The U.S. and Mexico often experience each other’s pain, if not their respective nationalistic pleasures. The proximity, the interdependence on trade, resources (human and natural), history and, increasingly, cultural aspects mean that, as the Houston Chronicle editorializes, when the U.S. sneezes, Mexico gets sick. More and more media outlets are hammering on this, and with good reason. Sources within the Mexican government acknowledge their country has its issues, though they would argue with some of the more strident exclamations, such as the Washington Times announcing that Mexico is imploding:
The sovereignty of the Mexican government is slipping into the hands of drug lords and corrupted officials. The highly financed cartels, with a market share estimated at $40 billion annually, will continue to use their creativity to smuggle drugs into the United States and battle the legitimate Mexican government.
But the Washington Times does get this right:
The United States must consider spending more of its largess on our neighbors instead of a collection of far-flung countries where there may be no traction.
The Council on Foreign Relations recently published a task force report that emphasizes that the U.S. needs to not toss money (even though the $1.4 billion or so attached to the Merida Initiative is piddily) at the drug problem, but assist in economic stability abroad while aiming to curb drug demand at home. But the number one issue for Mexico remains public security.
The U.S. needs to offer its handkerchief to Mexico, but not wave it. Just hold it out, so they can both grab hold as they make like Redford and Newman in Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. Just kidding.
While the Merida Initiative is a good start, partnership is the name of the game. But it still won’t be a happy marriage, not with the U.S.’s (rightful) distrust of Mexico’s law enforcement.
As a friendly reminder, the CFR report states that the era of U.S. hegemony over Latin America, if there ever was one, is over. Bye-bye Monroe Doctrine. Hola Lula.
