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First off, I need to apologize for the delay in posting the second part of my blog. Aside from the holidays, my assignments have been more than I anticipated. Alas, I have the continuing saga of the Third War posted. I also want to state that now I am back stateside, My blog posts should be more consistent. Emphasis on "should".
Mexico's Responsibility in the Third War".
It is rumored and some will say it is documented and proved that the Mexican government willingly turned a blind eye to the activities of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in the early 1980s while they conducted their drug trafficking business to the U.S. because everyone in Mexico was profiting. As long as there was large amounts of money coming in and no violence, no problem. Other up and coming drug cartels eventually saw the opportunity to profit from the same scheme and made their own deals with whatever government official was willing to make a quick Peso. Now officials are profiting from multiple cartels and making even more money. At that point there was no going back.
Because of the socio economics of Mexico where annual per capita income of the average upper middle class citizen is below the poverty level by American standards, any kind of financial gain from whatever source is tempting thus making bribery an easy source of supplemental income regardless of the ethics involved.
The Mexican Government is now fighting the Third War with its federal police forces and military. At the helm of this war is President Felipe Calderon. President Calderon has taken on the major drug cartels in an effort to rid Mexico of the scourge of drug trafficking that is tearing his country apart at every level of society. But as in any war, there is collateral damage. The collateral damage in this war are the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire and the economy of Mexico and cities where drug cartels have literally taken over. In many of the smaller and remote cities, drug cartel henchmen or “sicarios” have either killed or run off all officials out of the cities and taken over and have complete control of areas in an attempt to hold drug transport routes into the US and sea ports for narcotics export. In other areas of Mexico, entire police departments have literally quit or joined the cartels leaving the populace to fend for themselves. Drug cartels have literally gone straight to the top and killed mayors, police chiefs, cops, and other officials in a successful effort to intimidate anyone who may try to stop them or refused to take bribes. Therein lies the problem with accepting bribes. Once it becomes acceptable to receive bribes, it gradually becomes part of the culture and eventually morality and ethics fall secondary to the primary focus of profit. Once the briber has the upper hand, the penalty for refusing to accept a bribe is death.
The Mexican government has not exactly been innocent of guilt in the development of this war. Unfortunately, the Mexican culture has always had an unspoken acceptance of bribery to some degree. It is ingrained into the culture from the taco street vendor to the highest levels of government. A Peso for extra meat in your taco, to the extra $20 to the police to look the other way while the drugs go by a checkpoint. It's just a way of life in Mexico. It is this unspoken rule that the Mexican government has succumbed to and given the drug cartels the upper hand. Now that the drug cartels have amassed unimaginable profits, they can afford to buy off anyone. If the cartels encounter a rare official with integrity who refuses to accept a bribe, they just kill him or threaten his family to the point where he has no choice but to go along with the agreement or flee the country. Not only does that solve an immediate problem for the cartel, it also intimidates other officials who are willing to stand firm with their ethics. This is the battle the Mexican government is fighting within itself, routing out the corrupt officials that are negating the Calderon's efforts, It's no big secret that many high level government officials have been arrested for collaborating with the drug cartels and even being directly involved with the drug trade itself in one way or another. Being that drug cartel personnel have infiltrated every level of government, many government officials have been ruthlessly murdered for playing both sides of the line in an attempt to profit even more.
As of today, President Calderon and his government has made a noble attempt to curtail drug trafficking and cartel violence with the under staffed and under paid personnel that he has. But, until ALL Mexicans take a stand and dump the culture of bribery, it will be a continual uphill struggle to defeat any enemy it has created which is a major battle in itself.
Mexico's Responsibility in the Third War".
It is rumored and some will say it is documented and proved that the Mexican government willingly turned a blind eye to the activities of the Sinaloa Drug Cartel in the early 1980s while they conducted their drug trafficking business to the U.S. because everyone in Mexico was profiting. As long as there was large amounts of money coming in and no violence, no problem. Other up and coming drug cartels eventually saw the opportunity to profit from the same scheme and made their own deals with whatever government official was willing to make a quick Peso. Now officials are profiting from multiple cartels and making even more money. At that point there was no going back.
Because of the socio economics of Mexico where annual per capita income of the average upper middle class citizen is below the poverty level by American standards, any kind of financial gain from whatever source is tempting thus making bribery an easy source of supplemental income regardless of the ethics involved.
The Mexican Government is now fighting the Third War with its federal police forces and military. At the helm of this war is President Felipe Calderon. President Calderon has taken on the major drug cartels in an effort to rid Mexico of the scourge of drug trafficking that is tearing his country apart at every level of society. But as in any war, there is collateral damage. The collateral damage in this war are the innocent civilians caught in the crossfire and the economy of Mexico and cities where drug cartels have literally taken over. In many of the smaller and remote cities, drug cartel henchmen or “sicarios” have either killed or run off all officials out of the cities and taken over and have complete control of areas in an attempt to hold drug transport routes into the US and sea ports for narcotics export. In other areas of Mexico, entire police departments have literally quit or joined the cartels leaving the populace to fend for themselves. Drug cartels have literally gone straight to the top and killed mayors, police chiefs, cops, and other officials in a successful effort to intimidate anyone who may try to stop them or refused to take bribes. Therein lies the problem with accepting bribes. Once it becomes acceptable to receive bribes, it gradually becomes part of the culture and eventually morality and ethics fall secondary to the primary focus of profit. Once the briber has the upper hand, the penalty for refusing to accept a bribe is death.
The Mexican government has not exactly been innocent of guilt in the development of this war. Unfortunately, the Mexican culture has always had an unspoken acceptance of bribery to some degree. It is ingrained into the culture from the taco street vendor to the highest levels of government. A Peso for extra meat in your taco, to the extra $20 to the police to look the other way while the drugs go by a checkpoint. It's just a way of life in Mexico. It is this unspoken rule that the Mexican government has succumbed to and given the drug cartels the upper hand. Now that the drug cartels have amassed unimaginable profits, they can afford to buy off anyone. If the cartels encounter a rare official with integrity who refuses to accept a bribe, they just kill him or threaten his family to the point where he has no choice but to go along with the agreement or flee the country. Not only does that solve an immediate problem for the cartel, it also intimidates other officials who are willing to stand firm with their ethics. This is the battle the Mexican government is fighting within itself, routing out the corrupt officials that are negating the Calderon's efforts, It's no big secret that many high level government officials have been arrested for collaborating with the drug cartels and even being directly involved with the drug trade itself in one way or another. Being that drug cartel personnel have infiltrated every level of government, many government officials have been ruthlessly murdered for playing both sides of the line in an attempt to profit even more.
As of today, President Calderon and his government has made a noble attempt to curtail drug trafficking and cartel violence with the under staffed and under paid personnel that he has. But, until ALL Mexicans take a stand and dump the culture of bribery, it will be a continual uphill struggle to defeat any enemy it has created which is a major battle in itself.
Greetings Milplace folk and fellow brothers in arms. This is the first post of my "Narco War Blog". Here I will keep you posted on the happenings on the drug war along the Texas-Mexico border or the "Third War" as it is being referred to as. I ask that you use this blog only for personal information and not to be distributed outside of Milplace. This blog is not to be used as a news reference or legal fact. Being that I live along the Texas-Mexico border, I have plenty of reliable sources and am privy to some insider information. Due to my access to this information, I will not disclose names, locations, dates, or specific information so don't bother asking. My only intention here is to keep readers aware that we're on it and let you know what's going on in the Third War where people are dying every day.
In some of my posts, I may embed links that may further explain the situation but please be warned that some the sites linked in my blog are extremely graphic and may not be suitable for some viewers.
Why The Third War?
The media and politicians have labeled the war along the U.S.-Mexico border The Third War because it is literally a war. The Third War term is an attempt to differentiate between the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. Yes, the U.S. does have a limited number of troops stationed along the border, but only in an observer status. while some are armed, it is only for self defense purpose and the rules of engagement prevent them from actually firing on the "enemy" (A word on that in later posts). Many people see war as unformed soldiers in tanks, aircraft, ships, and using artillery and ships as a war when fact a war is defined as two parties fighting each other with whatever means to conquer the other. Regardless of the definition, thousands of people have been needlessly killed for no other reason than being in the wrong place or refusing to cooperate with the enemy. In the case of this war, there are actually three wars within a war. The first is being fought between the Mexican drug cartels fighting for the lucrative drug trade routes into the U.S. The second is between the Mexican military and the drug cartels in an attempt to eliminate the cartels. The third is between U.S. law enforcement along with a limited amount of military personnel to prevent the violence happening in Mexico from occurring in the U.S.
The First War Within the War - The Cartels
There are many cartels within Mexico but the larger ones are the ones that are perpetuating the Third War. They are the ones that are struggling to establish and hold the routes into the U.S. by killing anyone who stand in their way. Without getting their product (drugs)into the U.S. they cannot survive among the other cartels. To show their seriousness, they attempt to intimidate their enemies whether it be other cartels or the government through the extent of their ruthlessness. If that means beheadings, skinning people alive, dumping them in barrels of acid, or by chopping them up into small pieces, then so be it. Whether the victims are rivals, enemies, law enforcement, government officials, or military personnel, it makes no difference to them. The ultimate goal is profit and nothing else. As there are only a limited number of profitable routes into the U.S. as of today, all of the cartels are attempting to gain control of those routes and they will stop at nothing. Nothing at all. Nada. Keep this in mind as you read on.
Next week, The Mexican Government's role.
Log on next week for the ongoing saga happening in the here and now from the boots on front line of The Third War.
TXSGrunt.
In some of my posts, I may embed links that may further explain the situation but please be warned that some the sites linked in my blog are extremely graphic and may not be suitable for some viewers.
Why The Third War?
The media and politicians have labeled the war along the U.S.-Mexico border The Third War because it is literally a war. The Third War term is an attempt to differentiate between the war in Iraq and the war in Afghanistan. Yes, the U.S. does have a limited number of troops stationed along the border, but only in an observer status. while some are armed, it is only for self defense purpose and the rules of engagement prevent them from actually firing on the "enemy" (A word on that in later posts). Many people see war as unformed soldiers in tanks, aircraft, ships, and using artillery and ships as a war when fact a war is defined as two parties fighting each other with whatever means to conquer the other. Regardless of the definition, thousands of people have been needlessly killed for no other reason than being in the wrong place or refusing to cooperate with the enemy. In the case of this war, there are actually three wars within a war. The first is being fought between the Mexican drug cartels fighting for the lucrative drug trade routes into the U.S. The second is between the Mexican military and the drug cartels in an attempt to eliminate the cartels. The third is between U.S. law enforcement along with a limited amount of military personnel to prevent the violence happening in Mexico from occurring in the U.S.
The First War Within the War - The Cartels
There are many cartels within Mexico but the larger ones are the ones that are perpetuating the Third War. They are the ones that are struggling to establish and hold the routes into the U.S. by killing anyone who stand in their way. Without getting their product (drugs)into the U.S. they cannot survive among the other cartels. To show their seriousness, they attempt to intimidate their enemies whether it be other cartels or the government through the extent of their ruthlessness. If that means beheadings, skinning people alive, dumping them in barrels of acid, or by chopping them up into small pieces, then so be it. Whether the victims are rivals, enemies, law enforcement, government officials, or military personnel, it makes no difference to them. The ultimate goal is profit and nothing else. As there are only a limited number of profitable routes into the U.S. as of today, all of the cartels are attempting to gain control of those routes and they will stop at nothing. Nothing at all. Nada. Keep this in mind as you read on.
Next week, The Mexican Government's role.
Log on next week for the ongoing saga happening in the here and now from the boots on front line of The Third War.
TXSGrunt.
It is Armed Forces Day here in the UK.....
Wherever you are and whatever you are doing have a fantastic day..... to all our troops, past, present and future and especially those heroes who are no longer with us a huge THANK YOU ..God Bless you all ♥
After my motorcycle accident, and after being out of the music industry for the last 7 years due to having to recover from injuries, I am embarking on a new music project !
My musical passion has always been with the Rockabilly genre, and over the last 7 years I've spent some serious money on Instruments, amplifiers, and home recording gear. Now is the time to put all that to work, and to start doing with it all.
Prior to my accident, and as any free time I had, while pursuing my Miltary carreer allowed, I was involved with several bands, which helped to increase any musical knowledge I had, and helped me gain experience in live performace and writing & arranging skills.
Now I hope to be able to tie all this together, and finally be able to fulfill my dream of recording and releasing an EP.
I am currently in the process of writing and arranging several songs, and will hopefully be able to start recording in a few weeks, with Hills Sound Productions {HSP}.
The title of my first EP will be: "Boppin' With The Kid". My artist name is the "HillBilly Kid".
To help promote my upcoming EP, I have 2 new profiles:
MySpace: www.myspace.com/thehillbillykid
Rockabilly Fever: www.rockabillyfever.com/Hillbilly Kid
Please feel free to check out my Artist profiles, and offer any feedback.
On 7 December 1941, in one of the defining moments in U.S. history, the Japanese attacked the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and nearby military airfields and installations, based at Pearl Harbor, then Territory of Hawaii, and removed the U.S. Navy’s battleship force as a possible threat to the Japanese Empire’s southward expansion. The U.S. was now brought into the World War II as a full combatant.
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