6 replies to this topic

[duke_Qa]

As this article mentions, there is a river of steel over the Mexican border from the USA, a flow of semi-automatic weaponry that are killing people in much greater numbers than other conflicts around the world.

To be honest, it is quite surprising to me that this isn't more mainstream news than it is.
In the period of 2008-2011, 2000 Palestinians were killed in conflict between Israel/Palestine.
The Libyan revolution cost around 15 000 - 25 000 lives.
The official numbers of Syrian deaths are around 10 000 in a year.

In Mexico, the number for the last five years is around 40 000 - 55 000. That is pretty brutal IMO. And the worst part of it is that its because American weapon-producers are making good money on these weapons being sold to Mexicans.

If I was a Marketing guy, I'd make a poster of an Mexican hitman pointing an American assault rifle in your face with the text "This is where your 'rights to carry arms' will get you" under it. Or "Sponsored by your friendly local NRA affiliates" or "Made in America" or "This guy bought this gun off your kid" or "Trade: Americans get drugs, Mexicans get guns: Who will be the better shooter? Probably not you".


Anyway, I thought this was a bit of an interesting tidbit of information. If its purely corporate interest or indirectly caused by war on drugs I don't know, but it is certainly a symptom of something that is not right.

[Pasidon]

How very negative of this article. I've heard of the gun belt and visiting the SSA factory in it is like one of my dream trips. Guns kill... big deal. But what this article doesn't say is that if we shut all this down, over 1 million people, if not a MUCH greater amount, would loose their jobs. It's quite the industry that not only appeases the military, but hunters.

[duke_Qa]

"Negative" but truthful. And I dunno how defending this with "1 million people work in the weapon industry" is a good defense(also, source? or is it mostly indirectly like border police, swat-teams, drug dealers, traffickers? Handy being the main supplier to both sides in a struggle I guess). if they were exposed to these weapons they'd have a 1% chance of getting killed every year.

Are you saying we should, through the mechanisms of socialism, maintain a industry that literary feeds off misery and death? I'd rather spend that "socialism" on creating green-energy jobs and other non-violent jobs then.

[Radspakr Wolfbane]

It's the violent aspect of Mexico that made me cancel my plans to go their this year.
It's just not safe and especially for white tourists.
I mentioned Mexico briefly a while back in an other topic but it's a wonder this isn't a major issue in the US.
The trouble is very close to home especially with Americans being killed.
This issue is directly connected to the long standing issue of immigration "the better your home the less chance you'll be house hunting".


But how do you deal with it?
Mexico isn't Iraq and there isn't a hostile party in control there (at least openly) so you can't topple them.
The US has no jurisdiction in Mexico nor are they likely to act because of the risk such an attack could bring.

[duke_Qa]

Mexicans criminals consider lives as very cheap. You better know your contacts and go to a safe tourist location somewhere away from the worst border-areas. Beyond that I think one would be relatively safe, about the level of Egypt.

Beyond that, narcotics are the main source of income for these cartels, they are nations inside the nations with all that money. Giving them easy access to guns makes them act like one too.

[Radspakr Wolfbane]

It's such a black mark on a country with so many things I love.
I love Lucha Libre, love Tacos and love Latinas I was even learning Spanish last year.

Some kind of action will have to be taken by the US before Cartel's start openly moving into America and bringing their wars there.

[duke_Qa]

I'm surprised Americans don't see the irony of arming future enemies just across the border. One day they might start raiding southern states just for the hell of it.

Dunno if I'd feel much safer with my own assault rifle if I knew my house was made of wood and there's 20 Mexicans with assault rifles standing outside.