U.S.-Mexico Relations: Latin America partnership needs work

Now here is an example of the global interest in Mexico that we wrote about in our recent editorial,Hope from the Hinterlands. This article is published in a Korean paper and written by a Hispanic journalist who writes for the U.S. based Hispanic Link News Service.

US-Latin America partnership needs work: "Latin America has become too important to the United States not to portray its complexity, prospects and importance properly.

Public understanding is also about having skin in the game. Ours is the fact that the United States exports $219 billion of goods to our southern neighbors, three times what it does to China. It's a stimulus program all its own. You would think we would have that tattooed to our brain in these times." Oct. 4, 2010, Korea Times, OpEd by Jose de la Isla, who writes a weekly commentary for Hispanic Link News Service. Contact mail him at joseisla3@yahoo.com.

Collateral Damage: Mexico Boom Biggest in Americas as Drug Criminals Lose to Nafta - Bloomberg

A very American story: capital investment trumps "a human perspective.". 

Mexico Boom Biggest in Americas as Drug Criminals Lose to Nafta - Bloomberg: "Mexico’s stocks, bonds and currency are beating the U.S. and Brazil for the first time since 2002, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

The violence is negative “from a human perspective,” said Guillermo Osses of California-based Pacific Investment Management Co.. “But from an investor perspective it’s not that big of a problem.”" Oct. 3, 2010

Collateral Damage: In Mexico, a dividing line on 'El Infierno'

A Mexican film on the drug war provokes reactions of catharsis and criticism.

In Mexico, a dividing line on 'El Infierno' - latimes.com: "Its citizens have made Luis Estrada's 'El Infierno' a blockbuster. But the film, which gives a bleak view of the country's raging drug war, has angered government officials. 

'I'm trying to invite Mexicans to a collective reflection,' Estrada said. 'I don't know how many people get that. But you do get the impression that the movie moves something in people, that it makes them think, it makes them reassess the state of things.... It's a mirror in which you don't like the image you see. But it does provoke a catharsis.'" Oct. 3, 2010

Immigration Legislation: Down the Menendez Immigration Bill

Here is a good summary of the recently introduced immigration legislation.

Breaking Down the Menendez Immigration Bill - The Washington Independent: "The bill includes paths to legalization for non-criminal illegal immigrants in the country, provided they pay a fine and application fees. But first it focuses on increased enforcement at borders, inside the country and in workplaces. Although the bill may not go anywhere, it contains some measures that could be aimed at finding bipartisan support, including its first section on border enforcement." Oct. 1, 2010

Immigration Crackdown: Securing State's Borders Costly, Ineffective

In case anyone is interested in the facts, here is more evidence that the "border security" strategy of the U.S. government isn't working,  but it is costing $17 billion dollars a year. And who benefits from that? The military-security-industrial-politicians complex. (For an in-depth analysis of how this works, see our post of Sept. 27, At War in Texas)

Securing State's Borders Costly, Ineffective - The Bay Citizen: "According to University of California, San Diego Political Science Professor Wayne Cornelius, it doesn't matter how high, or even how many, barriers there are. If you build them, migrants will still come.

Speaking at Stanford University Thursday night, Cornelius presented his research with UCSD's Center for Comparative Immigration Studies to highlight the current flaws and wasteful spending of border states' current illegal immigration policies. The effort has been largely futile, he said. While highlighting (the) failures, Cornelius also pointed out the amount being spent on enforcing our borders was roughly $17 billion annually." Oct, 1, 2010, The Bay Citizen

Weapons Traffic: Vehicle searches yield few weapons at U.S.-Mexico border

So the government really thinks it's going to win this "whack-a-mole" game?

Vehicle searches yield few weapons at U.S.-Mexico border - USATODAY.com: "Searches of vehicles crossing into Mexico are yielding few weapons in what U.S. officials concede is a frustrating effort to slow the flow of guns to violent Mexican cartels operating across the U.S. border. ...  the seizures represent a tiny fraction of arms flooding Mexico from the USA, at a rate of 2,000 per day, according to Brookings Institution estimates." Oct. 1, 2010

Immigration Legislation: Obama And Gay Group Lauds Menendez Bill

Immigration Reform: Obama And Gay Group Lauds Menendez Bill: "Yesterday, President Obama said that he was pleased about the bill that Senator Robert Menendez had introduced on immigration reform, and while you can’t please everyone all the time, this bill will hopefully serve most everyone that has interest in this issue. Along with the President, the group Immigration Equality Action Fund also had high praise for the bill’s “Uniting American Families Act” portion. But this bill has something for the whole family." Oct. 1, 2010, US Money Talk