Mexico’s Record Violence Is a Crisis 20 Years in the Making

[Rod1]

Great read.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/28/world/americas/mexico-violence.html

MEXICO CITY — The forces driving violence in Mexico, which is now on track for its worst year in decades, were first set in motion 20 years ago by two events that were, at the time, celebrated as triumphs.

First, Colombia defeated its major drug cartels in the 1990s, driving the center of the drug trade from the country into Mexico.

Then, in 2000, Mexico transitioned to a multiparty democracy.

This meant that the drug trade moved to Mexico just as its politics and institutions were in flux, leaving them unable to address a problem they have often made worse.

Since then, a series of bad breaks, missteps and self-imposed crises have led to an explosion of violence. Last year there were more than 20,000 killings. This year is on track to be worse, exceeding the 2011 record, which was thought to be the drug war’s apex.

Solutions:

Short term.

1.- Do something about the opiod crisis and the drug war in general, while most of Mexico is quite violent, the poppy growing regions are on another level, when i read news about Guerrero, i may as well be reading news from Syria,

2.- America could easily force a top-down institutional solidity upon Mexico by threatening on the back channel with compliance with institutional reforms.

Otherwise im giving Mexico around 10-15 years until shit settles down.

 

[Skulli]

So what's the solution other than a tyrant rising to take power and cleaning house ?

 

[lifelessheap]

There is ISIS like violence down there and our media ignores it.

 

[bobgeese]

MMGA!!!

 

[Orgasmo]

20 years in the making? It goes back much further than that. Unless Mexico can tackle institutionalized corruption at all levels of society, there is no hope of ending the drug violence.

 

[Social Distance Warrior]

Mexico also needs a wall...

 

[Voltron]

I actually feel safer in Mexico than in Chicago

 

[all caps]

Great read.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/28/world/americas/mexico-violence.html

Rod, im sure this isn't an easy question to answer, and maybe it isnt fair... and maybe youve given your opinion before.. but if you don't mind...

How big of a role do you feel America is playing in regards to the violence in Mexico, and what could America do to help? I dont have facts and figures but I personally think America has to be at fault for what is going on there. I can't type it all out at the moment.. and I don't even have any ideas on what America could do to help.. but id like hearing a Mexicans opinion.

 

[Rod1]

Rod, im sure this isn't an easy question to answer, and maybe it isnt fair... and maybe youve given your opinion before.. but if you don't mind...

How big of a role do you feel America is playing in regards to the violence in Mexico, and what could America do to help? I dont have facts and figures but I personally think America has to be at fault for what is going on there. I can't type it all out at the moment.. and I don't even have any ideas on what America could do to help.. but id like hearing a Mexicans opinion.

Short term.

1.- Do something about the opiod crisis and the drug war in general, while most of Mexico is quite violent, the poppy growing regions are on another level, when i read news about Guerrero, i may as well be reading news from Syria,

2.- America could easily force a top-down institutional solidity upon Mexico by threatening on the back channel with compliance with institutional reforms.

Otherwise im giving Mexico around 10-15 years until shit settles down.

 

[Rod1]

So what's the solution other than a tyrant rising to take power and cleaning house ?

Solid institutions so that crime prosecution stops being in the hands of people who used crime itself to get where they are in the first place.

 

[TSO]

I actually feel safer in Mexico than in Chicago

So you've never been to Juarez.

 

[TSO]

Short term.

1.- Do something about the opiod crisis and the drug war in general, while most of Mexico is quite violent, the poppy growing regions are on another level, when i read news about Guerrero, i may as well be reading news from Syria,

2.- America could easily force a top-down institutional solidity upon Mexico by threatening on the back channel with compliance with institutional reforms.

Otherwise im giving Mexico around 10-15 years until shit settles down.

Mexico is beyond help. Mexico as a country needs to end and a new state arise in it's ashes.

 

[Trotsky]

Murder rate is only 1 in 6,000. That's actually lower than I expected.

 

[Rod1]

So you've never been to Juarez.

More people were murdered in Chicago in 2016 than Juarez though. Juarez stopped being what it used to be.

The real warzone is the entire state of Guerrero with Acapulco being the most violent city in Mexico.

 

[Rod1]

Murder rate is only 1 in 6,000. That's actually lower than I expected.

Add 25% of people who are in the "missing" department.

 

[Rod1]

Mexico is beyond help. Mexico as a country needs to end and a new state arise in it's ashes.

Actually no, the state works quite well when it wants it to work well.

Try killing a politician or a politically connected rich individual and see what happens.

 

[TSO]

More people were murdered in Chicago in 2016 than Juarez though. Juarez stopped being what it used to be.

The real warzone is the entire state of Guerrero with Acapulco being the most violent city in Mexico.

I don't believe that. All murders in Chicago are recorded as murders while truckloads of dead bodies are written off as unaccounted for in mexico.

 

[TSO]

Actually no, the state works quite well when it wants it to work well.

Try killing a politician or a politically connected rich individual and see what happens.

Yes, they have a few shows of force but 99.9% of the time the criminals run the place. It's a failed state dude.

 

[Rod1]

I don't believe that. All murders in Chicago are recorded as murders while truckloads of dead bodies are written off as unaccounted for in mexico.

Indeed, but not in the major cities.

 

[Neil'sMagny]

Short term.

1.- Do something about the opiod crisis and the drug war in general, while most of Mexico is quite violent, the poppy growing regions are on another level, when i read news about Guerrero, i may as well be reading news from Syria,

2.- America could easily force a top-down institutional solidity upon Mexico by threatening on the back channel with compliance with institutional reforms.

Otherwise im giving Mexico around 10-15 years until shit settles down.

The corruption seems so widespread that it will take at least 10 years to fix it, no matter the solution. It stated in the article that in 2021 a few officials would have to stand for re-election, but not all. They didn't go into any detail, but which officials face a popular vote and which ones still get appointed by their party? Is it national pols face a vote, while local mayors get appointed? If that's the case, it basically ignores all of the corruption at the local level, which directly impacts Mexican citizens on a daily basis. Do you feel that this is a step in the right direction, or just more kicking the can down the street?