Obama Lays the Smack Down

"Stop, in the Name of the Border Security"

Obama has officially decided that the Mexican violence gotten too far out of hand, and is now spilling over into the United States at an alarming rate.

Unsurprisingly, he advocated a "reduction of demand for illegal drugs" and a restriction of arms sales near the border, to curtail violent outbreaks and gang organization.

He reminds the US that the violence is a "two way street", referencing the bi-directionality of the border and not-so-subtly warns us that the violence is just a matter of crossing over a line on a map; there is no invisible wall that separates Us from Them, the only division is our ideological feeling of security that threatens our very tangible, atrophying physical security.

"President Barack Obama says the violence spilling over from Mexico's fight against drug cartels has gotten out of hand and is a serious threat to U.S. border communities."

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The Devil's Highway

As the U.S. cracks down on immigration along the Mexican border, those still determined to enter are forced to take longer and more dangerous routes through brush and miles of desert. A new wall is under construction and 300 agents were added as guards. Reported deaths rose from 39 last year to 67 in 2008, reflecting this shift. In response, agents now carry basic necessities and life saving supplies, such as water and shoes to prevent fatalities. The overall effects of immigration and remittances plays a direct role in the economies of both countries, political affiliation with the culture, and civilian support for immigration policy. 

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6288540.html

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Police Chief of Juarez Threatened by Gunmen

Last wednesday cardboard signs sprung up around the city of Ciudad Jauarez declaring the deaths of police officers every forty-two hours until the police chief resigns.  Last friday a police officer and a jail guard were killed with similar signs on their bodies taking credit.  The chief, Roberto Orduna, resigned hours later.

read more here

This is just another example of how the rule of law in Mexico, especially around the border, has deteriorated to the point that the elected and appointed officials seem to have no actual power.  The police are outgunned, and they're being outlasted by rogue criminals backed by the drug cartel.  Their influence over such relatively high levels of administration and their slaying of innocents must be broken before any real political legitmacy can take place.

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