A case for "Careful what you ask for ..."

FOXNews.com - Hundreds of Mexicans Block Bridges to U.S. to Protest Alleged Army Raids, Arrests:

"The protests in Ciudad Juarez blocked traffic for about two hours across three bridges connecting the city to El Paso, Texas. Similar protests broke out on bridges in the border cities of Nuevo Laredo and Reynosa. Demonstrators blocked city hall and a main avenue in the northern industrial city of Monterrey and roads in the Gulf state of Veracruz."

Now this is a country that runs on Illinois Political tactics .... nearly anything can be had for the right price.

So these people elected in the President knowing that he was going to go after the drug cartel, but they didn't bother to pay attention to how he was going to accomplish it [hmmm, this does sound familiar, doesn't it?]

So, is the President having an effect on the drug trade? that is, is he disrupting it? Well one of the things they are protesting is the reaction that the drug dealers have taken

"Calderon's offensive was initially widely popular among Mexicans hopeful for an end to relentless shootings, kidnappings and killings. But drug violence has only surged since then, with drug gangs beheading rivals and attacking police nearly every day. More than 6,000 people were killed in drug violence last year."

Now look - I'm not saying that the people should 'put up' with it, but I think they are misplacing their anger. The violence isn't the President's fault, its the drug cartels fault -- if they want it to stop, then THAT is who they need to stand up to.

BUT - there are still problems with the Mexican Army and local governments .... not just because they are still under the drug trades control, but also because the government has one heck of a time getting to some of these areas to check if there is corruption going on (just like there are parts of the US where this is true also, I'm not naive enough to think we are perfect)

BUT there is also a question about the protesters - why were they really there. According to the story there are reports that the protesters were actually there because either the drug cartel paid them, or threatened them, or whatever reason -- in order to get the government to 'lay off' ...

And I have to wonder .... there is an interview with one woman who's husband was taken during a drug raid and never heard from again - not that unusual of a story for down there. Which just brings me back to my previous point ....

((See previous story on US Troops being used for security of Afghanii civilians))