On the advice of Army officers, some places have begun digging moats to cut off entry into the villages. They leave one road in and out, but unfortunately, one road is enough if the druggers arrive in carloads and overwhelm the pitifully armed citizens:
“Terrified villagers - at the urging of army officers who couldn’t be there around the clock - have clawed moats across every access road but one into their communities, hoping to repel the raids.
This was a means of preservation,” said Ruben Solis, 47, a farmers’ leader in Cuauhtemoc, a collection of adobe and concrete houses called home by 3,700 people. “It’s better to struggle this way than to face the consequences.”
But shortly after midnight last Sunday, villagers said, as many as 15 SUVs loaded with pistoleros attacked nearby San Angel, population 250, and kidnapped five people. Four victims were returned unharmed a few days later. The fifth hostage, a teenage boy, was held to exchange for the intended target the raiders missed, villagers said.
“We have support of the federal forces,” said an official of the dirt-street village. “Security is what we’re lacking.”
After the earthworks were dug in both villages, volunteers manned checkpoints at the remaining open entrances. Those sentinels, however, were removed when it was decided they couldn’t stop a serious attack, anyhow.
“We aren’t able to confront this sort of thing,” Solis said. “We have a few shotguns, some .22 rifles, a few pistols - nothing compared to what they have.”
There is a huge question here, neither addressed nor answered in the story:
- - - - - - - - -
why are the villagers left unarmed by the Mexican government? It would be easy enough to pass out sufficient fire-power to the officials of small towns, to deputize them as militia so they can defend their families. This isn’t rocket science, just common sense.
So what stops the Mexican government from adequately arming its people?
I think they’re afraid of a popular uprising were they to pass out arms and ammunition to the besieged Mexican citizens. Better that their people should perish at the hands of criminals than take a chance on giving average Mexicans a fighting chance to stand up for themselves. The risk to the oligarchs is simply too high.
Thus has Mexico been dragged back to the Middle Ages, with moats and little protection from the government against the brigands. One can only hope they will figure out on their own that the cost of arming themselves via the black market - which is awash in guns - is a small price to pay for liberty.
Yeah, easy for me to say. I’m not on the front lines, risking my life against the Army and the criminals. But I believe it is better to die on my feet while taking aim at the enemy than to be kidnapped and murdered on my knees.
I hope the Mexican towns figure out how to mine those roads leading into their villages. At this point, what have they to lose?
Mexico: welcome to the 12th century.
21 comments:
It is amazing to me what little coverage the American MSM is giving to this civil war on our southern border. We are in jeopardy of having a completely chaotic third world country to our south and yet, no American politician wants to touch it...
If I were able to ask GW Bush one question that he would be compelled to answer honestly I would ask him why he sold his American citizens out to Mexico. To this day I still don't know.
Looks like your MSM acts pretty much the same about mexicans as our MSM acts at everything concerning muslims here in Europe. By simply ignoring it except occasionally but then by not fiving it full coverance as it should be. Be happy you don't have so many muslims yet and thus does not have to fight a two-front war.
I submit we Americans have a moral and financial responsibility in the Mexican's problem with drugs lords and mafia. It is the U.S. market they are seeking to supply. Take away our addicts and casual, "recreational" dopers, and the Mexican peasants return to normal life.
In the meantime, some recreation for poor Mexican villagers!
Dymphna, you left out a key point - the narco-criminals get most of their high-tech weapons from none other than the United States. They take advantage of our lax gun laws to purchase weapons from private arms dealers who are no better than drug dealers. But good luck getting the NRA to help put a stop to this.
I have no problem with either Mexican or U.S. citizens having the ability to keep small arms to protect themselves. I have a big problem with Mexican or U.S. citizens having the ability to keep military-grade high-tech weaponry for any reason. As should you.
Thank you, Top Kafir, for pointing out an inconvenient fact for those of us Americans who lord it over Mexico. Like, say, Babs in comment #1, whose response to Mexico's attempt to conquer its drug lords is "let them eat cake."
Nodrog says:
I have a big problem with Mexican or U.S. citizens having the ability to keep military-grade high-tech weaponry for any reason. As should you.
Yes, dear.
The primary reason given by the framers of the United States Constitution for the 2nd Amendment was to provide the citizens with military-grade weaponry to resist both domestic disorder and the depredations of a despotic government. These are the very conditions faced by the deprived citizens of Mexico.
I'm completely in favor of providing the common citizenry with military weapons of such quantity and power as to cow both the drug lords and the corrupt plutocrats who now rule that luckless country.
Top Kafir:
Take away our addicts and casual, "recreational" dopers, and the Mexican peasants return to normal life.
It's more complex than that, TK. Take away the dope and the recreationists' market would dry up. Many of those "recreastionists" are Mexicans and Canadians also...I worked with a doctor in British Columbia who told me of the prevalence of Mexican dope up there.
So let's agree that in terms of the drugs, it's a North American problem.
And let us begin by (a) putting recreational users in rehab for a good long time (which means more treatment centers. The paucity of same shows how unserious we are. I talk to druggies all the time who are desperate for help and have no where to get away from it).
(b)Let Mexico, Canada and the US get serious, really serious, about closing the borders to drugs. They'd darn well do it if it were a communicable disease we were talking about. Their unserious approach shows their lack of motivation.
Heck, we even jail our border patrol when they interdict druggers. How serious is that.
After we've done those things, we can talk about the guns, which will by then be irrelevant.
Note: last comment from me for a while guys. I hope you enjoy the rest of this but I'm off to the hospital for testing and will return later this week. With all parts intact, I hope...especially my Nodrog artillery, the one with the cute ruffles on the firing pin.
Babs in comment #1, whose response to Mexico's attempt to conquer its drug lords is "let them eat cake."
Hey G - How you got that out of my comment is beyond me. But then, you only post here to pick a fight.
Of course the Mexican Gov't fears too many weapons in the hands of the peasants. Mexico is teetering on the brink of all war with the drug cartels right now. Yes, the USA is responsible for alot of the weapons the drug lords, gangs end up with and drugs are a North American Problem, and beyond. I own weapons, quite a few and have a fair a stock of ammo. Does that make me a dangerous?? Only to those who I see as a threat to me and my family. I see ALOT of threats.
The drug wars have spilled over into the US beyond the cities mentioned in this article. Phoenix is averaging a kidnapping a day related to these drug lord scums and their gangs. They are often better armed and equipped than the police, sheriffs and border guards who try and keep these thugs at bay. El Paso/Juarez is a complete nightmare. May sound rash and extreme but perhaps troops on OUR borders are a necessity and well equipped to boot. Strict orders at hand to stop by force, any who try and sneak into the country. If shot at, then shoot to kill. They will and can do the same to us, as already evidenced by what has been happening along the border.
There is a huge question here, neither addressed nor answered in the story: why are the villagers left unarmed by the Mexican government? It would be easy enough to pass out sufficient fire-power to the officials of small towns, to deputize them as militia so they can defend their families. This isn’t rocket science, just common sense.
As noted by Patrick and others, some real military grade hardware could just as easily be turned against Mexico's hyper-corrupt political elite. That makes any humanitarian weapons supply chain a non-starter. Mexico's vulture elite would rather see all of the peasants crucified than surrender a single canapé from their nightly appetizer platter.
It's time to face some facts. Mexico, like Central and South America plus other places like the Philippines are post-Spanish colonial nations. All of them were spawned by a looting-mentality culture and have remained firmly rooted in that same mindset forever after.
During a recent trip to the Philippines, the kindly Monsignor and Fathers of Naga City’s Metropolitan Cathedral routinely bemoaned their nation’s ingrained corruption to me. When asked how to combat this near-universal national malaise, they could only throw up their hands in despair.
I pointed out how the lack of any physical punishment for corruption essentially constituted a de facto reward for such activities. In that, only when corrupt politicians and other players began to experience substantive pain or suffering would corruption become less attractive. I even went so far as to suggest that it would probably require a number of corrupt politicians dieing before corruption became truly unpopular.
In all their pious regard for human life, these good and kind men found my suggestion more than a little repugnant. However, NONE OF THEM had any other positive solution as to how corruption could be stopped.
I have come to the conclusion that—much like Islamic jihadists—corrupt apparatchiks will need to suffer terminal consequences in large numbers before they abandon their individual quests.
This is the case in Mexico and that country’s vulture elite know it damn well. No way will they give arms to the villagers. Moreover, such a move would only subject them, even more, to the traditional Hobson’s choice of plumo o plata—“lead or silver?”—from their narco-overlords.
Unpopular as this may seem, the functional solution is to legalize some drugs in America. Marijuana is a perfect starting point. Subject it to the exact same restrictions as alcohol with the additional enhancement of felony hard time for any sale or furnishing to minors.
Eliminating this one revenue stream for Mexico’s narco-kings would dry up a huge percentage of their profits. Smart American politicians would see to making the marijuana supply taxed and regulated just like alcohol or tobacco. Home cultivation would be regulated just like home distilling. End of story.
Chapter II:
Were marijuana legalized and its revenue stream properly taxed: Our over-crowded prisons could be flushed of a huge number of non-violent offenders. Violent drug offenders would not qualify for any such amnesty, nor would those convicted of bulk sales or distribution to minors.
Bewailing Mexico’s crisis is futile. Either we—as a free nation dedicated to human liberty—set about terminating these drug lords ourselves or we can STFU about this problem. Restrictive gun laws intended to prevent further arms sales to these narco-lords is totally against our own self-interest. As if communist China will not cheerfully step into the breech. Gun control is just another nanny-state solution that will see the rights of truly free people curtailed even further.
We must retain our right to bear arms even as we encourage Mexico’s own citizenry to arm themselves against a brutal narco-regime and their hyper-corrupt government alike.
As Old Bill would say, “Therein lies the rub.” America’s politicians have ZERO interest in arming Mexico’s legitimate population against the narco-lords or their hyper-corrupt vulture elite. These same foreign interests funnel huge amounts of campaign donations—either in earnest or by proxy—into their re-election coffers.
Consequently, we are treated to the current spectacle of thundering silence and malign neglect regarding what should be an incendiary issue of unlawful immigration and preventable drug trafficking on our borders.
Consider this: California—as a separate nation—routinely places among the world’s TOP TEN ECONOMIES. As a black market revenue stream, California’s marijuana crop alone is ranked as a top revenue source. Conservative national estimates rank marijuana production as being worth some 20 to 30 BILLION DOLLARS worth of revenue.
Imagine taking that sort of wealth off of the plates of our Mexican Mafiosi. None of this even addresses the Columbian and other South American drug lords. Consider how quickly these violent organizations could no longer afford their troops, weapons or graft payments.
No other plan can possibly achieve such results. Seemingly benign programs of rehabilitation and addiction treatment do not hold a candle to simply eliminating the massive black market revenue stream that feeds these narco-lords. Those who clamor for drug treatment and rehabilitation should consider the tremendous financing available from government regulated sales of legally controlled and enforced taxation for the consumption of this one single drug.
I invite all cogent arguments against this proposition. It is long past tea for Americans to shrug off the Puritanical constraints that have locked all of us into a legal system that profits from the senseless prosecution of low-level drug offenders who are on a par with those caught drinking in public.
PatriotUSA: I own weapons, quite a few and have a fair a stock of ammo. Does that make me a dangerous?? Only to those who I see as a threat to me and my family. I see ALOT of threats.
A few decades ago I would have disagreed with your own threat assessment. In light of how treasonous our current government is, I no longer feel the same ... AT ALL.
Just a message of support from a fellow concerned and patriotic citizen.
The-Poster-Formerly-Known-as-Gordon wrote: "...the narco-criminals get most of their high-tech weapons from none other than the United States. They take advantage of our lax gun laws..."
"I have a big problem with Mexican or U.S. citizens having the ability to keep military-grade high-tech weaponry for any reason."
Actually, Gordon, just exactly how familiar are you with the details of U.S gun laws (both State and Federal?) I have seen credible reports of narco-thugs engaging in large scale firefights in the middle of the street, in populated areas, in broad daylight, with extensive use of FULLY AUTOMATIC WEAPONS and GRENADES. Both full-auto and explosive ordnance are tightly restricted by Federal law in the U.S. (State laws vary quite a bit, but Federal law supercedes State law.) Considering that the drug lords are filthy rich and Mexico is dirt poor and ultra-corrupt, almost anything, and almost anyone, is for sale. The most likely sources for the druggies hardware is the Mexican army, along with Hugo Chavez and Fidel (or Raul?) Castro, or, for that matter, the Chicom and the North Koreans.
"We aren't able to confront this sort of thing," Solis said. "We have a few shotguns, some .22 rifles, a few pistols - nothing compared to what they have."
It would appear, then, that the Mexican citizens do NOT have "military-grade high-tech weaponry." But I bet they wish they did.
One_of_the_last_few_Patriots_left: The most likely sources for the druggies hardware is the Mexican army, along with Hugo Chavez and Fidel (or Raul?) Castro, or, for that matter, the Chicom and the North Koreans.
[cough] Communist China [cough]
To Zenster and one_of_the_last_few_patriots:
Thanks for the support, Zenster. I have lost many so called"friends" because of my beliefs and that I am quite far to the right, and I DOI NOT hide that anymore. Funny how liberals and socialists
will tolerate those of
the conservative mind, as long as they reamin quiet and do not bring truths they cannot refute nor argue with.
There are MANY sources for the weapons other tha the US. I am sure some come from here but I bet the majority are brought in from many other countries, China, Israel, Souh America and I am sure there are some countries from Europe involved as well. The USA needs to defend the borders like never before. I have little faith in the demosocialistacrats and the
mullah obamaham. They have already proven themselves cowards, appeasers, and dhimmis groveling to our enemies from a posiition of weakness and apology. A toxic stew that has ill rewards at best for this country, and possibly our allies.
There is NO peace within islam and with islam there can be no peace.
Zenster:
"Were marijuana legalized and its revenue stream properly taxed: Our over-crowded prisons could be flushed of a huge number of non-violent offenders."
I am right there with you big guy. When comparing Pot to Alcohol the two arent even in the same class. How many stoners do you see in the drunk tank on a Saturday night? And the "Gateway drug" argument is just false. The biggest gateway drug are the Hormones coursing through the adolescent brain.
And let us not forget the illegal pot farms being run in our national parks by the Mexican Narcos. They are destroying sections of prime American real estate with trash and tons of chemicals that wind up in otherwise crystal clear water sources. And then there is the potential violence.
I have a friend who is an avid mountain biker in Northern California. There are some sections he simply avoids because they are being guarded by armed goons. God help the casual hiker. And no, I am not a pot head. It has been almost 20 years since I took my last hit of the weed.
The protection of gun ownership in the American constitution is there as a means to defend against tyrants. It is not meant to protect hunting rights, or even personal protection. It is a failsafe feature to prevent the American government from going too far.
Zaire, Rwanda, Colombia, Lebanon, Sudan/Darfur, and Somalia are not bringing in their weapons from the United States. They are suffering no shortage of firearms, and when they did as in Rwanda, machetes and baseball bats work in a pinch.
Have some of these aid and development agencies teach the villagers how to build drawbridges. you also build two gates; like an airlock. You let them in the first gate and close it. If they can explain who they are you open the second gate. If they can't you bust holes in their vehicle roofs with heavy rocks and pour boiling oil down on them.
Legalize. Use will go down, the profits to crime syndicates will dry up and you can put the money saved into addiction research which is far more promising these days than incarcerating recreational users in "rehab".
My Title
Five of fourteen guns equals 36%, not a majority, but a lot. So stop your lies, Patriot USA, that U.S. gun runners aren't supplying Mexican drug cartels. Not also the wonderful "cop-killer" armor-piercing bullets available, thanks to the NRA's shameful and shameless lobbying for them.
To The Poster Formerly Known as Gordon
You CANNOT purchase 'military grade' weapons in the United States. It is illegal to own the M16/M4 in full automatic mode, which is what the military uses. You cannot purchase 'high-tech' anti-tank rockets, machine guns, or any type of missile either!
What you CAN purchase are M16 rifles that look like military rifles but function exactly the same way a Remington model 750 Woodsmaster does.
And again they have no problem arming themselves in Zaire or elsewhere, so trying to blame the problem on a hunk of metal (AKA a gun) is silly.
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