Latin America's ills are overwhelmingly self inflicted, Professor Codevilla's efforts to blame America first notwithstanding. And nothing in Professor Codevilla's lengthy, lengthy article shows any indication that he is aware of that. Until Latin America recognizes this, their problems, and the need for many of them to export poverty, will remain unchanged.

Frank Natoli| 6.18.09 @ 12:31PM

http://www.bu.edu/ir/faculty/alphabetical.html

Above is a link to the Boston University International Relations faculty list. Anybody see Codevilla?

Michael Tomlinson| 6.18.09 @ 12:44PM

"If Mexicans wish to work over here, I am sure that most Americans would be more than happy to accomodate them via official working permits. If they wished to live here long term, there are the normal immigration laws they can follow. " Amen JP!

Had President Bush and his detractors on immigration agreed to follow this path with a viably secure border then it would have spared us the conservative meltdown and a Democrat Congress and President Obama.

A sensible and well regulated system of allowing Mexicans to work in the US without a road to citizenship outside the normal channels or Social Security and health care (the payroll taxes they would pay should be for the benefit and privilege of working in the US) will kill two birds with one stone -- provide willing Mexicans with legal work and employers with legal unskilled cheap labor to do the jobs Americans normally choose not to do.

As to a culture clash between blacks and "Hispanics" that might be inevitable considering the race based politics that motivates the former and cultural/linguistic based chauvanism that fuels the latter.

Ultimately, it is hoped Americans with common sense and not foreigners or crass politicians will make the final decision on the type of comprehensive immigration reform we need. Because we need reform and not the current mess or a Reaganesque form of amnesty -- neither works or is fair.

Joe hats off to your wife and mother-in-law two great Americans.

Big Leo| 6.18.09 @ 1:31PM

My brothers both own construction companies. They are being hammered by competitors who subcontract to people who employ illegal immigrants at around half the salary and are being forced to lay off loyal employees and downsize. All this talk about jobs Americans won't do is rubbish. The list always includes jobs I did to get through college. The real problem is that illegals will do the job for $10 an hour with no legal protection, liability, or unemployment insurance ithat my brothers pay around $25 for. I live in a little town that is about half Mexican and Indian. The people I hear complaining the most about illegal immigration are Mexican-Americans whose jobs are being taken away by people who live forty to a house and send their money back to Mexico.

JmsA| 6.18.09 @ 2:24PM

For a minute I thought I was reading the Huffington Post or Daily Kos, not the The American Spectator. Wow! That was scary.

I would be remiss if did not refer to the the false analogy between the Cubans and Mexicans, to which I say, Bunk. There are only 1.5 million Cubans or Cuban-Americans in the U.S., the overwhelming majority of which came here legally, escaping a communist dictatorship. The vast majority of Mexicans believe that the tyrant Fidel Castro is great man. Furthermore, that same vast majority of Cubans, especially the very old or first arrivals in 1959 and the early 60s, not only comprised the educated and professional upper, upper middle and middle classes, but also are extremely pro U.S. Can anyone say that about our other southern neighbors, particularly the Mexicans? I didn't think so. Also, the children of first Cuban exiles are also one of, if not the most quickly assimilated first generation Americans, and socioeconomically successful immingrant groups to this country. I've never heard about a Cuban La Raza organization; have any of you? I didn't think so, again. None of that can't hardly be said about our neighbors south of the border. Finally, lest we forget that these folks from Mexico and other points south, come with ingrained with an insidious socialist, anti-U.S. attitude, without any desire. You don't believe me? Take this as just small proof of it: the biggest university in Mexico, UNAM, has an auditorium named after the butcher and false myth, Che Guevara. Any wonder why that country has failed to the extent it has despite common borders with the greatest country in the history of manking? Mexico was ruled for 75 years by a hypocritical neo-marxix PRI (Partido Revolucionario Institucional), nothing more than a tool of the ruling classes to exploit and profit from the lower classes, who pay the highest taxes and are forced to emigrate to the U.S. to remit money to prop up the ruling class' businesses. Mexicans immigrants are neither willing to learn our history (not that our own U.S.-born do so at any greater rate), and have no wish whatever to assimilate and assume the American way of life. Many Mexicans I have spoken to refer to the Southwest U.S. as occupied territory. This piece by Mr. Codevilla does not amount to anything more than insidious propaganda. TAS would do better than, speaking for myself and I suspect many others, spare us this nonsense.

rw| 6.18.09 @ 2:51PM

The U. S. government has been bank rolling the Mexican governments malfeasance for decades by sending foreign aid and forgiving debt obligations. In return Mexico exports it's poverty to the U. S. in the form of illegal immigration.

Illegal immigrants work for subpar wages thereby depressing the wages of U. S. citizens and legal immigrants when wages should be increasing. Anyone who knows anyone in the construction business has heard the stories. A carpenter that eraned $15-$20/hr a decade ago is still making the same wage, if they are lucky.

Mexico's problems are self induced. It truly is a culture of corruption.

Charles| 6.18.09 @ 3:25PM

I don't care for the US to be a dumping ground for millions of of semi-literate, peasants from a failed,backward,corrupt society.They bring drugs,disease,and gangs.The cheap labor pimps and their fetid ilk love a continuous flow of exploitable workers.This article reeks and I expect the TAS to run a rejoinder.

Richard Baker| 6.18.09 @ 3:57PM

Just what exactly do the Mexicans do that we should emulate? Read their history since 1921 and it makes for murderous reading. Remember, Pancho Villa, you know, the Hero of the revolution, was shot down while riding in a car by his one-time friends. What do the Mexicans have that anyone wants? La Mordida from the government, massive institutional corruption, or poverty that beggars the imagination? How about active revolutionary armies all over the country, especially in the Yucatan?

Louis Jenkins| 6.18.09 @ 4:20PM

"In sum, our Mexican neighbors are also part of us. They are unique among America's constituent ethnic groups in being numerous neighbors as well as relatives. There is nothing optional about this. The only question is whether our familial relationship will be functional or dysfunctional. "
Is California functional or dysfunctional? In between the 1990 and 2000 census the California Hispanic population increased 57.9 %. The California 1990 census showed a total population of 29,760, 021, of which 7,687,938 (25.8%) were Hispanic. In the 2000 census California’s total population was 33,876,648, of which 10,956,556 were Hispanic (32.4%) and of that part 8,455,926 came from Mexico in some form or fashion. You do the math. The other segment of the census only grew by approx. 1 million. In 2000 there were 4.2 million living in Los Angeles County alone.

California state budget was 51.4 billion in 1990, and was 99.4 billion in 2000. (This year the state faces a deficit of 24 billion and was earlier reported to be a 40 billion deficit.) The LA Times reported differently- 40 billion in 1990 and 70 billion in 2000. This year its somewhere near 114 billion (I think). In 2002 5% of the taxpayers paid for 40% of the state’s budget. Critics point to the past state governors habits of increased spending, ie in one budge year Gov. Wilson increased the Healthy Families insurance program 12 fold, and pupil spending went up 23% as well. Was the spending driven by immigration needs or undisciplined spending by state leaders?

The Mexican neighbors are more than part of us! Uncontrolled immigration has forever changed US demographics. If trends in this “familial relationship” continue at its current pace the southwestern US, and the entire nation, will be as dysfunctional as a bridegroom without trousers at a formal wedding.

Brittanicus| 6.18.09 @ 4:49PM

The support of illegal immigration will be astronomical to the American taxpayer, but not to the predatory employer and contractors who hire them. Say--YES--to e-verify! It will empty the workplace of illegal labor stealing jobs. Errors can be resolved at the Social Security office, where illegal workers wouldn't dare to go. Say--NO--to any AMNESTY. Last one was full of fraud and never enforced. The 1986 Simpson/Mazzoli bill is still on the books and just need a few amendments to strengthen it' s laws. The Special interest lobby wants to rescind it. Digest more of the facts and unbiased truth at NUMBERSUSA, JUDICIAL WATCH, CAPSWEB, and ALIPAC. At AMERICANPATROL, learn about the massive upsurge on illegal alien criminal activity all across our nation.

It's not about bigotry but about forced mandated taxes to underwrite illegal immigration. It's about waiting for the next hordes of foreigners, anticipating another BLANKET AMNESTY and ready to rush the border. Both sides of the coin have violent types, who take their activist attitudes to far. It's about massive waves of criminals, poor, uneducated and sick family unification--CHAIN MIGRATION-- that you will be the beneficiary too. INFORM YOUR SENATORS AND CONGRESSMAN--NO--TO ANY AWARDS OR AMNESTY TO LAWBREAKERS.
A traumatic example of runaway benefits to illegal immigrants, where City Councilor Andronivich states 11 billion dollars attributed to these families, that the state has nearly bankrupted itself with a 27 billion dollar crash. The special interest lobby try to force a face of bigotry or racism on any group that defies open borders and free trade. This has nothing to do with xenophobia. But everything to do with the RULE of LAW and the federal mandates forced on ordinary Americans to support the 20 million plus illegal immigrant invasion.

rssg| 6.18.09 @ 5:20PM

Latinos, namely Mexicans hold the number one spot for most legal immigrants and number one spot for most illegal immigrants.

Question: When senor is enough, enough?

Answer: When literally half of Meh-hee-co is here, 'working hard', stealing identities, committing social security fraud, etc.

No mas.

Mazzuchelli| 6.18.09 @ 5:38PM

While I love the people of Mexico and the purpose-built [for us] resorts, the Federal District is a shameless, useless abomination. Those cretins can't take care of the population in Mexico City much less push resources and opportunities to the provinces. It is long past time that the Mexican government be placed under consistent and relentless focus in order to combat the extreme and anti-American perspectives the Federal District uses to bait and switch their unwashed masses.

Raul PerezLuna| 10.7.10 @ 3:07PM

I can totally agree with what you wrote above , the thing here is that the US have to put more pressure on the leaders of the political parties, and create a mechanism where americans and mexicans must respect laws ( I know it's not America's job to do so) but if the U.S wants a less corrupted neighbor country, the U.S needs to put a lot of pressure into the mexican political class (who by the way s now in a deep low acceptance among the mexican population) if that happens mexicans will stay in mexico and anti U.S feelings will evaporate

PCP Smoker| 6.18.09 @ 6:08PM

So this is how the issue is defined now, ehh? If one wishes control over one's own freaking border, then one is not pro mexico. Understand one thing that liberals fail to grasp: there is not one f'ing country in the whole world, including Mexico, that features the irrational policy of looking the other way as millions of migrant workers and criminals and welfare cheats flow across their border. Not ONE country.

2 Guns, AZ| 6.18.09 @ 6:13PM

I wonder if the author is considered a "Wise Latino".

Mexicans are good value| 6.18.09 @ 6:42PM

Mexicans work for less money, it's good for business. They are more polite, less agressive and proform well in the work place reliable honest and have loyalty.

Americans are agressive impolite and rude, do less work and demand more money bad value in the business place.

Pat| 6.18.09 @ 6:53PM

At the moment it's a good time to buy up properties to rent. And a good time to fire Americans and employ Mexicans, they are better value for money.

All Business people need to cut cost, and cut have to be where ever you can to boost profits.

Americans thinks the world owes them a living, to pay their fancy ass healthcare plans, employers can't aford it. The whole idea of being in business is to make a profit.

If Americans don't like it it's too bad that is the future.

Richard Baker| 6.18.09 @ 9:03PM

To Mexicans are Good value:
Your message sounds similar to the way slaves were advertised on the auction block before the Civil War. So are their House Mexicans and Field Mexicans?

Charles| 6.18.09 @ 9:28PM

I thought I was reading the Nation.Some might say the TAS should be contrarian--does this mean we can expect pro-communist article in future issues.You are a big disappointment.

Alan Brooks| 6.18.09 @ 9:46PM

this is the smarm I used to pump out as a 'conservative' futurist. prattle.

a 3rd world macho narco chiquita-porno.... never mind, forget it, we must be POSITIVE, future-oriented, er, that is, um, that is to say... uh....

round and around, nowhere-- just like life itself

Alan Brooks| 6.18.09 @ 9:51PM

a former guilty-futurist (Newt, what have YOU to "add" to this "discussion") must hastily go on to say this a subject worth pursuing.

but BY SOMEONE WHO THINKS MORE ABOUT THE TOPIC BEFORE HE WRITES ON IT!
the solution?: shoot Mexicans when you see them sneaking into what is left of our country.

Alan Brooks| 6.18.09 @ 9:59PM

look, why can't AS get someone named Smith or Jones instead of Codevilla or Poncho Villa or Cisneros...

if a guy named Abdul or Rasheed Al-zuk writes a piece on Gitmo, you wouldn't publish it, would you?

Alan Brooks| 6.18.09 @ 10:03PM

;)
Have A Day

(happy 4th next month, buckaroos. Party Hardy, Marty)

Vern Crisler| 6.18.09 @ 10:39PM

I agree with most of the commentators. What is this pro-Mexican, anti-American essay, doing in the pages of the American Spectator?

Mr. Codevilla appears to be a typical blame-America-first libertarian, who thinks drug legalization would solve all of our problems.

I've visited Mexico, and it's a pretty trashy place, and Mexicans are a sorry bunch. Never again. If Mr. Codevilla likes Mexico so much, how about moving down there and leaving us gringos to our bad old American ways such as national sovereignty and trying to keep our kids from ending up as drug-addled zombies. Sorry for caring.

raul perezluna| 10.7.10 @ 3:18PM

crisler, I feel sorry for you, ignorance is just part of your comments and simply the lack of a formal education ( I mean.- Did you finish Highschool?) are what you wrote above, hope one day you can come on a business trip or visit fine resorts instead of visiting tijuana in look for a whore and marijuana, LOL,

George| 6.18.09 @ 10:42PM

This article akin to blaming the rape victim.
Greedy employers and ethnic grievance issue groups along with corrupt politicians are holding the citizenry down while the country is impregnated with the bastard, illegal progeny of a corrupt oligarchy. I am sixty and fully expect to see the virtual dissolution and destruction of the American nation.

Richard Baker| 6.18.09 @ 10:57PM

George:
Why don't you leave now and avoid the rush?

Richard Baker| 6.18.09 @ 11:03PM

One thing for sure. If I were a Mexican I'd be mad as Hell because so many gringos want to be and stay stoned. In that grievance I agree with the Mexicans.

George| 6.18.09 @ 11:54PM

Richard:
Like Reagan said, I won't have to leave America it will leave me.

John II| 6.19.09 @ 1:12AM

My first encounter with the "problem" of Mexico came in the form of the parent of a Mexican-American college friend, some 40 years ago, who waved her hand and said you could pave a gilded, four-lane highway from Tijuana to Mexico City with the pesos the US has pumped into the perennially corrupt Mexican economy.

The main trouble as I see it (and a trouble Prof. Codevilla ignores) is the Mexican dependency on US productivity, a dependency that has evolved along lines analogous to European and Japanese dependency on American military might since the end of WWII. The Europeans and, perhaps to a somewhat lesser extent, the Japanese (albeit certainly the south Koreans) resent the hell out of America because they are conscious of their dependence on America for their own security. The Mexicans (or at any rate the well-heeled Mexican elites) despise the US for analogous reasons. They depend on us for a huge portion of their GDP, and such dependence fosters resentment: I mean, the degrading, if deeply suppressed thought that you're a bum because of someone else's largesse.

It's a lose-lose situation for the US, and I think that all the other pathologies alluded to with some indignation by Prof. Codevilla cannot be understood without a clear insight into Mexican fecklessness.

Pat| 6.19.09 @ 9:01AM

Moving Business to Mexico is another good idea, it cuts cost and yield bigger profits.
Mexicans are better workers, all Americans are worried about is the Arab world, business is looking for workers who is loyal to the business.

It's cheaper to move to Mexico than China, it's nearer. It's important to keep the borders open, so trade remains easier.

And as long as there is Mexicans, the cost of labour can be forsed down to increase profits.

Business is about making money, mpt about paying expensive Healthcare for a bunch of ungrateful people who think America owes them a living. It's what you can do for your country, not what your country can do for you.

Like America don't care about what it can do for Americans but more about what it can do for Israel. No point in paying huge taxes to fund a foreign government, when it's cheaper to move to Mexico of Asia, to make more profits and pay less tax.

Richard Baker| 6.19.09 @ 4:56PM

Pat:
You sound like the businessmen who don't give a damn about the future of the country as long they get theirs now. It's hard to imagine that you and your ilk are here because MANY good people struggled and died for YOUR future. Obviously, you don't give a damn for the future of our kids, as long as you get yours now.

black saint | 6.19.09 @ 5:05PM

California the Golden state, American future, is fast becoming the poster child for an bankrupt third world State!

An unholy alliance of Socialist Democrat politicians, Unions, and Illegal Aliens supporters are feasting at the trough of tax payers paid benefits while taxing & regulating business and the tax paying public into poverty.

The pandering of Left Wing Democrat Politicians to their constituency of Illegal Aliens, open border supporters, and unions are driving business and citizens to other states & countries, while leaving the parasites & welfare leeches in an increasing bankrupt, crime ridden, dysfunctional state!

For years California has ignored economics 101 and imported poverty, Criminals and uneducated Peons from Mexico, which increased Medical, Welfare, Crime, Prison, etc. & adding a estimated 16 billion per year to Calif. State expense to provide for the invading horde of Illegal Aliens while exporting business and educated working tax payers.

Like all Socialist & Marxist States the results have been a astronomical increase in social welfare, schooling, prison cost etc. and a lowing of Living standards, Education standards, Tax receipts & finally Bankruptcy.

Failure to abide by our Constitution against invasion & enforce our Immigration laws and constraints on wages and benefits for public employees will result in turning the Golden State into MexiCalif and the end of the California dream!

The policies of Obama and Wash. DC Democrats are intent on following Calif. policies and are resulting in the same creeping socialist process across American.

Amnesty & Citizenship as a reward for their invasion of the USA, will result in the rest of the USA turned into a Spanish speaking third world cesspool, modeled on Mexico and follow California into a polluted, over populated, Spanish speaking third world Nation of Crime, Corruption, Poverty, Cruelly & Misery!

This will result in a population depending on Welfare and the Democrat party, thus assuring the lock on power for the Socialist Democrat party of the United States of Mexico!

black saint | 6.19.09 @ 5:07PM

Our government fails the most basic and primary task & duty of government, to protect this Nation and its Citizens from invasion and enforce its laws.

They refuse to abide by our Constitution, refuse to enforce our Immigration Laws and refuse to honor their Oath of Office!

Our Government, past & present, Republican & Democrat, have allowed the invasion of 20 to 30 million criminals and uneducated peons which is the largest invasion of any Nation, at any time, by any means & in direct violation of Article IV, Section IV of our Constitution.

This refusal to abide by our Constitution or enforce our Immigration Laws should be classified as Treason of the most foul kind, & as grounds for impeachment & trials for Treason!

Not only have they allowed the invasion, they force American tax payers to pay Billions on Billions of dollars to provide Welfare, Prison cells, Educate the invaders numerous children, and free medical care, at the same time the invading horde break numerous laws and massive document fraud, & are destroying our schools, hospitals, communities, culture and standard of living while Robbing, Raping, Killing & Assaulting American Citizens at an rate the terrorist can only dream about.

Recent statements in Mexico from both President Obama and Secretary of State Hillary something needs to be done. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers, and civilians," she said.

But no mention, concern or care that their refusal to stop the Massive Invasion of Illegal Aliens pouring across our borders or enforce our immigration laws that causes an estimated 25 Americans deaths per day and 10,s of thousands victims of Assault, Robberies, Rapes, Identify thief, and other assorted crimes committed by the invading horde of Illegal Aliens from Mexico on American citizens each year!

It is a telling indictment & shows their Empathy & Compassion of our Politicians & their priorities when they express 100,s of time more concern over three Terrorist being water broader than the havoc & crimes of Illegal Aliens against American Citizens!

Most of our Politicians in Wash. DC are wading knee deep in innocent American blood and suffering because they put Self Interest ahead of the interest of American Citizens & the future of this Nation!

The Welfare vote for the Democrats to further their Socialist Agenda and the Slave Labor for their Pay Masters in the Chamber of Commerce & Business for the Republicans is more important to our Corrupt power mad Politicians than the lives and safety of Americans citizens!

The Citizens of this Nation have not sacrificed with blood, sweat & tears for over 200 years & obeyed the Laws of the land, paid the taxes, and fought the wars & built this Nation to see Corrupt politicians turn this Nation into the United States of Mexico without a shot being fired, to serve their demented, nefarious goals and lust for power!

black saint | 6.19.09 @ 5:12PM

There's the "the U.S. stole the southwest" argument.

Well, the land in dispute was "owned" by Spain for a couple of centuries. Then by Mexico for about 25 years. During these periods, there weren't more than a few thousand Spaniards or Mexicans in the entire territory. It's been owned by the U.S. for about 160 years now, much longer than Mexico's reign. And the U.S. has actually done something with the land, made it habitable for tens of millions. The difference between American and Mexican "twin cities" straddling the border is like night and day, yet the land is obviously the same. It's not the dirt that's important, it's the people. Put another way, if culture didn't matter, Mexico and Central America would be paradise.

Then there is they are all God,s children argument.

Isn't everyone God,s children? If so, then guess the open borders crowd are saying everyone and anyone has the right to Invade this Nation, waving their flags, demand their rights, while feasting at the trough of public welfare and Kill, Rape and Rob thousands of American citizens each year! There are 100,s of millions probably billions from India, China, Africa, etc. that would like to immigrate to the USA. If it ok for Latinos to pour across our borders then unless the open borders crowd are racist it should be ok for any and all of the world people no matter their Education, Religion, Race, Criminal convictions, Diseases, or Terrorist ties to invade this nation & be rewarded with American citizenship!

There's the "lettuce" argument

We'll be paying $50/head if we don't have illegal aliens working in the fields. As Phil Martin, ag economist at UC Davis shows, the field labor cost in a $1 head of lettuce is about 6 cents. Triple those wages and Americans will do the jobs. (They're not career positions. They're seasonal jobs for young people, starting in the world of work. I have did similarly menial jobs.) And you'll be paying 10% more for lettuce and other produce. Do you spend $1,000/year on produce? OK, you'll pay $100 more.

The lettuce argument also parallels that for the retention of slavery.

Immigrant Argument!

There's the "everyone's an immigrant except for the 'Native Americans'" argument. Well, the American Indians didn't sprout from the land, they came across the Bering land bridge from Asia. So if the criterion is "You're an immigrant if you had an ancestor who immigrated here," then American Indians are immigrants, too.

In that case, "immigrant" is no longer a useful word, since Everyone's an immigrant.

Illegal pay taxes Argument!

There's the "illegal aliens pay tons of taxes" argument. Sure, they all pay real estate taxes (in rent) and sales taxes (most states). Those working on the books (typically using stolen Social Security numbers) pay FICA and, perhaps, income taxes. But they're mostly ill-educated and low-skilled and pay very low taxes connected to their working -- in fact, most claim the Earned Income Tax Credit, i.e. negative income tax! If a family with both parents working has two kids in school, that's at least $15k/year just for schooling, way more than the taxes on, say, $35k/year aggregate income.

Robert Rector at the Heritage Foundation has done the systematic accounting on all this. A typical household headed by a low-skilled illegal alien is a net drain of about $20k/year for the rest of us, year after year. (Low-skilled Americans are a similar burden, but they're part of the national family, not gate crashers from other societies.)

Illegal Bad..Amnesty good Argument!

There's the "illegal immigration is bad, but make them citizens and problem solved" argument. Nope. If that were the case, legalizing (i.e. amnestying) the illegal aliens would solve the problem. But they'd still be (on average) low-skilled workers whose burden on the rest of us would continue. In fact, once legal they'd be able to access more public benefits programs, so their cost to the rest of us would actually rise substantially. In addition to bringing in their relatives under chain immigration in a never ending chain! In short, all of the problems of mass illegal immigration are shared & increased by mass amnestying them.

Then there is the straw man Argument this Nation cannot afford to deport 12 million people!

Never noting if our Politicians had abide by our Constitution and enforced our Laws there would not be 12 millions to deport. Even worse, there is not 12 million but between 20 and 30 million but the government prefers to lie and down play the number! ( Same as the 1986 Amnesty was more than double the government estimate, so will this one be) At any rate deportation would save billions in the long run over what they will cost this Nation in welfare in the coming years. Every person with less that a high school education cost a average of 55 thousand over their life time, so apply that times the 12 million plus all their relatives & their relatives in a never ending chain & deportation would be a great bargain and save billions if not trillions in the coming years! But deportations is not necessary, just close our borders and enforcing our Laws with E-Verify. Fine companies, imprison executives and cut out the welfare they will self deport. No jobs, No Welfare equals no Illegal Aliens!

The flood of immigrants drives wages and living conditions in our central cities toward those of the Third World & has already destroyed Calif..

This tidal wave imposes sprawl, gridlock, pollution, and environmental damage on our metropolitan areas & Nation.

Immigrant families needing services overwhelm our schools, taxpayer-funded health care facilities, and other public agencies.

Those requiring services don’t assimilate and, instead, expect to be served in their native languages.

American civic culture frays as each ethnic group establishes its own grievance lobby and pushes for preferences.

Communicable diseases such as tuberculosis (new, drug-resistant strains) New diseases like Mexican Swine flu return.

Shortages of water and other resources loom, especially in immigration-blitzed Southwest.

Most that come across our open borders come from countries where, Crime, Corruption, Poverty, Misery, Anti-education, and hate for Americans has existed for centuries and is normal. Should anyone be surprised they bring those same family values across the border with them?

Pat| 6.19.09 @ 6:37PM

Richard Baker.

It's no different from what big Bankers was doing on Wall Street. That your taxes paid for, but people like you are too worried about the Arab world, and the Israelis, why the hell should my taxes pay to fund a foreign government.

And a bunch of crooks on Wall Street.

Pat| 6.19.09 @ 6:48PM

Black Saint.

What do you expect, America spends more money funding Isreal that their own people in America. Which American gives a dam if the whole of California goes Bankrupt, and the people allowed their taxes to fund usless wars, and a bunch of Israelies in the desert of the Arab world.

If you people don't give a shit, and can't elect a government who act in the interest of your own people whose fault is that.

If you are in Business pack up and leave America, healthcare is too expensive, taxes is too high, and your taxes is being wasted in Israel, go some where taxes is cheaper and profits is higher, and education is better.

Why pay taxes to the Federal Reserve Bank, what are you acheiving. The whole idea of making money is keeping as much for yourseld as possible, reduce cost.

Most smart Business people are moving to Mexico, and Asia. I advise you to do the same or waste your life funding Israel and Wall Street. And the PHONEY wars in the Arab world.

Dave Lincoln| 6.19.09 @ 10:13PM

"Most smart Business people are moving to, uhhh, Asia (and out of California).

There, I fixed that boo-boo for you, Pat.

No charge.

De Nada

Dave Lincoln| 6.19.09 @ 10:20PM

I also wonder what this idiotic writer's opinion is doing in the Spectator.org. Maybe the writer should compare the "wonderful" history of US/Mexico relations with that of the US and Canada. Our culture is so much different from Mexicans, and therefore there is good reason for Americans to want to stop the invasion.

I have nothing personal against Mexicans, and I think there are a number of things about Mexico that I like better than in the US. However, it is not enough to make we want to live there. Likewise, I don't want to live in "Mexico" when I am in California or S. Florida either.

If you want the truth on this issue, you've got to go to www.vdare.com . Obviously, the Spectator is not up to the task on this issue. Better watch it, Spectator, I'll quit commenting !! I mean it.

Dave Lincoln| 6.19.09 @ 10:22PM

ooops... the web site mucked up my link... just paste it in - - www.vdare.com

Karl Spence| 6.20.09 @ 12:23AM

I totally agree with Mr. Codevilla, and I would add that of the two alternatives to the current U.S. drug policy he mentions, I very much prefer the Singapore option to the legalization option.

And I'd also add this: Two hundred years ago, America was bursting at the seams. People were having families of a dozen children or more, and, for once, most of the children did not die in infancy. As a result, "Go West, Young Man" was everyone's watchword, and Mexican law had no say about it. This was long before Americans discovered the wonders of birth control, easy sex, easy divorce, abortion on demand, and "gay rights." We were as fecund then as Mexicans are now. As for Mexico, in those days it had yet to recover from the shock of the Conquest, in which Old World diseases and conquistador greed nearly wiped out the native population. Mexico in the 19th century lacked the dynamism we Americans had in abundance.

The reason Anglos were even admitted into Texas in the 1820s was that the plains Indians, especially the Comanches, were kicking major Mexican butt. The hostiles were actually driving Mexico's frontier of settlement southward. Anglo settlers, it was hoped, would provide a buffer against further Comanche raids. But now, things have changed. We've taken care of Mexico's Comanche problem, and now it's the Mexicans, not us, who are heeding God's command to be fruitful and multiply. That is the higher law: Human life will find a place for itself. The very flow of humanity that justified our winning of the West now justifies Mexico's repopulation of the North. In Mexico today, it's "Go north, young man." And why shouldn't it be?

We should thank God that the Mexicans are Christian, not Muslim. The drug trade aside, we don't face anything evil in them. (And the drug trade itself is fueled not by Mexican drug lords but by their customer and paymaster, the American doper, damn his eyes.) So why not embrace Mexican immigration? Years ago, I wrote these words: "God didn't draw a line across North America and put up signs saying 'Mexicans keep out.' Instead He told us, 'The earth is the Lord's, and the fullness thereof.' We'd do well to act accordingly."

It's true that many Mexican chauvinists and revanchists (together with a lot of left-wing U.S. "chicanos") are dreaming of "La Reconquista," in which "Aztlan" is torn away from the rest of the U.S. and the Anglo "invaders" and "oppressors" are driven out of the Southwestern part of "the Bronze Continent." Such twaddle is just a stupid fantasy. For one thing, the real Civil War demonstrated that no secessionist movement in America has a chance in hell. No jaw-flapping multicultural "activist" is going to achieve what Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and Nathan Bedford Forrest failed to do. Any who try it will find that being in the United States is like being in the Mafia: "Once in, never out." In any case, "Aztlan" secession will never actually be tried. "Reconquista" dreams will dry up as a consequence of Anglo-Latino amores. Between the Latinos and America's other ethnic groups, there are way too many Romeos and Juliets making whoopee for any such race war to ever come to pass.

The key thing that made Anglo immigration a calamity for Mexico in the 1830s and 40s was that Mexico's political system was too rigid, corrupt and oppressive to adjust to it. Texas frontiersmen were not about to lie down for a tinhorn dictator like Santa Anna. But by the same token, a lot depends today on our ability to accommodate and welcome Mexican immigration. The future of our country itself is not at risk from that direction. But the GOP's future does depend on how we conservatives respond to illegal immigration from Mexico.

Richard Baker| 6.20.09 @ 12:44AM

Pat:
Did you notice that I said "businessmen" in my message? The definition is in a dictionary. Guess you missed it. You can read, can't you? By the way, your message is so poorly written that it is rather incoherent. Grammar, spelling and punctuation would help. Other than that....

Pat| 6.20.09 @ 12:06PM

American disfuntional society, and disfuntional political system, will cause America to decline.

Despite some eerie parallels between the position of the United States today and that of the British Empire a century ago, there are key differences. Britain's decline was driven by bad economics. The United States, in contrast, has the strength and dynamism to continue shaping the world -- but only if it can overcome its political dysfunction and reorient U.S. policy for a world defined by the rise of other powers.

What future can a countyr have, when all it does is starting wars with other countries, while America puts Sanctions on other countries, the rest of the world has sanctions on you.

You can't blame a country for being fed up of invasions. And others being cautious of a country that has no regard for human rights, except that of Israel.

No one who is in business wants to keep paying money to put themselves out of Business, funding wars, and Israel, and high health care cost. It's cheaper to move to Mexico, or Canada, or China, and many companies are doing just that.

America in melt down| 6.20.09 @ 12:59PM

The Invisible One Quadrillion Dollar Equation -- Asymmetric Leverage and Systemic Risk
According to various distinguished sources including the Bank for International Settlements (BIS) in Basel, Switzerland -- the central bankers' bank -- the amount of outstanding derivatives worldwide as of December 2007 crossed USD 1.144 Quadrillion, ie, USD 1,144 Trillion. The main categories of the USD 1.144 Quadrillion derivatives market were the following:

1. Listed credit derivatives stood at USD 548 trillion;

2. The Over-The-Counter (OTC) derivatives stood in notional or face value at USD 596 trillion and included:

a. Interest Rate Derivatives at about USD 393+ trillion;

b. Credit Default Swaps at about USD 58+ trillion;

c. Foreign Exchange Derivatives at about USD 56+ trillion;

d. Commodity Derivatives at about USD 9 trillion;

e. Equity Linked Derivatives at about USD 8.5 trillion; and

f. Unallocated Derivatives at about USD 71+ trillion.

Quadrillion? That is a number only super computing engineers and astronomers used to use, not economists and bankers! For example, the North star is "just" a couple of quadrillion miles away, ie, a few thousand trillion miles. The new "Roadrunner" supercomputer built by IBM for the US Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory has achieved a peak performance of 1.026 Peta Flop per second -- becoming the first supercomputer ever to reach this milestone. One Quadrillion Floating Point Operations (Flops) per second is 1 Peta Flop/s, ie, 1,000 Trillion Flops per second. It is estimated that all the data found on all the websites and stored on computers across the world totals more than One Exa byte of memory, ie, 1,000 Quadrillion bytes of data.

Whilst outstanding derivatives are notional amounts until they are crystallised, actual exposure is measured by the net credit equivalent. This is normally a lower figure unless many variables plot a locus in the wrong direction simultaneously. This could be because of catastrophic unpredictable events, ie, "Black Swans", such as cascades of bankruptcies and nationalisations, when the net exposure can balloon and become considerably larger or indeed because some extremely dislocating geo-political or geo-physical events take place simultaneously. Also, the notional value becomes real value when either counterparty to the OTC derivative goes bankrupt. This means that no large OTC derivative house can be allowed to go broke without falling into the arms of another. Whatever funds within reason are required to rescue failing international investment banks, deposit banks and financial entities ought to be provided on a case by case basis. This is the asymmetric nature of derivatives and here lies the potential for systemic risk to the global economic system and financial markets if nothing is done.

Let us think about the invisible USD 1.144 quadrillion equation with black swan variables -- ie, 1,144 trillion dollars in terms of outstanding derivatives, global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), real estate, world stock and bond markets coupled with unknown unknowns or "Black Swans". What would be the relative positioning of USD 1.144 quadrillion for outstanding derivatives, ie, what is their scale:

1. The entire GDP of the US is about USD 14 trillion.

2. The entire US money supply is also about USD 15 trillion.

3. The GDP of the entire world is USD 50 trillion. USD 1,144 trillion is 22 times the GDP of the whole world.

4. The real estate of the entire world is valued at about USD 75 trillion.

5. The world stock and bond markets are valued at about USD 100 trillion.

6. The big banks alone own about USD 140 trillion in derivatives.

7. Bear Stearns had USD 13+ trillion in derivatives and went bankrupt in March. Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, Lehman Brothers and AIG have all 'collapsed' because of complex securities and derivatives exposures in September.

8. The population of the whole planet is about 6 billion people. So the derivatives market alone represents about USD 190,000 per person on the planet.

The Impact of Derivatives

1. Derivatives are securities whose value depends on the underlying value of other basic securities and associated risks. Derivatives have exploded in use over the past two decades. We cannot even properly define many classes of derivatives because they are highly complex instruments and come in many shapes, sizes, colours and flavours and display different characteristics under different market conditions.

WILLIAM| 6.20.09 @ 11:30PM

Green Cards? Green Cards? We don't need no stinking Green Cards!

Richard Baker| 6.21.09 @ 9:31AM

To America in Meltdown:
As Harry Truman once said, don't ever underestimate the American People. William F. Buckley, Jr. once described a number, to describe out of control Federal spending, as an "Umpti-Godzillion". Regardless of our current troubles, Yankee, (even though I'm from Virginia), ingenuity will still prevail in the end. Have faith in us, not the government.

Alan Brooks| 6.21.09 @ 7:45PM

why are Mexicans so young?

BECAUSE THEY DIE OFF EARLY IN THEIR THIRD WORLD CESSPOOL, that's why.

Richard Baker| 6.22.09 @ 12:12AM

Alan Brooks:
Wonder what the Life Expectancy and mortality rates are for Mexico?

Dan| 6.24.09 @ 4:51AM

It seems pretty simple to me. They have lots of natural resources, to include oil. We should help them drill for it and refine it. They would then have a thriving economy!!! Why not build refineries in mexico instead of Middle East? it's closer so the oil would be cheaper! We could build a pipeline!

DFCtomm| 6.29.09 @ 10:46PM

Keep an eye on Japan and S. Korea. They are feverishly pursuing robotic technology. When they get it, and they will, the world will change and all this cheap, uneducated, and unskilled labor will become a huge liability.

Delmar Jackson| 6.30.09 @ 12:25AM

When borders change, people die!
Why do Mexicans never speak of retaking their southern lands lost to other Central American countries in the 1820's? Fear they will get their butt kicked again!
They only want to take back el Norte.
Mexico and those that are encouraging the Reconquistas are playing with FIRE!
Meximerica is not ineveitable.
Here is what is going to be inevitable:
Make E verify mandatory, end anchor babies and chain migration, jail time for fraudlent visa work program scammers and businesses that hire illegals.
Americans are waking up, and we are pissed. We see plainly now that Democrats want to import a new people that will vote Democrat and republicans want to import compliant peasants that will work for slave wages.
Press One for a Revolution is coming!

Bobby| 6.30.09 @ 3:05AM

The author is deluded, in my opinion. Even our American forefathers warned us about a too close relationship with Mexico. That is why we didn't simply invade and take it, at the time. Politicians were wary of what the utter corruption of Mexico would do to the U.S. They say the two cultures as uncompatible. Most Mexicans that I have known are extemely nationalistic--towards Mexico. Funny, most American politicians today, aren't very nationalistic about the U.S. at all. They sure don't act like it. Instead, they act as if America being invaded by millions upon millions of foreign illegal alien nationals, is no big deal. I have the feeling we are in big, big, trouble.

Ellen | 6.30.09 @ 3:58AM

THE TEQUILA TRAP: THE REAL STORY BEHIND THE ILLEGAL ALIEN INVASION

Waves of immigrants are now pouring over the Mexican border into the United States in search of work, precipitating an illegal alien crisis for Americans. Vigilante border patrols view these immigrants as potential terrorists, but in fact they are refugees from an economic war that has deprived them of their own property and forced them into debt bondage to a private global banking cartel. When Mexico was conquered in 1520, the mighty Aztec empire was ruled by the unsuspecting, hospitable Montezuma. The Spanish General Cortes, propelled by the lure of gold, conquered by warfare, violence and genocide. When Mexico fell again in the twentieth century, it was to a more covert form of aggression, one involving a drastic devaluation of its national currency.

If Montezuma's curse was his copious store of gold, for Mexico in the twentieth century it was the country's copious store of oil. According to William Engdahl, who tells the story in A Century of War, the first Mexican national Constitution vested the government with "direct ownership of all minerals, petroleum and hydro-carbons" in 1917. When British and American oil interests persisted in an intense behind-the-scenes battle for these oil reserves, the Mexican government finally nationalized all its foreign oil holdings. The move led the British and American oil majors to boycott Mexico for the next forty years. When new oil reserves were discovered in Mexico in the 1970s, President Jose Lopez Portillo undertook an impressive modernization and industrialization program, and Mexico became the most rapidly growing economy in the developing world. But according to Engdahl, the prospect of a strong industrial Mexico on the southern border of the United States was intolerable to certain powerful Anglo-American interests, who determined to sabotage Mexico's industrialization by securing rigid repayment of its foreign debt. That was when interest rates were tripled. Third World loans were particularly vulnerable to this manipulation, because they were usually subject to floating or variable interest rates.1

Why did Mexico need to go into debt to foreign lenders? It had its own oil in abundance. It had accepted development loans earlier, but it had largely paid them off. The problem for Mexico was that it was one of those intrepid countries that had declined to let its national currency float. Mexico's dollar reserves were exhausted by speculative raids in the 1980s, forcing it to borrow just to defend the value of the peso.2 According to Henry Liu, writing in The Asia Times, Mexico's mistake was in keeping its currency freely convertible into dollars, requiring it to keep enough dollar reserves to buy back the pesos of anyone wanting to sell. When those reserves ran out, it had to borrow dollars on the international market just to maintain its currency peg.3

In 1982, President Portillo warned of "hidden foreign interests" that were trying to destabilize Mexico through panic rumors, causing capital flight out of the country. Speculators were cashing in their pesos for dollars and depleting the government's dollar reserves in anticipation that the peso would have to be devalued. In an attempt to stem the capital flight, the government cracked under the pressure and did devalue the peso; but while the currency immediately lost 30 percent of its value, the devastating wave of speculation continued. Mexico was characterized as a "high-risk country," leading international lenders to decline to roll over their loans. Caught by peso devaluation, capital flight, and lender refusal to roll over its debt, the country faced economic chaos. At the General Assembly of the United Nations, President Portillo called on the nations of the world to prevent a "regression into the Dark Ages" precipitated by the unbearably high interest rates of the global bankers.

In an attempt to stabilize the situation, the President took the bold move of taking charge of the banks. The Bank of Mexico and the country's private banks were taken over by the government, with compensation to their private owners. It was the sort of move calculated to set off alarm bells for the international banking cartel. A global movement to nationalize the banks could destroy their whole economic empire. They wanted the banks privatized and under their control. The U.S. Secretary of State was then George Shultz, a major player in the 1971 unpegging of the dollar from gold. He responded with a plan to save the Wall Street banking empire by having the IMF act as debt policeman. Henry Kissinger's consultancy firm was called in to design the program. The result, says Engdahl, was "the most concerted organized looting operation in modern history," carrying "the most onerous debt collection terms since the Versailles reparations process of the early 1920s," the debt repayment plan blamed for propelling Germany into World War II.4

Mexico's state-owned banks were returned to private ownership, but they were sold strictly to domestic Mexican purchasers. Not until the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) was foreign competition even partially allowed. Signed by Canada, Mexico and the United States, NAFTA established a "free-trade" zone in North America to take effect on January 1, 1994. In entering the agreement, Carlos Salinas, the outgoing Mexican President, broke with decades of Mexican policy of high tariffs to protect state-owned industry from competition by U.S. corporations.

By 1994, Mexico had restored its standing with investors. It had a balanced budget, a growth rate of over three percent, and a stock market that was up fivefold. In February 1995, Jane Ingraham wrote in The New American that Mexico's fiscal policy was in some respects "superior and saner than our own wildly spendthrift Washington circus." Mexico received enormous amounts of foreign investment, after being singled out as the most promising and safest of Latin American markets. Investors were therefore shocked and surprised when newly-elected President Ernesto Zedillo suddenly announced a 13 percent devaluation of the peso, since there seemed no valid reason for the move. The following day, Zedillo allowed the formerly managed peso to float freely against the dollar. The peso immediately plunged by 39 percent.5

What was going on? In 1994, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office Report on NAFTA had diagnosed the peso as "overvalued" by 20 percent. The Mexican government was advised to unpeg the currency and let it float, allowing it to fall naturally to its "true" level. The theory was that it would fall by only 20 percent; but that is not what happened. The peso eventually dropped by 300 percent – 15 times the predicted fall.6 Its collapse was blamed on the lack of "investor confidence" due to Mexico's negative trade balance; but as Ingraham observes, investor confidence was quite high immediately before the collapse. If a negative trade balance is what sends a currency into massive devaluation and hyperinflation, the U.S. dollar itself should have been driven there long ago. By 2001, U.S. public and private debt totaled ten times the debt of all Third World countries combined.7

Although the peso's collapse was supposedly unanticipated, over 4 billion U.S. dollars suddenly and mysteriously left Mexico in the 20 days before it occurred. Six months later, this money had twice the Mexican purchasing power it had earlier. Later commentators maintained that lead investors with inside information precipitated the stampede out of the peso.8 These investors were evidently the same parties who profited from the Mexican bailout that followed. When Mexico's banks ran out of dollars to pay off its creditors (which were largely U.S. banks), the U.S. government stepped in with U.S. tax dollars. The Mexican bailout was engineered by Robert Rubin, who headed the investment bank Goldman Sachs before he became U.S. Treasury Secretary. Goldman Sachs was then heavily invested in short-term dollar-denominated Mexican bonds. The bailout was arranged the very day of Rubin's appointment. Needless to say, the money provided by U.S. taxpayers never made it to Mexico. It went straight into the vaults of Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and other big American lenders whose risky loans were on the line.9

The late Jude Wanniski was a conservative economist who was at one time a Wall Street Journal editor and adviser to President Reagan. He cynically observed of this banker coup:

There was a big party at Morgan Stanley after the Mexican peso devaluation, people from all over Wall Street came, they drank champagne and smoked cigars and congratulated themselves on how they pulled it off and they made a fortune. These people are pirates, international pirates.10

The loot was more than just the profits of gamblers who had bet the right way. The pirates actually got control of Mexico's banks. NAFTA rules had already opened the nationalized Mexican banking system to a number of U.S. banks, with Mexican licenses being granted to 18 big foreign banks and 16 brokers including Goldman Sachs. But these banks could bring in no more than 20 percent of the system's total capital, limiting their market share in loans and securities holdings.11 They wanted the whole enchilada. By 2004, all but one of Mexico's major banks had been sold to foreign banks, which gained total access to the formerly closed Mexican banking market.12

The value of Mexican pesos and Mexican stocks collapsed together, supposedly because there was a stampede to sell and no one around to buy; but buyers with ample funds were sitting on the sidelines, waiting to pick over the devalued stock at bargain basement prices. The result was a direct transfer of wealth from the local economy to international money manipulators. The devaluation also precipitated a wave of privatizations (sales of public assets to private corporations), as the Mexican government tried to meet its spiraling debt crisis. In a February 1996 article called "Militant Capitalism," David Peterson blamed the rout on an assault on the peso by short-sellers. He wrote:

The austerity measures that the U.S. government and the IMF forced on Mexicans in the aftermath of last winter's assault on the peso by short-sellers in the foreign exchange markets have been something to behold. Almost overnight, the Mexican people have had to endure dramatic cuts in government spending; a sharp hike in regressive sales taxes; at least one million layoffs (a conservative estimate); a spike in interest rates so pronounced as to render their debts unserviceable (hence El Barzon, a nation-wide movement of small debtors to resist property seizures and to seek a rescheduling of their debts); a collapse in consumer spending on the order of 25 percent by mid-year; and, in brief, a 10.5 percent contraction in overall economic activity during the second quarter, with more of the same sure to follow.13

By 1995, Mexico's foreign debt was more than twice the country's total debt payment for the previous century and a half. Per-capita income had fallen by almost a third from a year earlier, and Mexican purchasing power had fallen by well over 50 percent.14 Mexico was propelled into a crippling national depression that has lasted for over a decade. As in the U.S. depression of the 1930s, the actual value of Mexican businesses and assets did not change during this speculator-induced crisis. What changed was simply that currency had been sucked out of the economy by investors stampeding to get out of the Mexican stock market, leaving insufficient money in circulation to pay workers, buy raw materials, finance loans, and operate the country. It was further evidence that when short-selling is allowed, currencies are driven into hyperinflation not by the market mechanism of "supply and demand" but by the concerted action of currency speculators. The flipside of this also appears to be true: the U.S. dollar remains strong despite its plunging trade balance, because it has been artificially manipulated up by the Fed. (More on this in Chapter 33.) Market manipulators, not free market forces, are in control.

International Pirates Prowling in a Sea of Floating Currencies

Countries around the world have been caught in the same trap that captured Mexico. Henry C K Liu calls it the "Tequila Trap." He also calls it "a suicidal policy masked by the giddy expansion typical of the early phase of a Ponzi scheme." The lure in the trap is the promise of massive dollar investment. At first, returns are spectacular. But as with every Ponzi scheme, the returns eventually collapse, leaving the people massively in debt to a foreign banking cartel that will become their new economic masters.15 The former Soviet states, the Tiger economies of Southeast Asia, and the Latin American banana republics all succumbed to these rapacious tactics. Local ineptitude and corrupt politicians are blamed, when the real culprits are international banking speculators armed with tsunami-sized walls of "credit" created on computer screens. Targeted countries are advised that to attract foreign investment, they must make their currencies freely convertible into dollars at prevailing or "floating" exchange rates, and they must keep adequate dollars in reserve for anyone who wants to change from one currency to another. After the trap is set, the speculators move in. Speculation has been known to bring down currencies and national economics in a single day. Michel Chossudovsky, Professor of Economics at the University of Ottawa, writes:

The media tends to identify these currency crises as being the product of some internal mechanism, internal political weaknesses or corruption. The linkages to international finance are downplayed. The fact of the matter is that currency speculation, using speculative instruments, was ultimately the means whereby these central bank reserves were literally confiscated by private speculators.16

While economists debate the fiscal pros and cons of "floating" exchange rates, from a legal standpoint they represent a blatant fraud on the people who depend on a stable medium of exchange. They are as much a fraud as a grocer's scales with a rock on it. If a farmer's peso was worth thirty cents yesterday and is worth only five cents today, his dozen eggs have suddenly shrunk to two eggs, his dozen apples to two apples. The very notion that a country has to "defend" its currency shows that there is something wrong with the system. Inches don't have to defend themselves against millimeters. They peacefully co-exist side by side on the same yardstick. A sovereign government has both the right and the duty to calibrate its medium of exchange so that it is a stable measure of purchasing power for its people. How a stable international currency yardstick might be devised is explored in Section VI.

The Tequila Trap and "Free Trade"

The "Tequila Trap" is the contemporary version of what Henry Carey and the American nationalists warned against in the nineteenth century when they spoke of the dangers of opening a country's borders to "free trade." Carey said sovereign nations should pay their debts in their own currencies, issued Greenback-style by their own govern-ments. Professor Liu also advocates this approach, which he calls "sovereign credit." Carey called it "national credit," something he defined as "a national system based entirely on the credit of the government with the people, not liable to interference from abroad." Carey also called it the "American system" to distinguish it from the "British system" of free trade.

Abraham Lincoln was forging ahead with that revolutionary model when he was assassinated. Carey and his faction, realizing the country was facing the very real threat that the banking interests that had captured England would also capture America, then moved to form a bulwark against this encroaching menace by planting the seeds of the American system abroad. In the twentieth century, the British system did prevail in America; but the American system was quietly taking root overseas . . . .

Will Naught| 6.30.09 @ 5:05AM

What is stopping you from moving to where you seem to love most? Mexico is Mexico and America is America. No amount of wishful thinking will change that. Perhaps you have not noticed the building backlash to all you put forth in your bosh, I mean, article the past few years.

John Galloway| 6.30.09 @ 5:42AM

We are Americans, and do not wish to merge with Mexico. Thanks, but no thanks professor. If one wishes to see the consequences of merging with Mexico or the 2040 demographics of the United States look at California today. Its composition is almost exactly that predicted for the country if nothing is done to curb legal and illegal immigration. If the uncontrolled invasion of Mexicans brings prosperity, shouldn’t the state that has the highest number of legal and illegal Mexican immigrants be the most prosperous state? Guess what professor, California is broke.

Go to NumbersUSA.com; fax your congressional representatives, President Obama, and other political leaders to express your outrage concerning amnesty, proposed benefits and/or benefits that illegal aliens currently receive from our state and federal governments. The fax is free, but you can donate if you wish.

Americans Not Mexicans| 6.30.09 @ 11:52AM

Defeatist, Cowardice, Cupidity. These seem to sum up the "Surrender to the Third World" mantra which permeates this pathetic piece. The author ought immediately resign both his position and his Citizenship of the United States, a country to which he obviously has no allegiance.

Americans Against Invasion| 6.30.09 @ 11:54AM

Birds of a feather. The author is duly noted as a traitor and proponent of the destruction of the United States. Know them by their acts.

Sgt. Joe Friday| 6.30.09 @ 12:15PM

This is akin to the old joke that goes something like "if rape is inevitable you may as well give in and enjoy it."

No thanks. I have traveled all over Latin American over the last 25 years on business, and my first wife was actually from Central America. Believe me, there is nothing these cultures have to offer, George Bush's moronic comments about "family values don't stop at the Rio Grande" notwithstanding.

I have yet to hear any politician artciulate what it is they find so impressive about Mexico that it makes it worth turning the United States into Mexico norte. It seems to me that what they find appealing about the whole idea is that politicians in Mexico are far less accountable to their constituents and have a far easier time taking bribes and becoming wealthy with very little effort. They want a piece of that action, and don't care if "the little people" (i.e. us) like it or not.

Beyond Appalled| 6.30.09 @ 1:09PM

This is beyond astonishing.

This is proof positive that we just need to stop Obama's amnesty, we need an active program to send ALL illegals home (not just Mexicans) and hang in the public square the businessmen who hire them . Their impact on our country is no different than that of crack dealers.

Horace| 6.30.09 @ 2:24PM

"Bungling that, Wilson so alienated Mexicans that in 1917 Germany's foreign minister, Arthur Zimmerman, had reason to believe Mexico would be receptive to an offer of alliance against the United States."

Yes, and the Mexican response to the Zimmerman telegram was:

"Attempting to re-take the former territories would mean certain war with the United States.
No matter how "generous" it was, Germany's "financial support" would be worthless. Mexico could not use it to acquire arms, ammunition, or other war supplies, because the United States was the only sizable arms manufacturer in the Americas. The Royal Navy controlled the Atlantic sea lanes, so Germany could not possibly supply any quantity of arms.
Even if Mexico had the military means to re-take the territory it would have had severe difficulty accommodating and/or pacifying the large English-speaking population. "

Mexico's response wasn't exactly noble in charactger, was it? If Mexico had been in a better position, we might all be speaking Spanish today.

Matthew Richer| 6.30.09 @ 2:44PM

Article says more about the decline of the Conservative movement, and TAS, than Mexico-American relations.

I can't believe they actually have a pop up window featuring Ben Stein asking people to donate. Do they actually think conservatives will donate when they publish this junk?

It shows you how out of touch the Conservative Establishment is with the man on the street -- not to mention reality in general.

Charles| 6.30.09 @ 5:28PM

What a rotten piece of garbage.I was thinking of subscribing to TAS.After reading this article--I will not.Mexico is a third world cesspool--largely populated by semi-literate,corrupt, backward, mestizo peasants.More immigration by this ilk will lead to disaster.

John| 6.30.09 @ 10:02PM

Turning America into Mexico is good for the bankers but not good for America. This country would be turned into another third world toilet run by low IQ Mexicans who only know how to breed. Codevilla is where he is because he supports the agenda. He should go back to Mexico where he belongs and take up work he's qualified for - picking vegetables, mowing lawns, or hotel janitor.

Texas Minuteman| 7.1.09 @ 2:06AM

Texas 2 Step Solution to the illegal alien crisis;

1) Revoke birthright citizenship for ALL children born on US soil to illegal liens--retroactively--to 1970.

2) Authorize Americans to execute CITIZENS ARREST of illegal aliens as illegal aliens are criminal by definition..

Armed with these 2 tools, Americans (like the Minutemen) can quickly TAKE BACK our country from the illegal alien vermin by rounding up ALL illegal aliens--100%--without charging Uncle Sam one cent--we'll even transport them back to MEXICO where they belong!

Enough is enough dammit!

One Rude Boy| 7.1.09 @ 5:04PM

Mexcicans are good people and you guys who hate them are rassists just like Pat Buchanan. shame on you. Your all going ta hell.

michigander| 7.2.09 @ 2:18PM

When we reach the point of advocating the merger of Mexico with the U.S., just what is it that "conservatives" are trying to conserve? Another nail in the coffin.

Dave Lincoln| 7.2.09 @ 4:16PM

"I can't believe they actually have a pop up window featuring Ben Stein asking people to donate."

Good point, Matthew. Obviously, I like this web-site or you would not hear from me. Like you, right now I am not inclined to donate money.

First of all, I don't particularly like Ben Stein (from what I've read, not personal or from his TV appearances). He is a bit weird. Secondly, I also don't think the editors (whoever decides which articles go on-line) obviously are missing a few conservative brain cells. It shouldn't be so hard to screen out these screeds. Heck, I could do it. Come to think about it, they should be paying me for my comments. I take all major credit cards and money orders.

Dave Lincoln| 7.2.09 @ 4:20PM

"Mexcicans are good people and you guys who hate them are rassists just like Pat Buchanan. shame on you. Your all going ta hell."

You first, butt-boy. Saint Peter really, I mean, really, hates bad spelling.

Dave Lincoln| 7.2.09 @ 4:22PM

Also, to the fellow headed straight for hell, I should explain to you that Americans don't hate Mexicans. We just would like to keep our own country. Is that wrong? I mean, maybe I am one selfish S.O.B.

Nah, I'm right.

mark| 7.2.09 @ 9:11PM

I have reviewed this article with Lawrence Auster's comments in mind. My conclusion about this is that Mr Codevilla essentially thinks Mexicans are children, and must be parented by the United States and its adult citizens. His petulant attitude is somewhat ambiguous, though. He both lauds Mexican simplicity and willingness to work while acknowledging the same simplicity is steadily losing market value in the 21st century. Clearly, Mexico is no Japan; it never will be. Writing in a dreamy way about annexing Mexico just because it is there is rather dangerous because most Americans , given their choice of dreams, would rather dream about Mexico falling into the ocean and taking its children with it.

Axe Head| 7.2.09 @ 10:23PM

Angelo Codevilla is an agent of Mexican influence. It's no secret--it's right in this article!

ML| 7.2.09 @ 10:28PM

Here's a nice deconstruction of the TAS article in question.
http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/013584.html

Axe Head| 7.2.09 @ 10:30PM

Lawrence Auster at "View From the Right" has taken this article apart nicely. He calls Codevilla a "demented traitor."

http://www.amnation.com/vfr/archives/013584.html

Hannon| 7.2.09 @ 11:44PM

This is good stuff. So rarely do we find honest dialogue regarding Mexico-US relations from a transnational, globalist perspective. Usually we have to imagine what those people are thinking, as predictable as it is.

One minor fault I would single out is the error in thinking regarding cause-and-effect in Americans' supposed demand for drugs. Mexican drug cartels aggressively market their products in the US and elsewhere, as hard a sell as any mainline advertising for cars or beer or hamburgers. They push hard in opening new markets, building labs for manufacture, networks for distribution and various other measures one expects in any successful business. Americans are not without responsibility in this, but to suggest that we drive the market is a corrupt argument.

Thanks for the wake up call, Professor. Your turn.

Dave Lincoln| 7.3.09 @ 12:41AM

"So rarely do we find honest dialogue regarding Mexico-US relations from a transnational, globalist perspective." Yes, most likely due to it being a bunch of crap. Nobody wants crap, such as a "transnational, globalist perspective". I know crap, and a "transnational, globalist perspective" looks like crap to me.

"Usually we have to imagine what those people are thinking, as predictable as it is." Who are these people? What the heck are you writing about, Hannon?

Yes, America does drive the market in drugs. How can your whole post above be wrong on everything in only 3 paragraphs? The drug war is unconstitutional and should be terminated right now, but don't blame the Mexicans for this one. (Well, except for the guns; our government likes to blame US Citizens for supplying our illegal machine guns to the Mexican cartels, like they can't get their own down there from the cops.). You got demand, you get supply. I'd like to see less violence and more homegrown, which would be a result of ending the drug war fiasco.

"... to suggest that we drive the market is a corrupt argument." How can an argument be corrupt? How silly. If you want to see the definition of corrupt, go down to Mexico. They'll show you close up.

"Thanks for the wake up call, Professor. Your turn. " Huh? This guy's a professor? If he's a professor, I'm the US Government Czar in charge of freakin' Mariachi Music and Pinatas. And he's not gonna write you back - he's got papers to grade.

Get off the dope, Hannon, before you open up more networks for distribution.

Hannon| 7.3.09 @ 3:05AM

DL: "Yes, America does drive the market in drugs. How can your whole post above be wrong on everything in only 3 paragraphs?"

I suppose you also believe that fast food consumers drive the fast food industry? What kind of dope are you smoking? The argument you apparently support is corrupt because it is *unilateral*. And I never said a word about our "war on drugs".

Transnational globalism *is* crap, that was my point. Maybe the satire was too oblique for you.

Dave Lincoln| 7.3.09 @ 10:10AM

Sorry if I missed the satire.

Of course fast food consumers drive the fast food industry. If people (including me) didn't eat it, there wouldn't be any.

Hannon| 7.3.09 @ 2:48PM

DL- You are right that "corrupt argument" is silly, even though I used it twice. Good catch.

But the market drive thing is something else. Fast food hawkers spend *billions* per annum on advertising and they defend the healthfulness of their product as necessary. They are organized and aggressive, as they must be in a highly competitive industry. They are the principal actors in this regard, the leading force, just as the dope peddlers are in their world. Once this relationship is developed it may look like the buyers are leading the chase, but that is confusing the cart for the horse.

Customers are not "innocent" but they are, as human beings, susceptible to manipulation and influence from forces they do not even comprehend.

Quatermaster| 7.3.09 @ 4:00PM

Codevilla is a Boston University Professor. Just another example of idiocy in a PhD. It's all too common.

VDare is the only site that deals with this issue head on. Allan Wall, who lived in Mexico for many years takes Codevilla apart.

The article is vile, both in content and in intent. why did TAS publish it? Just another conservative rag, like National Review, gone down the drain because they can't recognize the real interest of the US? Or have they abandoned the US just as NR did?

Ben Stein will not see any of my money until the publisher repudiates this article and establishes a firm pro-US stance on immigration. The current stance is definitely anti-US and is certainly just as bad as anything the falsely labeled liberals push.

CJLauz| 7.3.09 @ 11:06PM

It's always interesting to see racists like Codevilla make arguments about why people should do what benefits his people but harms their own self-interest. It's amazing, really.

We will already BE Mexico soon enough-- a third world country with crime, corruption, a courts system and government no one even pretends to respect. No need to rush it, Senor Codevilla. It will happen all on its own.

Tony Conte| 7.4.09 @ 11:34AM

TAS deserves praise for publishing Professor Codevilla's brilliant analysis of the US-Mexico relationship. The ignorance displayed by some of the comments only goes to prove that Disraeli was right when he said that "conservatives are the stupid party," and embarrasses me as a conservative.

Dave Lincoln| 7.5.09 @ 2:18AM

"...and embarrasses me as a conservative." Not possible, Tony - you are not a conservative, so you can't be embarrassed as a conservate. Maybe you are embarrassed as a RINO , perhaps.

Disraeli never called conservatives the stupid party - he called Republicans the stupid party. I totally agree with him, and you just added another piece of evidence (I'll call it exhibit A.)

In the meantime, Codevilla continues to be a moron. Carry on, professor, just take your crap elsewhere.

Spectator editors, see how many subscribers cancel on you after they get the June issue (I noticed that this article is supposed to be in print). I'll take some bets on this; yeah, win Ben Stein's money; I like it!

Dave Lincoln| 7.5.09 @ 2:22AM

Hannon, I'm sorry, but I still disagree on your feelings about the fast food; I am a big believer in free markets. That's OK, as it's not the main point here anyway. I hope you agree with most of the commenters here (one being me) about the idiocy of turning the US into Mexico. I should say "the rest of the US", as S. CA and S. FL are already there.

Hannpn| 7.5.09 @ 4:28AM

DL: Agreed. But I think So. Cal. and S. Fla. are more likely to exhibit the greatest resistance to the "transformation" of our country when enough pressure builds. Other parts of the country haven't a prayer as they are totally unprepared for this kind of thing; often they welcome third worldization out of ignorance.

Hannon| 7.5.09 @ 4:29AM

And Arizona on the front lines, too!

PRCalDude| 7.6.09 @ 11:52AM

I hope Codevilla's daughter is the first one kidnapped when his plan is realized.

Xieji| 11.19.09 @ 2:23AM

Video Cutter|iTouch Converter for Mac

Sam Smith| 12.8.09 @ 10:30PM

No foreign event will so influence our peace, prosperity, and happiness as will the development of our relationship with the Mexican people. This is very true!
Jump manual and Mp3 Rocket

fatburningfurnace| 12.29.09 @ 9:43PM

When Mexico's 1910 revolution did spill into the U.S., Woodrow Wilson departed from historic pattern by trying to impose his view of a proper outcome.

hijuvo| 4.7.10 @ 7:33PM

Pro-Mexico is good article thanks you very much for your information

Poptropica
Poptropica

bobm2k3| 4.11.10 @ 8:24PM

so this is how its done labradorite

naomi joul| 1.18.11 @ 3:08PM

self made wealth reviews

Tony Tran| 4.25.10 @ 12:19PM

I love mexico very much and planning to going there in short time in future.

wert45| 4.27.10 @ 5:40AM

ArenaBetting.com dukung fair play FIFA world cup AFSEL 2010
dunia pewayangan

guarantee business credit | 5.10.10 @ 5:34AM

nice information about mexico

guo| 7.1.10 @ 5:14AM

www.wmvconverterformac.com

rolex watchesshoes| 11.5.10 @ 11:35PM

These Watches Sale are all the hottest selling cheap Watches

Andrea fox| 11.21.10 @ 6:02AM

Yep we made it through the Pro-Mexico Extravaganza!! If this was a crystal ball peek into the future of our little piece of paradise's economical future is in very deep trouble.Jump manual

White Dress| 12.24.10 @ 7:33PM

One Herve Seger Sale Dress for that most Herve Leger .

kenny| 1.25.11 @ 3:35AM

The information contained in this article gives me inspiration will be a thing, ... I thank you for the author ..

Ryan| 1.30.11 @ 5:07AM

Great stuff from you, man. Ive read your stuff before and youre just too awesome. I love what youve got here, love what youre saying and the way you say it. You make it entertaining and you still manage to keep it smart. I cant wait to read more from you. This is really a great blog.

remedios caseros para el acne

replicalouisvuittonshopuk.| 5.27.11 @ 2:17AM

Most people
christian louboutin

スロット　リース| 8.26.11 @ 3:52AM

happy is apple