Lost in Translation

Obama's visits to Mexico has caused many people's hopes to be raised.  Through assurances of helping the United States southern "partner" and sharing the responsibility for the drug cartels and the war on drugs, it could be that the US and Mexico are starting a "new era" in US-Mexican relations.  Obama and Calderon both made commitments for a new and increased connections in the economy.  However when it comes to real actions, there was little to show.  The Mexicans themselves are happy for now because of the President's expressions of good will, but some commentators are urging the people not to get their hopes up do to previous meeting with many promises turned back on.  Mexico's top two priorities, renewing the assault weapons ban and the restart of the NAFTA pilot program, were left where they were.  Much of Obama's purpose in this visit was to undo the damage done by the previous administrations characterization of Mexico as a failed state.  "Although Mexicans generally saw the Obama visit as purely symbolic, they were gratified that issues such as immigration reform also got an airing. In Mexico, as in Europe, Obama benefits from simply not being George W. Bush."  The visit shows how the United States and Mexico are now going to go forward into a new era of diplomacy and common goals rather than through purely opportunisitic ideologies portrayed by previous administrations

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Cap-and-Trade

In an effort to combat global warming around the world, Mexico has joined the multitude of countries now starting a carbon trading market as the crucial part of a cap-and-trade program. This cap and trade program works as follows. There is a limit put on these companies as to how much carbon emissions allowed to escape into the environment. Each company then will have this limit, and those companies that fall below this limit are then allowed to sell the amount that is not being used to a company that is going over the limit. The large scale goal for these programs is to cut in half the amount of carbon-dioxide outputs by 2050, as Mexico's Director of Environmental Issues, Godinez Rosales said.  The main motivation behind these programs is to cut back on the amount of greenhouse gases going into the atmosphere.  The real questions is whether or not it will work to sieze that which caused the problem in the first place, commodity fetishism without a regard for anything else, and use it to turn back the problem.  By using the incentive of the market place, they are motivating the companies with regard to profit.  “We want companies to see climate change as a growth opportunity and a way to improve competitiveness" said Rosales

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The Obama Factor

Yep, it seems pretty certain now that Obama and his Joint Chief of Staff Mike Mullen are planning on helping President Calderon and his all out war-on-drugs.  On Saturday President Barack Obama was briefed by Mike Mullen on the situation (yes, the situation) in Mexico, and how it's possible for the US to help.  Yes indeed, you heard correct: The US plans to help.  As a matter of fact it seems that Obama's administration and Mullen have been sharing intelligence with Calderon in terms of fighting the drug cartels.  The recent (relatively recent that is, which means not recent at all) surge in violence among the Mexican drug cartels is pretty much due to a power struggle happening over the drug routes since the major cartels have been destroyed by Calderon.  All the smaller gangs are now going after the routes and fighting for power.  This same violence is now spilling across the border in places like Arizona.  It is adventageous to both President Calderon, and President Obama to help each other out.  Or in this case help Mexico from becoming a (seemingly) failed state.  Thus this shows the trends of globalization and shows how the United States is trying to mantain its reach for the hegemonic status by helping (or so we think) the smaller and more fragile nations.  Whether they can pull through or not is up to speculation.  However, with the added benefit of OPTIMUS PRIME, who can fail?

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Namárië

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Failed State

With the drug wars taking apart the country of Mexico one brick at a time, many other international countries are trying to remove themselves from Mexico so they won’t get dragged down as well.  The problems have been internal for a long time, but now with the serious economic issues faced around the globe, Mexico’s “rep” has finally gone over the border. Literally.  The US government has even issued travel advisories of people going to Mexico, the very nation bordering us to the south.  Protests are occurring that were put together by the drug trafficking gangs.  Then the police chief in Cuidad Juarez was told to step down or a cop would be killed every two days.  It sounds like it’s straight from No Country for Old Men right?  Calderon sending 40,000 troops to fight the drug cartels has developed into “unprecedented violence.”  The drug gangs themselves seem to have risen up to the government mandates and fought back.  With the violence being worst at the border, as stated before, we could have a chaotic situation with an unprecedented end at our southern border.   Globalization could very well be stopping at the borders of Mexico and allowing events to take their own path.  As stated below by Ian, perhaps one of the only ways to remove the drug gangs from this violent scenario is to legalize drugs.  Otherwise, Mexico may be on its way down.  

“Mexico has an image problem. It has long been internal – with newspaper headlines and nightly news broadcasting the menacing notes, severed heads, and bullet-riddled bodies that are the byproducts of a deadly drug war raging across the country.”

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Japan's Isuzu Motors Relocating Production to Mexico

Isuzu Motors, Japan's largest producer of trucks, has relocated their productional facilities to Cuautitlan, Mexico, to "lower costs". As the process of globalization continues, we see the logic of strategically stratified production in areas of lower minimum wage and environmental regulations unfold. It also indicates Mexico's willingness to be a player in a larger scheme of economic trading networks.

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The End

With the subsequent collapse of the world economy, the new US President, stimulus package, and Gaza, the troubles in Mexico havn't gained much world attention.  About a week ago, drug gangs broke into police radio frequencies and sent death threats to officers which they promptly carried out.  They name the officer and then the officer shows up a couple of hours later with a bullet in his or her head.  On Thursday, LA Times ran a map showing that there were 7337 drug related murders in the past two years.  Now with the President Calderon’s call to an all out war on drugs, the death toll has topped even the count in Iraq.  Many people are now questioning whether or not Mexico will even be able to finish the war on drugs before it collapses.  This is following the news of the bond issue happening just a couple days ago.  Nobody is even willing to buy the governments bonds after they were put up for “sale”.  With their economy melting, drug cartels abounding, 45,000 troops killing, Mexico’s future looks…scary.  The violence of the drug cartels have even come across the border with five men in Alabama tortured and killed over a drug debt of $400,000.  350 kidnappings have occurred in the past two years.  Soon enough, we may not be studying Mexico as a “Developing Democratic Nation” anymore.  "So far it hasn't turned up on President Obama's radar. But a collapsing Mexico off the southern U.S. border can't be ignored forever."

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