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This Is Your War On Drugs | emptywheel →
Of all the shootings that have happened in the last day, I suspect this one–of two US government employees in a diplomatic car in Mexico–may get the least attention in the US. The shootout occurred between what has been reported alternately as members of Mexico’s Marines and/or their Federal police (or not described at all) and the two Americans–whose names have been reported as Jess Hoods Garner and Stan Dove Boss. Mexico’s press say the vehicle carrying the Americans was hit by at least 60 bullets. The Americans are now in a hospital in Cuernavaca being treated for gunshot wounds. The site of the shootout–on the two-lane free highway between Mexico City and Cuernavaca–is being guarded by Mexican police and military forces. (… AP’s report on the shootout … doesn’t mention the reported involvement of Mexican personnel). [read]
Such shootings are no surprise in the “war on drugs,” really a war on drug users. This war has failed & the American govt. has stoked this violence through its hard-nosed policies on drugs, which wouldn’t even be the conspiracy many talk about with this war…
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You thought corruption in America’s was bad, look at this man in Mexico! A super billionaire.
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–Mexican citizens who allegedly received supermarket gift cards from the Institutional Revolutionary Party [PRI] in exchange for their vote, are going on a “panic-stricken” shopping spree, La Jornada reports.
According to the Mexican newspaper, some card holders are afraid that credit on their cards might be confiscated by officials investigating allegations of vote-buying. Others fear that the credit on the cards might be cancelled because the PRI politician who distributed them may not end up winning local elections in the municipality of Nezahualcoyotl.
Last week, the leftist PRD party accused the PRI of distributing 1.8 million of these cards in Mexico State. The cards, which can be used at the Soriana supermarket chain, carry the logo of the CTM, a union affiliated with the PRI. Last week a PRD spokesman showed journalists gift cards that the PRI allegedly distributed in exchange for votes. La Jornada reports that at first, the party was offering cards with 100 pesos, ($7) worth of credit, but as election day approached, the amount on cards offered was raised to 300, 500, and even 700 pesos. Rocio Ugalde told La Jornada that even on election day (Sunday), PRI operatives were distributing these cards. She explained how the process worked: you go into the box, vote, take a picture of that ballot that you voted in favor of the PRI candidate, showed the photo to a PRI representative, and you received a gift card. Not all the cards that were handed out had full value; as people lined up to check the balance of their card, many had already been reported out of funds.
Univision News Tumblr: Mexico: PRI supporters go on “panic-stricken” shopping spree
As Roberto Lovato stated on his Facebook, “Imagine what the coverage of fraud allegations would be like if global media were talking about Iran, Egypt, Venezuela or some other, less ‘friendly’ country [instead] of Mexico. Imagine…”
(via thenoobyorker)
I really don’t know what to think of this entire situation. Would it be surprising if the PRI won after the last 6 years Mexico has undergone? Not really, but the PRI is notorious for election fraud and Mexico’s unfinished path towards democratization has yet to cement in a stable electoral system.
It’s a shame this is not being covered more because it’s incredibly important, not only due to our ties with Mexico but the welfare of the Mexican people, who have endured so much, quite a bit of which is directly our fault. Don’t question those elections though.
(via mohandasgandhi)I agree this extremely important especially since its the neighbor of the American empire. The corruption of voting anywhere must he condoned and all illegal means including bribery to influence votes must be investigated to the fullest extent of the law. Also, all legal means to influence or tinker with
votes should be investigated and stopped immediately.(via mohandasgandhi)
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Rick Perry suggests US military role in Mexico drug war →
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?
- 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.
- 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
- 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)
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Earliest recording of a U.S. president, Benjamin Harrison talking about relations of U.S. and Mexico on a phonograph at the opening of First North American Congress. Transcript: “As the President of the United States I say at this first North American Congress in Washington D.C. That we are far pressed, our two countries are thousands of miles apart and are now side by side, increased and thus powerful.”
