Calderon blasts Clinton

[Project Grudge]

Source: Politico

Mexican President Felipe Calderon sharply criticized Secretary of State Hillary Clinton for comparing Mexico's violence and drug traffic to Colombia's 20 years ago:

"I think the one who best-corrected Secretary of State Clinton was President Obama and he did it very well. In Colombia, not just 20 years ago, but still now, there are parts of the territory that are controlled, dominated by and governed precisely by criminals and guerrilla forces. In Mexico there are NO parts of the territory in the hands of criminals," he told Univision this morning.

"It is very painful for Mexico that such careless statements are made… so careless, not responsible, as those by Secretary of State Clinton, because they damage Mexico’s image terribly. Yes, we have problems, yes, we have some things, I think the main thing in common with Colombia is that we are both countries that suffer the results of drug use in the United States. Both countries are victims of the enormous American consumption of drugs and now, in addition, of an exacerbated sale of arms from American industry," he said.

Read more: http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/0910/Calderon_blasts_Clinton.html?showall

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The market for drugs from Latin America is the culprit. Americans can't be satisfied; so there will always be a huge drug market here. I blame capitalism and the not-so-free market.

[bossy22]

1. so why doesnt america have a huge drug cartel problem

i mean if we are the main consumers wouldnt it make sense that we would also have a large militarized cartel working here- according to calderon's logic? But we don't...which means there are other things at play here, like mexico being a corruption-laden country.

Mexico's problems are not mainly caused by the U.S., they are caused by their own issues. But ofcourse the U.S. is going to be the easy scapegoat

[southmost]

6. the US had similar problems in early 20th century

several key investments made into the social/public infrastructure help cut down the violence/ corruption

-getting rid of dirt cheap labor (if people are living in near starving conditions -they'll do the crime for dirt cheap prices)
so, creating a safety net (welfare) gives the poor better options for keeping food on the table (other than joining organized crime)

also paying higher salaries to public officials (police, etc.) helps

[Wilms]

7. We do have a huge drug cartel problem in the US.

It's called Big Pharm.

[webDude]

2. Do you see Coors and Budweiser killing each other? LEGALIZE IT!

[customerserviceguy]

3. No, but I drink microbrew

and Coors and Bud are killing a lot of innocent liver cells out there...

But seriously, you have a point.

[customerserviceguy]

4. I wouldn't go to either Columbia or Mexico

SoS Clinton is right. While Columbia still has problems in this area, I understand it's gotten a lot better. One of my co-workers is from there, and she informed me about the situation after her last visit, earlier this year.

[lunatica]

9. So don't go

I have family there and other than the economy they're doing fine with a little precautions. That's like saying all Americans are the mafia or stupid teabaggers.

[a la izquierda]

12. Good, don't go, your ignorance can keep you company...

Mexico, like our own United States, is a very large country. And, gasp, like our United States, crime does not happen border to border in every single place. Is the border very violent? You bet it is. Are there places in Mexico that are perfectly safe? Yup...but I think I've told you this before, so I'll quit with the broken record routine. It's very clear you don't care about actual facts on the ground.

So, gringos like my 55 year old mother can go to Mexico and have nary a problem in resort towns, and I can go back to my little place in Guadalajara for a few weeks here and there and rest assured that I won't have my head cut off/get abducted, etc, etc, etc.

Oh, and by the way...it's COLOMBIA!

[Steve20]

5. re

Mexico should stfu.

[lunatica]

8. Why should it? It is directly impacted by US Policies

The US has kept all it's Southern neighbors economically depressed for generations. Read this on the book, Confessions of an Economic Hitman by John Perkins

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confessions_of_an_Economic_Hit_Man



"According to his book, Perkins' function was to convince the political and financial leadership of underdeveloped countries to accept enormous development loans from institutions like the World Bank and USAID. Saddled with debts they could not hope to pay, those countries were forced to acquiesce to political pressure from the United States on a variety of issues. Perkins argues in his book that developing nations were effectively neutralized politically, had their wealth gaps driven wider and economies crippled in the long run. In this capacity Perkins recounts his meetings with some prominent individuals, including Graham Greene and Omar Torrijos. Perkins describes the role of an EHM as follows:

Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly-paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. They funnel money from the World Bank, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and other foreign "aid" organizations into the coffers of huge corporations and the pockets of a few wealthy families who control the planet's natural resources. Their tools included fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as empire, but one that has taken on new and terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization."

[Gman]

11. This has nothing to do with the problems in Mexico

Absolutely nothing. The problem is Mexico's letting the drug cartel genie out of the bottle and it can't be put back.

[Gman]

10. So much macho crap

so afraid what people think, so afraid they might appear (heaven on high forbid) weak, and it's everyone else's fault except then Fox and now Calderon let the cartels get out of control. The fact is its completely out of control. Very unfortunately, about the only way it will be brought under control is through US intervention. But then the federal government and the cartels would unite against any US involvement, but they won't solve the problem. In the mean time, 25 more dead in one day in Juarez.

[galileoreloaded]

13. I LOVE doing business in Mexico....

the corruption is upfront and honest (if there is such a thing), unlike here where the corruption hides beneath the surface.

SOOOO much simpler to handle knowns.