I've mentioned the potential refugee scenario regarding Mexico's civil war a few times. Last December I cited a report that store owners were fleeing across the border and speculated that should violence continue Mexico will see an exodus of it's professional/middle class;
It takes little imagination to hypothesize the spread of this violence not only regionally but socially. The consequence will likely entail the destruction of Mexico's already struggling professional class as teachers, doctors, business owners, etc. close up shop and head north or south for calmer waters.The LA Times reports an increased upsurge of asylum seekers:
The Juarez policeman is part of a new breed of would-be refugees -- business owners, law enforcement officers, journalists and other professionals -- on the run from Mexico's vicious drug wars. Increasingly, they are seeking safe haven in the U.S. by filing for asylum.The jingoist will see "smart beaners" joining their "serf underlings" in an attempt to steal American jobs. Someone with their head out of their ass will look at this and see that a "developing" state without it's middle or professional class loses not only infrastructure (schools, law enforcement, health care, merchants, etc.) but the social mortar that holds the building blocks of a state together. Mexico is failing.
The number of asylum requests filed at U.S. border entries by Mexican nationals nearly doubled to almost 200 in the last fiscal year, and the pace has increased this year. Seventy Mexican asylum-seekers filed petitions in the first quarter, most of them in El Paso and San Diego. The figures are small compared with the vast scale of illegal immigration, but many fear explosive growth if the bloodshed worsens.
Great that the print media has finally addressed this en force but aggravating that the boob toob media isn't treating this with nearly the gravity it deserves. The situation in Mexico, given it's proximity and severity, deserves headline, breaking news, lots of dire graphics, catchy, shiny and apocalyptic headers (maybe even a multicolored threat assessment scale) but, instead get's "oh and by the way" mention at best.
3 comments:
People are talking about Mexico joining the prestigious Failed State Club, but we will see.
Apparently the kidnapping business has already started to spread to the US, with Phoenix seeing 300 reported cases of kidnapping for ransom last year. The Phoenix PD is now advising other departments, including some in the Northeast in how to deal with these cases, which usually involve participants in the drug trade.
In a previous comment I suggested that troops should be taken out of Chiapas, where they are busy conducting "low intensity warfare." According to my contacts within the region, this has not happened. Apparently harassing and raping indigenous civilians is a higher priority than quelling drug violence.
It won't be solved via the military, mexican nor american. Its a policy issue. Not that I doubt your source but can you substantiate the rape aligation?
But really what conflict is? While an increased military presence in the affected regions might not be THE solution, it would certainly help.
As for the citation, it just something that I knew about from college, but here is a link about women and "low intensity warfare" in Chiapas."
Threats of a sexual nature are quite common. According to
women's groups in San Cristobal, there are many cases of
harassment and rape, but for the most part they are not reported.
Rosalinda (in a workshop of indigenous women) explained to us
one of the reasons for this silence: "The violence is lived in silence,and it echoes in our physical health and also we redirect it against ourselves, since we feel guilty. Violence and submission are learned."
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