Yes, one wonders...
Posted on 08/24/2008 8:52:26 AM PDT by AuntB
SAN CRISTOBAL, Mexico -- Eighteen months after leaving office, former President Vicente Fox is taking a page from Jimmy Carter's playbook and engineering his legacy as a champion of democratic values and government transparency at home and abroad.
In a wide-ranging interview at his ranch near historic Guanajuato, Fox discussed his new projects and chided the United States for abdicating its role as global leader, questioned presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's position on free trade and dismissed Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez as ``a loudmouth.''
The United States no longer initiates ambitious projects such as the Marshall Plan that rebuilt Europe after World War II or former President John Kennedy's Alliance for Progress, which spurred economic cooperation in the hemisphere, said Fox, a strong U.S. supporter.
''We don't see this happening anymore,'' Fox told The Miami Herald. ``We see walls being built. What is the U.S. afraid of?''
Through his work at his new center, Centro Fox, the man who ousted the party that had ruled Mexico for 72 years plans to push global and personal leadership, democracy, free markets and immigration. Centro Fox, a sprawling complex partially inspired by the Carter Center, will offer educational programs on democracy and government. It will also include art galleries and an interactive library containing the records of his administration.
''We are putting together a network so that through educational programs, masters, seminars and workshops, we help people to discover their leadership. We are all leaders. We just need to know ourselves and exercise that leadership within,'' Fox said.
The other major challenge he has taken on is the presidency of the Centrist Democrat International, a global coalition of 110 Christian Democrat parties.
Fox's efforts are part of a new trend for former Latin American presidents, said Peter Hakim, president of the Inter American Dialogue, a Washington-based think tank.
''I keep hearing that the problem with Latin America is that we have no ex-presidents,'' Hakim said. ``Nobody whose real interest is not partisan or ideological. Somebody who has the country in mind.''
The value of former presidents like Fox, he said, is that ''they can help influence the agenda'' and mobilize support.
Fox, 66, governed Mexico from 2000 to 2006. His term was marked by low inflation and prudent fiscal oversight, although Fox remained unable to fulfill his campaign promises of economic growth. His term was also characterized by a strained relationship with Congress.
An ardent proponent of comprehensive immigration reform, Fox denounces the wall the U.S. is building along the Mexican border.
''This confusion of a migrant with a terrorist is terrible. Mexican migrants are very productive, very loyal to the U.S. They deserve better consideration,'' he said.
''The U.S. cannot isolate itself. They can build that wall, and let's suppose that they don't get Mexico's imports. Well, they don't get Mexico's purchases,'' worth about $136 billion in 2007.
He takes issue with Obama's refusal to embrace free trade, saying the Illinois senator who will accept his party's presidential nomination next Thursday would build an ''economic wall'' between the two countries.
''He is totally wrong on that,'' Fox said.
He cited Obama's often-told story about an Illinois Maytag plant worker who did not get needed surgery and died after it was announced that the plant was closing because it was unable to compete.
''That's populism. What Maytag was facing was closing the company. They decided to reopen and move to Mexico. They have been extremely successful here,'' he said. ``They create jobs here and people will not migrate. They also re-created new jobs in the U.S., in marketing, customer service, product design and engineering.''
As president of the Centrist Democrats International, Fox is supporting Cuban and Venezuelan opposition parties. He said it is the most effective way to promote democracy in these countries and ultimately defeat Chávez.
He called Chávez a ``loudmouth intent on derailing a plan for development for Venezuela.''
In Venezuela, Fox says the CDI is supporting student leader Jon Goycochea against Chávez's ''demagoguery.'' Through the CDI, Fox says he is working with Cuban opposition leaders Osvaldo Payá and Marcelino Miyares to develop strategies for a successful transition to democracy on the island.
Meanwhile, Fox's own country is facing a crisis due to the escalation of crime and drug trafficking.
President Felipe Calderon reacted by involving the army in the war. To date, he has dispatched over 30,000 soldiers and federal police to fight the cartels, according to press reports.
Still, violence has reached record levels. Homicides fueled by drug cartels in Juarez alone rose to 560 in July, compared to 304 for all of 2007.
''Things are tough in Mexico,'' Fox said. ``We are in the middle of a war now.''
Fox disagreed with Calderon's decision to involve the army in the fight against drug trafficking, but he acknowledges that it ''is probably the most trusted'' armed organization in the country.
''I would have used other strategies,'' he said. ``But now we are in, now we have to win the war.''
Calderon now plans to double the size of the federal police in order to reduce the role of the military in combating drug trafficking.
Winning the war for Fox means accepting U.S. support, but not the presence of the U.S. military on Mexican soil.
''No Mexican would like to see any police or any U.S. soldier on this land. If when we talk about support we mean joint investment in facing crime, joining strategies, sharing information, that kind of activity is more than welcome,'' he said.
He hopes that U.S. and Mexican law enforcement agencies can learn to trust each other because there is no other viable alternative.
''The issue of drugs is not a Mexican problem,'' he said. ``It's a problem of the U.S., it's a problem of Mexico and it's a problem of Colombia.''
''No Mexican would like to see any police or any U.S. soldier on this land. If when we talk about support we mean joint investment in facing crime, joining strategies, sharing information, that kind of activity is more than welcome,'' he said
That sure doesn't stop Mexican military from crossing our border, does it Mr. Fox? That's it, we'll send you billions of dollars, care for your refugees while they kill us by the thousands, and you still complain.
" Fox told The Miami Herald. ``We see walls being built. What is the U.S. afraid of?''"
Mexico, fool!
Centrist Democrats International http://www.cdi-idc.com/memberparties.php
PARTIDO ACCION NACIONAL (PAN) Mexico Member
They're inspiring.
But the jerks like Fox, who I won't even call "Mexican", can go to hell.
``We see walls being built. What is the U.S. afraid of?’’
::::::::
Now let us see. Where does this sense of lawless entitlement originate from? Could it be from the government pandering and support for Mexican lawlessness that has created it? Oh no — our government would not do something that egregious to American citizens....
Fox, we are afraid of illegal criminal Mexicans. Our tax system is bleeding to the tune of over $300 BILLION per year to feed your imported POVERTY to America. You should be pleased with how the American taxpayer is being bilked to pay for your poverty and government impotence. We pay for medication, education and food and shelter....not by our vote or approval mind you...so you should be happy the US goverment is proud to support your governmental failure, the illegal importation of your poverty, and feed and shelter a large percentage of your criminals in our prison system. Never mind the lives and property that are lost to those crimals....
You should be on your knees thanking the American taxpayer for paying for your miserable failures. Not criticizing our supportive government. And don’t let those few token walls bother you — we are making sure you still have plenty of paths for your illegal criminals to readily enter American and begin their rape of the American people.
Well maybe if you financed it with your oil money.....
By “Democracy,” Fox appears to mean “Give us more money and shut up!”
Mexico is rolling in money and in natural resources. There have billionaires galore, oil, gold, silver, farmland, tourist beaches, ancient ruins, and all sorts of advantages. Why the hell can’t they build up their own country, instead of shipping all their worst problems across the border and then demanding that we pay them for doing it?
Oh gee, a Mexican Gorbachev.
Yes, one wonders...
Tell you what Vincente, when Mexico brings down their wall that keeps Salvadorans and Hondurans from coming into her southern border, then we’ll talk, until then have a nice cup of STFU!
Hey, at least Gorby set up the conditions for the downfall of the Soviet Union.
This self-obsessed butt wipe did absolutely nothing except frantically running around the U.S. screaming that we should just let in all of his buddies so they could shake us down for every last cent and then take over politically.
Spot on. Mexicans should be holding their own leadership accountable for the incredible corruption that exists and holds the country back. So far their government has been able to deflect accountability by fanning the flames of anti-US sentiment. We ‘stole’ California. We ‘stole’ the southwest. We treat minorities horribly, etc., etc., etc. We should be sending bills to Mexico regularly for the medical care etc. that they aren't providing their citizens and we are. They can have Pemex pay us in oil.
I’m thrilled to see the ILLEGALS scrambling back to Mexico.
Let THEM pay for the.
Like you, I am INSPIRED by LEGAL immigrants that want to work and make something of their life.
You're drunk drivers for starters.
Someone in the ruling class of Mexicorruption pushes democracy?!You sure that's not suppose to say pushes drugs?
The United States no longer initiates ambitious projects such as the Marshall Plan
Let me translate that to Spanish and then quickly back to English: "We want more money from the Gringos. We want the Gringos to take our low class peoples, we don't want them. We want . . . ."
Here’s one of the many reasons every day, Senor Fox.
http://www.iberianet.com/articles/2008/08/24/news/doc48b0ebd69790b673891303.txt
Illegal alien charged
Aug. 24, 2008
“We threw out the Mexican and he came back in,” she said. “We threw him out again. He took off.” The employee, “Mike” — Richard said she did not have his last name available at the time — walked outside. “One thing led to another,” and they ran down Center Street. The stabbing took place, said Richard, between Mark’s Tire & Wrecker Service and Delta World Tire.[snip]
More of the same....
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana ...
BorderFire Report, TX - Aug 23, 2008
Nolasco and Ontiveros are illegal aliens who have previously been deported after having been convicted of felony drug offenses. ...
http://news.google.com/news/url?sa=t&ct=us/3-0&fp=48b17032e66176ec&ei=AoSxSLn-CI3ShQPx6snsAg&url=http%3A//www.borderfirereport.net/latest/illegal-alien-pleads-guilty-to-conspiracy-to-distribute-marijuana-and-unlawful-reentry-into-u.s.html&cid=0&usg=AFQjCNEbsrqanC6-MMqV8FgJEA7ONILTcA
Talk about one picture and a thousand words. Where was that? Any other background welcome too.
More today.....
Illegal Alien Caught in Montrose Sentenced to Federal Prison for ...
Aug 22, 2008
In addition, Renteria-Valdez had prior convictions of alien smuggling (1978), and molestation of children (1995). “We’ve increased prosecutions on the ...
http://lawfuel.com/show-release.asp?ID=19095
” And that’s exactly why the Mexican government keeps supporting illegal immigration. It’s a safety valve that prevents an up rising against those billionaires.”
There was a good article a year or so ago, where a mayor of a large Mexican City stated exactly that reason.
“And that’s exactly why the Mexican government keeps supporting illegal immigration. It’s a safety valve that prevents an up rising against those billionaires.”
I agree. What I worry about, however, is that the corruption and lack of true democratic opportunity will lead the populace toward more and more socialism. We do a very poor job exporting the truth about our system to countries like Mexico. Ignoring the political and socioeconomic issues of our immediate neighbors puts us at risk.
More Of Mexico’s economic help....
llegal alien sentenced to prison
Aug. 24, 2008
CEDAR RAPIDS -— An illegal alien living in Waterloo has been sentenced to 26 months in federal prison for using the Social Security number of a deceased infant.
Mexican national Mariano Medina-Valencia, 31, received the prison term after pleading guilty to charges of making a false statement in an application for a U.S. passport and for aggravated identity theft.
Federal prosecutors said Medina-Valencia entered the U.S. illegally and, beginning in 1993, identified himself using the name and birth certificate of a deceased infant to obtain a passport and a California driver’s license.
He must serve three years’ supervised release after the prison term.
http://www.wcfcourier.com/articles/2008/08/22/business/local/10559162.txt
“The Mexicans who come here legally, find work legally, make a better life for themselves and live their dreams are welcome.”
I think we need to cut off legal immigration for ten years to give the recent arrivals time to assimilate. We don’t need a population explosion of third world people whose values are not the same as ours. If it continues the way it’s going we’re all going to wind up as impoverished cattle being ruled by the financial and political elites. I work with many people who came here from Mexico to live their “dream” and they’re all still fiercely loyal to Mexico.
“We don’t need a population explosion of third world people whose values are not the same as ours. “
It’s high time we stopped playing politics with immigration. The democrats who support illegals and push for the immigration of legals who will most likely support democrats are putting the stability of our nation at risk. I don’t care where someone comes from, what color their skin is, etc. I do, however, expect that anyone who comes here to stay love our country above wherever it is they came from. If you don’t want to assimilate, don’t immigrate. The ability of people to justify gaming the system is rooted in disrespect for the system and also the belief that America has what it has because it cheated others. Our own left has contributed to this view in the world.
I couldn’t agree more. The current mess has it’s roots in the politics of the 60’s in my opinion and is currently sustained by the leftists and corporate interests to the detriment of the nation. Greed and idealism.
bkmark
Fourteen years into the post-NAFTA era, and Mexico still insists on pushing an energy policy that is to the left of Fidel Castro's and thus deprive their economy of billions and billions of dollars.
Go to Hell Señor Fox.
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