By Daniel Nardini
One of the problems with many so-called American “experts” and American politicians is that they treat too many countries and Mexico in particular as a geo-political pawn to be used and abused for American national interests. This is especially problematic when these so-called experts try to reduce a country the size of Mexico to being little more to how this country fits into what is good for America. But the question I should ask is what is good for Mexico? Doesn’t Mexico also have national interests? Doesn’t the country also have national integrity? One major problem is how too many U.S. Republican politicians love to tell Mexican officials what to do with the peoples coming through Mexico to not let them into the United States. In case these Republican politicians do not know, Mexico is a free country, and there is no doubt that Mexican security is trying to deal with this ebb and flow of peoples going through the Americas and into their own country. These peoples also cause serious headaches and trouble for Mexican nationals as well.
Like America’s geography, once people are in Mexico it is hard to control where they go without declaring martial law and employing hundreds of thousands of soldiers to either the border areas or deep within the country. This would not be a small task for any country, and Mexico is no exception. We have to remember Mexico’s varied geography. The northern part of the country is largely desert with very high mountains. The central part of the country has deep valleys, is the country’s agriculture belt, and has extensive Pacific coast line. Then there is the country’s tropical rain forest southern region. There are equally high mountains which makes it hard to patrol and keep track of people just like America’s desert border regions to the southwest. When I used to work for the newspaper on assignment in Guadalajara, I learned that this city and the environs of Jalisco state have their own priorities. When I visited the anthropology museum many times, the narrative of the museum was through local history from the local indigenous peoples through the Spanish period, the beginning of Mexico’s national sovereignty, the Mexican Revolution, and the development of the local areas’ industrial revolution.
In short, Mexico has its own history, its own historical narrative, and must look after its own people. When American politicians deal with Mexico, they must take all of this into consideration. After all, Mexico is a neighbor, a friend and an ally and all of this will be true to the end of time. We must treat Mexico as an equal, and as a land and country deserving of respect. It has been too long in American history and politics that the United States had treated Mexico as little more than a pawn of its national and military aggression. In some ways this is still the case, and it must end. Mexico is adamant about its sovereignty, and we should respect it. I wish the Republicans would stop using Mexico as a punching bag. Whatever problems both countries have in our long, inter-twined history, we all have to work through these issues together.
Do Not Treat Mexico as a Geo-political Pawn
By Daniel Nardini
Like America’s geography, once people are in Mexico it is hard to control where they go without declaring martial law and employing hundreds of thousands of soldiers to either the border areas or deep within the country. This would not be a small task for any country, and Mexico is no exception. We have to remember Mexico’s varied geography. The northern part of the country is largely desert with very high mountains. The central part of the country has deep valleys, is the country’s agriculture belt, and has extensive Pacific coast line. Then there is the country’s tropical rain forest southern region. There are equally high mountains which makes it hard to patrol and keep track of people just like America’s desert border regions to the southwest. When I used to work for the newspaper on assignment in Guadalajara, I learned that this city and the environs of Jalisco state have their own priorities. When I visited the anthropology museum many times, the narrative of the museum was through local history from the local indigenous peoples through the Spanish period, the beginning of Mexico’s national sovereignty, the Mexican Revolution, and the development of the local areas’ industrial revolution.
In short, Mexico has its own history, its own historical narrative, and must look after its own people. When American politicians deal with Mexico, they must take all of this into consideration. After all, Mexico is a neighbor, a friend and an ally and all of this will be true to the end of time. We must treat Mexico as an equal, and as a land and country deserving of respect. It has been too long in American history and politics that the United States had treated Mexico as little more than a pawn of its national and military aggression. In some ways this is still the case, and it must end. Mexico is adamant about its sovereignty, and we should respect it. I wish the Republicans would stop using Mexico as a punching bag. Whatever problems both countries have in our long, inter-twined history, we all have to work through these issues together.