Drugs: There are two ways to address ANY economic problem, on the supply side and on the demand side. For cocaine traffic, the obvious supply side measure is to attempt to dry up the source where it is grown. So far as I can tell, that is what has been attempted, with mixed success, in Columbia. Obviously that is a work in progress which no doubt requires some tweaking. On the demand side, the obvious (for direct control of application) measures are punishment for drug traffickers and securing the border, as the border (airport, seaport, whatever point of entry) is as close as there is to a “bottleneck” in the logistics of the trade. The problem with this idea is that it leaves control necessarily in the hands of one or more governments, or in other words, in control of one or more entities which have little or no accountability other than to themselves. The question becomes how much you are able to trust the government in question, and the only realistic guide you have is past performance.
The record of neither the US nor Mexico inspires me with confidence, as far as actually doing the job it contracted to do with a minimum of corruption, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable for any unbiased observer to say that the US would probably make a much better job of it than Mexico would. Expecting the idea of US investment in the security of Mexico’s *southern* border, while Mexico’s officials are on record as opposing the US’s investments to secure ITS OWN border, to be well recieved is simply irrational. Whether President Calderon has to say that as a political sop to factions in Mexico is completely immaterial. If true, it means that he is caught between two fires, and if he’s sincere in his desire to *fix* the problem then I sympathize with him. Nonetheless, that doesn’t imply that it is even in the interest, much less the duty, of any American to throw themselves on one of those fires to shield him from it. That is precisely what the US would be doing if we failed to secure our own borders, lent him aid of various kinds, played nicey nice with him, and only *then* found out if he was actually gonna DO THE JOB.
I have no problem at all with the US helping the Mexicans stem the drug trade. I think in many cases more could be accomplished by legalization and regulation, but that’s neither here nor there. But if a government actively supports their citizens penetrating my country’s borders, opposes us at every turn when we try to take *the exact same steps* to secure OUR country against the very same well armed drug lords… then for that government to expect us to aid them in their identical efforts is simply irrational.
I have spent the last 13 years alternating between Texas, New Mexico, Florida, Arizona, S. California and Nevada. Trust me on this one, ‘Reconquista’ is not a fringe concept. I won’t call it a majority opinion in the Latino community, but it’s certainly not uncommon. While I understand that president Calderon may feel like he has to acknowledge them as political bedfellows, he must also understand that the US must likewise acknowledge them as a cultural threat.
Blackberries: Stealing is stealing, regardless. The man should be under a standing indictment for theft, to be invoked should he ever be found on US soil for any reason whatsoever.
English: The US economy is 22% of the world economy. Add in the UK, Australia and New Zealand, and I expect it’s about 1 in 3 that any international aspect of your business will be done with someone who speaks English as a first language. I don’t think any other language is that universal, but feel free to correct me if I am wrong. By not requiring people in US schools to learn English, we are doing them an injustice. They DON’T NEED paid teachers for their own language, they are surrounded at home by people who teach them for free every hour of every day. To the extent they do need them, it’s not as if their aren’t elective language courses available. Should learning Spanish be encouraged? Absolutely, as should Japanese, Chinese and at least one Middle Eastern language. That’s the schools *job*, to prepare you with knowledge and skills you are fairly likely to find useful as an adult. But it is not the duty of the government, nor the schools, to pander to the prejudices of every single demographic that makes it up. Pick ONE language that is deemed most likely to be necessary to an adult in that culture, usually the native language of the majority, and require it, just like any other required course. Print all government documents in the one language its citizens are expected and required to learn. Anything else is a service you shouldn’t be required to pay for if you don’t want it.
That’s not racism. That’s wanting children, ANYONE’S children, to come out of school having learned something that’s actually *of use to them.*
