The Drug War: Corruption and Cover-up at the Highest Levels

*Updated 16 October 2024

https://www.reuters.com/legal/former-mexican-drug-czar-heads-trial-accused-aiding-el-chapo-2023-01-23/

https://theintercept.com/2023/01/18/genaro-garcia-luna-trial/

Ten days after winning the Mexican presidency in 2006, and encouraged by the Bush administration, Felipe Calderon launched the Mexican Drug War. Less than two decades later over 500,000 are dead and even these figures are misleading as they don't include all of the tangential deaths involved in connection to drugs – nor do mere numbers explain what the war has meant for the industry, its markets, and societies ranging from South America to the Canadian border.

Smoke and Mirrors: Drug Cartels and the State

https://www.democracynow.org/2022/10/12/mexico_military_drug_cartels_ayotzinapa_ministry

The GOP is screaming once again about the border. Biden visited El Paso on his way to a North American Summit meeting in Mexico City. The Right has been howling for months about his failure to visit the actual border. So then when he shows up they go on the attack.

'How dare he!'

'It was a mere photo-op!'

Undoubtedly this is the case. This is what politicians do. Here's the question. If Biden had showed up and took a list of demands made by the governors of Florida and Texas and agreed to meet all their demands, what would they say?

CPAC and the Right-Wing International

https://www.counterpunch.org/2022/11/25/the-world-according-to-cpac/

This article caught my eye because of the growing sense of a Right-wing International. And it's one that certainly incorporates the Evangelical community but is not exclusive to them.

Chiapas Troubles

http://evangelicalfocus.com/world/4410/mexico_Chiapas_Evangelicals_held_after_refusing_to_organize_a_Catholic_festival

For all the ecumenical bridges that have been built in the developed world between Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, it's interesting that in Latin America the old animosity remains.

Lopez-Obrador, PES and Mexican Evangelicals

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Encounter_Party

http://www.mexelects.com/blogeng/mexelects/lopez-obrador-and-his-troubling-alliance-with-the-far-right-pes/

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mexico-election-amlo/mexico-presidential-race-roiled-as-leftist-front-runner-embraces-right-wing-party-idUSKBN1EA00L

http://evangelicalfocus.com/world/3634/Mexico_presidential_election_winner_will_work_in_coalition_with_evangelicals

Now that Lopez-Obrador has won, we're all waiting to see what will become of him. He's been one of the big players at the centre of Mexican politics for some time and like Nixon he's one of the few able to make a successful comeback.

Many people are excited and believe he represents real reform and will put a stop to the pervasive corruption that has taken over Mexico these past couple of decades. Many hope he will end the Drug War which has largely destroyed Mexican society.

And yet as many have pointed out, during the campaign he was long on talk and yet pretty short on the details. Additionally there are many indications pointing to a reality that he's not as 'Left-wing' as many seem to think he is.

The ACLU Report on Immigrant Prisons and Children

The ACLU has released a shocking report on immigrant detention centres and in particular the state of children kept in these facilities. The media is covering this story but given the nature of the accusations one would think this would be a major scandal.*

Many Christians will dismiss the story because it finds it origins in an ACLU project, in this case with the University of Chicago.

Plan Mexico, Condor B and a Series of Long Dirty Wars

https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/08/22/the-u-s-is-fanning-the-flames-of-violence-in-mexico/

The author provides a well done and quite readable narrative regarding the drug war in Mexico which began in 2006. He provides many links, including not a few to diplomatic cables provided by Wikileaks.

NPR and the Establishment Line: Fetid Narratives on Laos and Russia

NPR's interview programme Fresh Air is something of a mixed bag. At times it's very interesting. The interviews and guests are informative and I've benefitted and enjoyed listening to many episodes. For me, this is generally true when it comes to domestic social and political issues. The show also provides a great deal of time to pop culture figures which are not usually of interest to someone like me. Altogether I listen to maybe a third of the shows.

Finance Capital and the Shopping Mall

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-property-cmbs-idUSKCN12L0XB

The destructive and wasteful nature of Finance Capitalism is on display. Profit margins must always increase and this imperative produces its much celebrated dynamism.

But how destructive it is! Resources are wasted, communities are in constant upheaval and what is the price that is paid by individuals and families as this system generates, nay is founded on a constant game of instability?

Israeli Arms: A US Proxy in Mexico

The Zapatistas of Chiapas rose up in rebellion in 1994 as a reaction to the passing of NAFTA as well as decades of unaddressed grievance. The uprising which continues to demand reform (not secession) continues to wear on after twenty plus years of low-level conflict.

The Christian Right and Free Market Orthodoxy

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-utx-idUSMTZSAPEC2EIWOEVW

It continues to surprise me that so many who advocate the free market continue to support Trump. With Sanders on the Democratic side, he doesn't really elaborate his policies. Both populists promote big ideas but seem unable to elaborate on the details. A few people are starting to notice. But one point that Trump does make clear is his economic stance regarding outsourcing, trade deals, tariffs and the like.

Arms Dealers and the Business of War

Century Arms has a long history of being involved in covert and shady arms deals connected to the US intelligence community and their secret wars. Right-wing and corporate connected militias which in many cases are little more than CIA fronts also seem to be clients of choice. This is one of those many points where the lines between the corporate and intelligence complexes get a little blurry.

Texas Checkpoints, the War on Drugs and Highway Robbery

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AY7zYYrdkLQ

This video is enlightening, exposing yet another facet of this hopelessly corrupt and pointless cultural war. And like the sheriff says, they've failed. The social costs are beyond calculation.

Just as a supplemental note... It's not mentioned in the film but these checkpoints also function as a 'shakedown'. Many people pass through and just like in the video are ushered into a waiting room while the car is searched. Unlike the teenage fools in this film they are released, and it's only much later that they discover cash and valuables are missing.

The Church in Chiapas and The China Death Cult

I found this short video to be depressing on many fronts. I realize most of my audience will not agree with all of my concerns but for me there are so many things being revealed by this story.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHH3SC_0yn8

First, Voice of the Martyrs on the one hand is getting information out for which I am thankful. But at the same time, they have an established track record of misrepresenting the politics in other countries. That was true in this video.

Different Faces of Evil and How Sometimes the Lost Still Seek Truth

Here's a tough lesson to explain to your kids. Mine are now mostly teenagers and while they can certainly grasp more than they could a few years ago, in some ways it's getting more and more complicated. I'm sure those of you who have adult children will smile and nod your head. You've already been down this road.

We've been talking about the Mexican-American War and I found this recent video from RT. I realize many people hate RT (Russia Today) and consider it to be nothing less than Russian propaganda.

Drug Wars- Allies and Enemies in -The Game-

While the United States has long played a controlling and interventionist role in Mexican politics, it seems to have reached new heights with Felipe Calderon's escalation of the Drug War in 2006.

Since then tens of thousands of people have died and as usual the drugs keep coming. However, the Drug War is a massive business in and of itself and it must be asked... do those in power really want it stop?