https://pjmedia.com/richardfernandez/2009/11/17/forlorn-hope/feed/PJ Media is a leading news site covering culture, politics, faith, homeland security, and more. Our reporters and columnists provide original, in-depth analysis from a variety of perspectives.en-usWed, 10 Jun 2026 08:42:18 -0400<![CDATA[Corruption and poverty in the Third World are often observed together.   But which causes which? Which is the chicken and which the egg? Take the town of Juarez in Mexico, which is right across the border from El Paso, Texas.  The BBC recently characterized the violence there as a struggle between the forces of law and order and violent drug cartels. Good versus evil. But others are not so sure. Some residents, who refused to be named, saw the drug cartels as a symptom of the lack of law and order in Mexico. In that narrative, the government was simply another gang fighting for the very same spoils the drug cartels were striving for.]]>Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:18:08 -0500<![CDATA[Richard Fernandez]]>https://pjmedia.com/richard-fernandez/2009/11/17/forlorn-hope-n189398