The things I find interesting. . .

Signs 'o the times.

Mexico is dead!

Three months ago I was talking to someone about the Pentagon’s release mulling the possibility of Mexico becoming a failed state.  For the life of me I can’t remember who that was, but they basically laughed the idea out of the conversation.  The collapse of North American countries has no precedent as we have basically been in a state of growth and development for the past 400 years.

“Mexican collapse” alarmists are usually confined to militia forums, rare op-ed pieces, and call-ins on the Glenn Beck show.  Part of my brain wants me to think, “Come on, failed states belong in Africa and South America!  Couldn’t happen here!”

However, in light of the continuing drug wars, the H1N1 “Swine Flu” outbreak, and today’s announcement of a 5.6 magnitude earthquake outside of Mexico City, I am forced to contemplate what North America and, more exactly, the United States of America might do in the event of the collapse of Mexico.

Though the US D.O.D., the Pentagon, and several private think-tanks have all reported that Mexico could suddenly collapse, and even though border states have (quietly) begun preparing for such an event…THERE IS NO DISCOURSE ON THIS POSSIBILITY IN PUBLIC FORUMS.

Two consequences of a Mexican collapse:

Staggering Mexican emigration

I do not count myself as one who is “anti-immigrant”.  I think people who view our borders as impenetrable barriers that should be guarded like a hawk tend to forget their own roots and act more out of blind selfishness then they do out of patriotism.  Real patriots invite those in who desire to legally and actively participate in our country’s great economic and social system.

All that being said, the collapse of Mexico would cause an influx of refugees that we could not possibly be prepared for.  What would we do?  Send a whole division of the United States Army to guard the border?  Shoot those on sight who cross unauthorized?  Methinks past administrations might take that route which would put us in a very poor position internationally.  But what is the alternative?  Call in the UN and set up camps in southern Texas?

The answer is, there is no answer.  It would get messy as hell.

Easy access for outsiders

An even greater worry than the flood of otherwise innocent and well-behaved Mexican citizens would be those with ill-intent entering Mexico “post-collapse” and then attempting to gain refugee status in the US.  The Border Patrol, INS, and DHS have made great strides in protecting our borders and airports from people who enter the US with ill-intent.  Having a collapsed nation right next door would make it VERY easy for both domestic Mexicans and outside influencers to set up bases of operation to strike America from.

I am not trying to be paranoid, or say that there is ANYTHING we can do about this preemptively.  In fact, my point is pretty much that there is nothing to be done preemptively.

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Aside from those two consequences, there are myriad health, infrastructure, and economic consequences of a Mexican collapse that would weigh heavily on our country for decades if not contribute to a serious setback in our quality of life and security.

I have no answers here, obviously.  My only question is, why aren’t we talking about this?  Are we scared to offend the citizens of Mexico who are obviously doing a bang-up job of running their country?  Mexico has a rich history and the vast majority of their citizens wish to keep their country around, why aren’t we offering more help to keep them afloat?

Are our resources that tapped?  Should we be spending less time and money worrying about the health of our fattened financial institutions and more time devising a way to help a neighbor?  This isn’t being talked about, and if our neighbor’s house catches on fire, ours certainly won’t remained undamaged.