Rick Perry suggests US military role in Mexico drug war →

externalities:

Texas Governor Rick Perry - who is seeking the Republican nomination for US president - has said he would consider sending American troops into Mexico to combat drug-related violence.

Mr Perry was speaking during a campaign appearance in New Hampshire.

“It may require our military in Mexico working in concert with them to kill these drug cartels and keep them off our border,” he said.

“There are bad people. We will shoot the bad people. Then the bad things will stop.” Is there a problem this approach can’t fix?

Any deployment of US military forces on Mexican territory would almost certainly be unacceptable to the Mexican authorities.

The [BBC’s] use of the term ‘drug-related violence’ is interesting too. ‘Prohibition-related violence’ would surely be more appropriate and less ambiguous. And while some [I’m not really talking about the BBC] are initially happy to call it drug-related violence (associating the pejorative word ‘drugs’ with violence), if you suggest a ‘drug-related solution’ such as legalisation, they’ll be quick to suggest that the cartels would continue to fight anyway and that drug-smuggling is only one of their activities, and so on…

Does Rick Perry not remember the other times we sent troops into Mexico?

1. 1846— President James Polk tempts the Mexicans to attack U.S. troops in disputed territory. They attack and President Polk says it is U.S. territory. Obviously the area where U.S. troops were attacked is disputed and Americans were overwhelmingly against the war. Still Congress authorized the war and U.S. troops entered the country. The United States did “win” the war, but they caused Mexico to go bankrupt for about 20 years (I believe) since their riches were taken away from them.
2. 1913— President Wilson brought warships into the harbor of Veracruz, Mexico. “In one his first military actions, he ordered U.S. Warships to attack Veracruz, Mexico, to defend the investments of Standard Oil.”- A People’s History of American Empire, page 77 
3. 1916— Pancho Villa’s raiders attack U.S. citizens in U.S. territory. President Wilson responds by sending U.S. troops into Mexico to finde Pancho Villa. They never find him. War almost occurs with Mexico, but troops leave when WW1 begins.

Does Rick Perry want another war with Mexico? The country definitely doesn’t need that.

(via sarahlee310)

1 year ago  /  24 notes  /  Source: externalities