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At Large
Down Mexico Way
Where are the Earp boys and Blackjack Pershing when you need them? Instead we have growing paramilitary units.
The election for president of Mexico occurs in July and the focus is on the plans to curb the violence that sweeps the country as the several drug trafficking organizations battle to build their share of “the market.”
The border zone of southwest United States and northern Mexico from Texas to southern California has been wild and rugged for all the generations there have been settlements of Europeans — Hispanic and Anglo — mining, ranching and farming this vast region. And before that, Native American tribes raided each other. As the United States moved west, the law on both sides of the border was at best inconsistent and most often corrupt.
There always has been commerce that has been characterized as “illicit” across whatever was deemed the border at any given time between the U.S. and Mexico. Perhaps the most profitable towards the end of the 19th century was the rustling of the vast herds of cattle owned by rich Mexican grandees of several national backgrounds. These unbranded and rebranded cattle would be driven north for sale. Sound familiar?
Brigadier General John Pershing and his American troops chased Pancho Villa and other “freedom fighters” who pillaged the areas on both sides of the border before WWI. After that war, Prohibition and the outlawing of alcohol eventually brought the resumption of large scale illegal border crossing. This “business” may not have been as profitable as the narcotics trade of today, but the pattern of corruption and payoff was similar. There seems to be a historic (and perhaps natural) predilection for the United States’ neighbor to the south to encourage and exploit the bad habits of the gringos to the north.
At the same time, Mexico undermines its own society in the process. More than at any other time in the past, Mexican political and judicial life has become infected by the disease of its own criminal economic ambition. The most recent example has been local Walmart executives caught in payoffs to obtain or expedite building permits to the tune of $24 million spread around the country. The fact is that all aspects of commercial building are the subject of “project participation” in virtually every Mexican community. Of course, this process is not unknown north of the border either.
Local police have been reduced to uniformed gangsters working for whoever is the dominant element of the moment. The reputation of the federal police has suffered from their inability to be effective outside of certain restricted urban areas. Selected units of the army and marines have been in what is ultimately a full-scale counter insurgency campaign against well-organized, well-armed members of the drug cartels.
Other Latin American countries have run into similar problems of having to employ military forces in battles against criminal organizations protecting their territory. The lessons learned in Colombia regarding special paramilitary (PM) units are now looked upon favorably by the Mexican central government. Unfortunately these same Colombian units are charged with extremely brutal tactics while being effective against the drug-trafficking insurgent forces. The proponents of the use of paramilitary units insist these tactics are necessary to counter the terrorist brutality of the drug criminals. Additionally, it is claimed that the PM squads carry the advantage of traditional military discipline and commitment while being less vulnerable to drug organization blandishments of cash and narcotics. This would have to be considered a relative judgment.
The Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI) that had held power for decades before being displaced by the supposedly less corrupt conservative National Action Party (PAN) has made a central part of its presidential election bid the plan to form a special paramilitary force presumably to counter the drug trafficking insurgency. This new organization of forty thousand recruits, it’s said, will be modeled after the similar Colombian “police” force.
The Mexican politicos who support the creation of this new anti-drug police group make a point in public not to discuss the frustration of U.S. military trainers assigned to the Colombian operation. Obviously, any presence of U.S. Special Operations Forces in Mexico would have to be handled with great skill and operational delicacy. In that regard, partnering with the U.S. military within Mexico could be simultaneously of great tactical benefit and a political disaster. It’s one of those concepts that may look good on paper, but in practice is completely unworkable.
Before any of this new PM organization with full police powers is placed in the field to replace the Mexican marine and army units, the federal police must have their hurt feelings assuaged. This is planned to be accomplished by adding ten thousand more federales, making this force 25 percent larger. In other words, while admitting the existing forty thousand federal police cannot do the job, their numbers will be increased so as to salve their organizational conscience. One wonders how much of this will be financed through U.S. military aid?
To build a new incorruptible military force with police powers is a difficult job anywhere. To accomplish this in Mexico would seem to require a complete socio-economic change throughout Mexican political life. The first thing that is needed is strong consistent leadership. That’s something that can come only from the indigenous body politic, and so far there have not been any signs of a conspicuous change in the traditional structure.
It is a good bet that the multi-billion dollar criminal enterprises that control the trade in illegal drugs are already laying the groundwork work for penetration of future leadership. Is that too insulting to say or is it just recognizing historic reality?
About the Author
George H. Wittman writes a weekly column on international affairs for The American Spectator online. He was the founding chairman of the National Institute for Public Policy.
Letter to the Editor View all comments (41) | Leave a comment
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Martin Owens| 5.3.12 @ 6:27AM
Patton was part of the Pershing expedition into Mexico. And the easy, practiced way the drug cartels handle the "governments" either side of the so-called border bring to mind his movie quip about " the only sumbitch in the command who knows what he's trying to do."
Jack in Wi.| 5.3.12 @ 6:55AM
Put our military on the border with Mexico and take them way from the borders of Pakistan and Afganistan. Then legalize narcotics in a regulated way. Prohibition doesn't work. All these demon drugs were once perfectly legal over the counter products in the 19th and early 20th century.
Alan Brooks| 5.3.12 @ 7:29AM
the Earp boys and Blackjack Pershing musta been sent to Afghanistan and Iraq to go on patrol until they are picked off one at a time..
Melvin| 5.3.12 @ 7:33AM
I have toyed with this thought, for and against. I would trust you Jack behind the wheel, but would I trust your nineteen year old neighbor kid.
I won't be a hypocrite. I smoked Marijuana as a young man, and I'll admit I throughly enjoyed it. I had no desire for anything stronger, but to be perfectly honest, when I was under the influence I was not fit to operate anything that put others and myself lives in danger.
The is the conundrum that I and probably a good part of this Country has. The Dutch have tried legalizing drugs, but Dutch society is much different than ours. A person could get blasted and take the train or bus home, and not get behind a motor vehicle.
I predict the situation in Mexico to escalate and the rule of law to degrade even more than it has. Mexico will become a failed and lawless state. And with this direct US military intervention across the border will take place.
Then it's anyones guess in what the outcome will be. One thing for sure Cinco De Mayo will probably be canceled for that year.
Jack in Wi.| 5.3.12 @ 8:16AM
With all the booze most young persons used to consume when I was a kid, I don't think so, especially in this state. Drugs like alcohol, should be heavily regulated by the local authorities. It is really mostly a state problem, not a federal one.
Not Special Ops Bill| 5.3.12 @ 9:11AM
Using our military forces for law enforcement on the border is a violation of the principle of "posse comitatus," a subject that has been addressed by the Supreme Court. It's tempting to think how a large force of well-trained men under arms would be gratifyingly effective against the illegalities that go on between Mexica and the U.S., but using the military for such problems creates more problems than it's worth. Just think what President Obama would do with such a power if he were able to exercise it.
irish19| 5.3.12 @ 9:49AM
I'm not sure posse comitatus would apply if the units were being used for border security. Securing the borders is a legitimate task for the military. Posse comitatus, IIRC, applies to the use of the military for internal policing.
Not Special Ops Bill| 5.3.12 @ 2:57PM
After giving the matter a little closer look, I think you might be right. Also, there are evidently the "Force Acts," which are claimed to permit the Feds to use the national armed forces to enforce police powers if the President so orders (think the 101st Airborne in Little Rock back in the 1950s).
Also, it appears that a state can use its National Guard forces to enforce the law in cases where the feds aren't doing their job.
So yeah, looks like you're right.
Quartermaster| 5.3.12 @ 6:05PM
The Police Power is reserved to the states. FedGov has no Police Power. Unless there was insurrection, what Ike did was illegal. There was no insurrection in Little Rock.
The National Guard is in a nebulous position because of its status as a State Militia that is also a reserve component of the Federal Military. It belongs to the State until it is called into Federal Service. Consequently, the Posse Comitatus act does not cover it unless it is called into Federal Service first.
Not Special Ops Bill| 5.4.12 @ 9:13AM
Yes, the point was that the Feds, under appropriate circumstances, evidently can dispatch federal military forces to enforce state police powers and not violate the posse comitatus law. If I wasn't very clear about that, please excuse the error.
albert constantine jr.| 5.3.12 @ 2:08PM
Mr. Owens;
The name of the actor who played the sleeping soldier in “Patton” escapes me, and it is not listed in IMDB. I read a book he wrote over 30 years ago, where he claims that in addition to his movie roles (he appeared in a number of spaghetti westerns filmed in Spain as well) he was an assassin for the US intelligence community. This was at least a decade before Chuck Barris of “The Gong Show” fame made the same claim
For some reason, playing a memorable bit role in a famous film or producing successful tasteless game shows is not enough notoriety for some folks.
W| 5.3.12 @ 5:45PM
Albert
Are you referring to the soldier that Patton slapped? That was Tim Considine I believe.
Quartermaster| 5.3.12 @ 6:07PM
No. The scene referred to is close to the beginning of the movie. The slapping incident is much nearer the end of the movie.
Not Special Ops Bill| 5.4.12 @ 9:16AM
Patton arrives in Army HQ of the force he has been appointed to command. He finds the HQ is disarray, sloppy, poorly organized, and in overall half-assed condition. As he proceeds through the building, tearing new anal pores everywhere, he disturbs a GI, who says something like, "What's going here? I'm trying to get some sleep!" Patton then says that there's at least one sumbitch around there who knows what he's trying to do. A memorable and fun line.
jpc| 5.3.12 @ 6:52AM
Mexicans feel inherently, that they have some "right" to migrate to the USA. It's mainly because the percieve us as not serious in enforcing our laws and sovereignty.
Thus, the migration (read: invasion) continues......
TLP| 5.3.12 @ 9:21AM
Are there any Countries, living in the Modern World, that Are "Governed" by someone other than a Caucasion, or an Asian, that ISN'T a Disaster (And, that goes for this Country, and most of our Major Cities, as well.)
We have entire Continents - Africa and South America - who are either unable, or Unwilling, to join the Community of Civilzed Countries, in the 21st Century. Africa remind the rest of the world, on a Daily Basis, the Wisdom in the suggestion that the whole thing should be BULLDOZED, and then STARTED OVER. Everywhere on this obvious Failure of Darwin's Theories of Natural Selection, Everyone is Killing Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day of the Week, all Year, every Year.
Think: Detroit.
South of the border, some of the Population lives in The Stone Age. Some of them live in the 19th Century. Some of them live in their version of The Roaring Twenties, and the rest of them live in The Cold War Era.
Whichever Country that ISN'T being Raped by a Communist? Is being Raped by a Fascist. Whichever Country ISN'T being Raped by a Strongman? Is being Raped by Guerillas, or a Dictator, or Bandidos.
All of the problems that we're going through RIGHT NOW, can be attributed to the fact that we have an AFRICAN, in the White House, doing everything that he can, to turn us in to a South American Banana Republic.
In their Blind Ambition for Power, the Liberals, with the use of their Immigration Act of 1965, by which they SHUT DOWN Immigration from The Old World of Europe, and opened the Floodgates to the Third World, thus diluting the Cultural, and Intellectual Gene Pool, that made us a SUPER POWER in only Eight Generations.
What once was an American Empire, that Rivaled, and Surpassed, those of Acient Greece, Carthage, and Ancient Rome, is on a Long March to the end of its Journey. Never to be seen, again.
And, it all pretty much started, Down Mexico way, if you ask me.
Alej| 5.3.12 @ 4:50PM
An American citizen professor of hispanic descent in California, name escapes me, and rabid member of La Raza, said publicly on the subject that "America is a big fat whore, waiting to be plundered."
Alej| 5.3.12 @ 9:01AM
"Before any of this new PM organization with full police powers is placed in the field to replace the Mexican marine and army units, the federal police must have their hurt feelings assuaged."
Simple... bribe them, too.
Clint| 5.3.12 @ 9:08AM
Mittens Romney On Immigration 2007.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6_ktWZZmSo
Clint| 5.3.12 @ 9:15AM
Dr. Ron Paul on Illegal Immigration and Amnesty.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JllI9XsAjaU
Clint| 5.3.12 @ 9:30AM
" Dr.Ron Paul
COMMON SENSE REFORMS
If elected President, Ron Paul will work to implement the following common sense reforms:
* Enforce Border Security – America should be guarding her own borders and enforcing her own laws instead of policing the world and implementing UN mandates.
* No Amnesty - The Obama Administration’s endorsement of so-called “Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” granting amnesty to millions of illegal immigrants, will only encourage more law-breaking.
* Abolish the Welfare State – Taxpayers cannot continue to pay the high costs to sustain this powerful incentive for illegal immigration. As Milton Friedman famously said, you can’t have open borders and a welfare state.
* End Birthright Citizenship – As long as illegal immigrants know their children born here will be granted U.S. citizenship, we’ll never be able to control our immigration problem.
* Protect Lawful Immigrants – As President, Ron Paul will encourage legal immigration by streamlining the entry process without rewarding lawbreakers.
As long as our borders remain wide open, the security and safety of the American people are at stake.
As President, Ron Paul will address immigration by fighting for effective solutions that protect our nation, uphold the rule of law, and respect every American citizen’s civil liberties."
BlitheBunny| 5.3.12 @ 10:48AM
I agree-to some level- with most of what you put down there. The problems I have with what you just stated are as follows:
"End Birthright Citizenship" - We'd have no real citizens if we ended this. I'm an American Citizen because I was born in this country and the same can be said for my parents and half of my grandparents. My family members who weren't born here obtained Citizenship the legal way. What needs to happen is the red tape for legal Citizenship needs to be cut. There are plenty of people who are trying to do it the right way and are getting caught up in a lot of bureaucratic crap.
"No Amnesty"-Amnesty should be determined on a case by case basis. That's the only fair way to do it. A "no tolerance" policy for anything often punishes the victim and not the perpetrator.
clemintine| 5.3.12 @ 2:10PM
ending "birthright citizenship" would only impact those here illegally. children of legal USA citizens (including those that legally immigrated and became citizens) would be citizens at birth. citizenship can be granted by jus soli (right of soil) or jus sanguinis (right of blood). it would be jus soli that would be eliminated....i.e. not a citizen just by being born within our borders. per the info i read, only 30 of the world's nations grant jus soli. (some of those nations though are not confirmed as belonging on this list. i checked several sources to no avail)
Mike Hawk| 5.3.12 @ 11:20AM
Cut the Ron Paul crap already. He is history.
Alej| 5.3.12 @ 4:53PM
Hear, hear ! Paul has a few good ideas about the Federal Reserve, but all he can do now is dilute the conservative vote in November.
Clint| 5.3.12 @ 7:04PM
Do Your Homework, Mittens' Kittens.
" TAMPA, April 7, 2012 – GOP frontrunner Mitt Romney continues to win primaries and Ron Paul still won’t go away.
Part of the reason is that the Paul campaign understands the primary process and knows a little history. Romney’s support is lukewarm, while Paul’s actual delegate total is dramatically understated.
As Robert Wenzel points out, Paul is a lot like Warren Harding. Harding went into the brokered 1920 convention with only 6% of the delegates, but emerged as the party’s nominee. Harding won the general election in a landslide and took a very non-interventionist approach to the Depression of 1921.
Free market economists cite Harding’s refusal to intervene in that crisis for the quick recovery that followed. "
Skippy| 5.4.12 @ 4:28PM
Ron is Gone.
Fuggedaboutitsucka.
But I guess everybody needs a hobby.
Even Israelfirsterbirtherchickenhawks.
Jim Woodward| 5.3.12 @ 9:54AM
My Grandfather, Joseph Woodward was an enlisted man with Pershings cavalry in Mexico.
Used to be some great black and white photos of him doing riding stunts. Wish I knew where they went.
Alan Brooks| 5.4.12 @ 12:23AM
thrown in the trash where they belong.
Skippy| 5.4.12 @ 4:29PM
Blow me.
Louis Jenkins| 5.3.12 @ 10:29AM
Oh great! Now we're supposedly going to invade Mexico? Did that one time already, and now there's a Mexican rumor going around that we're going to give a lot of the land (read states) back, or the illegals are going to take it. The great North American Union anyone? Put troops on the border, fence it off, line up all the "big guns" that our arsenal has, and if a migrant comes our way light them up. Only have to do that a time or two and illegal imigration will cease. Who says we can't do that? The illegals come into our country and "sign up" for every free-be that we have. So which is more important? Why do the tax payers have to have another burden put on their shoulders? And the Mexican president is applauded by the US Congress when he addressed them. All of Mexico's faults were caused by the great USA. If he had the "vapors" Congress would have clapped too.
Calvin| 5.3.12 @ 11:14AM
Mexico seems like any blue city in America. Corrupt but keeping the dimwitted which includes university types distracted with unobtainable promises and seeming good intentions. It all sounds so good if you are simple minded but it always leads to high crime, well connected public officials, hopeless schools and the same preachy liberals telling us that good times are right around the corner. Obama is trying to bring this Mecca to the entire country. Detroit for everybody because it is fair. No thanks.
yips| 5.7.12 @ 3:54AM
Calvin, your post made me think:
What great university does Mexico have?
In terms of population and land mass, they are a force (or they ought to be a true force) to be reckoned with in the whole world.
Typically when nations border one another, they combine on many, many things. A lot of interaction is normal.
We do have some promising U.S. kids who decide to go to university in Canada. Just as they'll go to a university in Germany, Switzerland, Scotland, or England. Or one in Australia.
Outside of Mexican-American families (mother is Mexican with family in Guadalajara, for example), does any American college aged kid head south to Mexico for university training?
Do promising American automotive engineers salivate at the potential prospect of working for Volkswagen in Puebla?
If not, why not?
Do Americans with Latin roots who've made it somewhat big in Hollywood, in the music industry or on Broadway try to break into the bigtime in Mexico City's media and entertainment?
I think all of us could name examples from our own walks of life as to the imbalances of "better" and "worse" north and south of the border.
I think we all know that you'd put your kid (forcibly) in VMI or The Citadel before letting him attend university in Monterrey or Guadalajara.
So -- Mexico is a failure. Through and through.
And, Calvin is right to point out the similarities with how liberals and Dems have destroyed every central 16 square mile urban area that we know as the USA's largest 60 cities.
Those cities are truly dangerous 24/7. As is Mexico. 45 new dead just this weekend in Nuevo Laredo.
Bill| 5.3.12 @ 3:51PM
Election in Mexico?
90% of Mexicans are uneducated, unemployed. Poverty rates over 90% and cities and rural areas are plaughed by crimes and violence.
Every year Mexico dumps almost 5 million amigos in America, stealing our jobs and abusing our welfare system.
Mexico is a curse to America. We must seal the south border.
Arch| 5.3.12 @ 9:14PM
Mexico is the US traditional enemy.
Anyone know how we got into WWI? The Germans tried to get Mexico to attack the US. The Brits intercepted and decoded the Zimmerman telegram and President Wilson intervened on the side of the British & French.
cicero| 5.3.12 @ 10:03PM
The fundamental problem with Mexico is Mexico. In order to see whether the current government in Mexico is legitimate, or just another kleptocracy, you only need to check the latest exchange rates for the peso. When you have a four year kleptocracy in place, the exchange rate is somewhere in the 14 to 25 / one region. When it gets to 2 / 1 or even 4/1, you know that the government is not stealing all the wealth of the nation, and the working man can earn a decent wage, and support his family.
Mexican presidential terms run for 4 years, I believe. The president is paid somewhere in the area of $50,000.00 per year. If Il Presidente leaves office a multi-millionaire, while not having come into office as such, you know what happened. If the working class in Mexico can earn a decent living at home, they don't need to come here. It is as simple as that. Putting a fence on the boarder is like putting a bandaide on a hemmoraghe. Continuing to support the Mexican government, and accepting illegals, while allowing the illegals to work in the U.S., and send cash home only prolongs the agony, and forestalls the necessary revolution.
POST American| 5.4.12 @ 2:00AM
---EVEN putting aside the Globalist
'FAST and FURIOUS' op----
IS there ANYONE left out there who,
NOW, in cyber surveillance saturated
2012, is STILL NOT AWARE our CFR front
op government ---IS THE DRUG TRADE?
------We'll wait. . .
zamoracarl| 5.4.12 @ 7:52PM
what Troy responded I am dazzled that someone able to get paid $7546 in one month on the computer. have you seen this web link M a k e c a s h 16 . c о m
Grunt| 5.5.12 @ 5:07PM
That's Patton over Pershings right shoulder. I have the photo and the story behind it somewhere...Hollywood filmakers there to shoot some reels. General Obregon I believe next to Villa...note Villa's paunch...has his six shooters underneath...fully loaded.
Arch| 5.6.12 @ 11:49AM
One of the most interesting stories about the Mexican Expedition was the hunt for Villa's bodyguard, General Julio Cárdanez in the US Army's first mechanized infantry engagement. In pursuit of Federal troops, US forces were attacked near Parrel by Cárdanez men.
Pershing continued pursuit of the troops and sent a detachment commanded by a young lieutenant to a apprehend the guards. As the column of vehicles approached a farm house near San Miguelito, they were fired upon.
The Lieutenant and his troops dismounted and returned fire. Unfortunately for Cárdanez, the officer had been on the 1910 US Olympic pistol team. 1 Lt George Patton, entered the house, shot and killed Cárdanez and both of his men. Patton had the bodies draped over the fenders like deer for the drive back to base. There are conflicting reports about whether or not he put notches in the hand grips.
In the 1970s, General Boots Blesse wrote an article entitled, "No guts, No Glory," in which he suggested combattants "always assume your opponent is the World's best, until he proves otherwise."
Good advice.
credit man| 5.6.12 @ 4:53PM
If you think that alcohol is a problem among our young, just think of mixing it with "heavy regulated" recreational drugs. The social problems we have today from illicit alcohol use would be just a minor thought by comparison.
Mexio is going to end up with a political party having its own army. That's where this PM thing is headed. Mexico will continue it's slide into lawlessness unabated. The best thing we can do to protect ourselves is to strengthen our borders. We may have to be absolutely heartless and keep illegals from crossing the border. Well, what are the consequences of not stregthening the border?
On the "tounge in cheek" solutions, I may have one. We should just "buy" Mexico. We could do it. We could turn it into a full playground for the Pacific. It could become a continueous "Las Vegas" from its northern border to it's southern one. Americans could privately buy and invest in the development of Mexico. With it's great climate and natural resources, it would be a heck of an investment. We would have our own set of low cost employees tending lawns and gardens. Think about it. There's someone in the Mexican government that would be willing to sell the country if the right offer were made. It would then become a "protectorate" that could be harvested for resources and development. WoW what a deal!