"U.S. needs to watch extremists", Vicente Fox says.

Republic Mexico City Bureau | Mar. 17, 2005 12:00 AM | Chris Hawley

[hophead]

MEXICO CITY - Anti-immigrant sentiment appears to be growing in the United States, Mexican President Vicente Fox said Wednesday, and he urged U.S. officials to act quickly to control movements such as the 950-member-strong Minuteman Project on the Mexico-Arizona border.

Fox said he plans to push for U.S. immigration reform during a meeting with President Bush in Texas next week. He also said the two leaders, along with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, likely will announce a plan to expand the scope of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

Mexico's National Human Rights Commission recently issued a warning about several new grass-roots movements inspired by Arizona's Proposition 200. Other Mexican officials have cited the Minuteman Project, a plan by activists to patrol the border during April, as a sign of rising extremism. advertisement

"There are signs of these kinds of problems present today, and (they are) progressing," Fox said during a news conference for foreign reporters. "We have to act quickly and on time to prevent these kinds of actions."

He said Mexico is watching the Minuteman Project carefully and will take action in U.S. courts or international tribunals if any of the activists break the law.

Patrols start in April

"We totally reject the idea of these migrant-hunting groups," Fox said. "We will use the law, international law and even U.S. law to make sure that these types of groups, which are a minority . . . will not have any opportunity to progress."

Organizers of the Minuteman Project say they have signed up more than 950 volunteers, including 30 pilots with aircraft, to patrol the border for 30 days beginning April 1. The activists say they will notify the Border Patrol if they see border crossers and will not confront them directly.

Minuteman co-organizer Chris Simcox said participants are exercising their constitutional rights.

"Vicente Fox can rant and rave all he wants, but he obviously doesn't understand what a democracy means," Simcox said. "We have been working within the law."

'Walls don't work'

Fox also harshly criticized the construction of walls along the border, including a new "triple fence" planned for the San Diego area.

"We are convinced that walls don't work. They should be torn down," he said. "No country that is proud of itself should build walls. No one can isolate himself these days."

Fox said he understood Americans' concern about protecting their southern border. But he dismissed fears that terrorists have sneaked into the United States through Mexico. "We have absolutely no evidence of that," he said.

Fox will meet with Bush and Martin next Wednesday at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, and at Bush's ranch in nearby Crawford. It's an effort to get North American cooperation back on track after the Iraq and Afghanistan wars.

Plan on Social Security

Fox said he will push for action on a "guest worker" program in the United States. He said that the U.S. population is aging and will need Mexican labor in the future and that turning millions of undocumented Mexicans into legal, taxpaying workers could help keep the Social Security system afloat.

The three leaders likely will announce a plan aimed at further integrating their countries' economies to compete against other trade blocs, Fox said. He called it a "new vision" that will not change the existing treaty.

It will include new border-security measures, ways to share customs duties, and a continentwide energy policy, he said. Other sections will focus on education, technology and the financial sectors, he said.

NAFTA's critics say the 1994 trade pact has cost American manufacturing jobs while hurting Mexican farmers. But Fox said the average Mexican income has more than doubled, to $6,505 a year.

Fox said the boom of assembly plants along the border has actually helped stop illegal border crossing by providing jobs for people who would have gone to the United States.

"That's also part of security on the border, to have this cushion where people can find a job on the Mexican side," he said.

Reach the reporter at chris.hawley@arizonarepublic.com.

[FBD]

- it's all about revenge for the little girl.
the violence isn't gratuitous in that context.
Not a feel good movie, by any stretch.

My favorite line by all of the kidnappers to Denzel; "I'm a professional".

"Yeah, your just a professional...that's what everyone keeps telling me."...
...*bang*...

[ozarkgirl]

That movie, Man on Fire, you must see it just for the entertainment value. It's one of my latest favorite movies.

[ozarkgirl]

The only integration he has in mind is to rid Mexico of all "mexicans" and make the country pure spanish, that includes the indians that haven't interbred. That would be "racist" wouldn't it?

[dalereed]

"That would be "racist" wouldn't it?"

That's exactly how Mexico is run!

Anyone that thinks differently doesn't know anything about Mexico.

[FBD]

yeah. watching Denzel extract justice from the kidnappers makes up for the weak points of the movie.

But, you have to watch it twice, as the first time you miss quite a few pertinent details, because of the NYPD style filming.

But this movie definitly does not portray law enforcement in Mexico as anything but a totally corrupt mob, which it probably is.

[archy]

The writing is on the wall. A foreign leaders is dictating to Americans that they may not protect their (formerly) sovereign border from invasion. And our own Presidente Arbusto seems to agree with him.

Same old tune, just updated lyrics:

On September 27, 1938, when negotiations between Hitler and Chamberlain were strained, the British Prime Minister addressed the British people. Excerpts of this speech and another before the House of Commons are included here.

* * * * *

First of all I must say something to those who have written to my wife or myself in these last weeks to tell us of their gratitude for my efforts and to assure us of their prayers for my success. Most of these letters have come from women -- mothers or sisters of our own countrymen. But there are countless others besides -- from France, from Belgium, from Italy, even from Germany, and it has been heartbreaking to read of the growing anxiety they reveal and their intense relief when they thought, too soon, that the danger of war was past.

If I felt my responsibility heavy before, to read such letters has made it seem almost overwhelming. How horrible, fantastic, incredible it is that we should be digging trenches and trying on gas masks here because of a quarrel in a far-away country between people of whom we know nothing. It seems still more impossible that a quarrel which has already been settled in principle should be the subject of war.

I can well understand the reasons why the Czech Government have felt unable to accept the terms which have been put before them in the German memorandum. Yet I believe after my talks with Herr Hitler that, if only time were allowed, it ought to be possible for the arrangements for transferring the territory that the Czech Government has agreed to give to Germany to be settled by agreement under conditions which would assure fair treatment to the population concerned. . . .

However much we may sympathize with a small nation confronted by a big and powerful neighbor, we cannot in all circumstances undertake to involve the whole British Empire in war simply on her account. If we have to fight it must be on larger issues than that. I am myself a man of peace to the depths of my soul. Armed conflict between nations is a nightmare to me; but if I were convinced that any nation had made up its mind to dominate the world by fear of its force, I should feel that it must be resisted. Under such a domination life for people who believe in liberty would not be worth living; but war is a fearful thing, and we must be very clear, before we embark upon it, that it is really the great issues that are at stake, and that the call to risk everything in their defense, when all the consequences are weighed, is irresistible.

For the present I ask you to await as calmly as you can the events of the next few days. As long as war has not begun, there is always hope that it may be prevented, and you know that I am going to work for peace to the last moment. Good night. . . .

* * * * *

Since I first went to Berchtesgaden more than 20,0000 letters and telegrams have come to No. 10, Downing Street. Of course, I have been able to look at a tiny fraction of them, but I have seen enough to know that the people who wrote did not feel that they had such a cause for which to fight, if they were asked to go to war in order that the Sudeten Germans might not join the Reich. That is how they are feeling. That is my answer to those who say that we should have told Germany weeks ago that, if her army crossed the border of Czechoslovakia, we should be at war with her. We had no treaty obligations and no legal obligations to Czechoslovakia and if we had said that, we feel that we should have received no support from the people of this country. . . .

When we were convinced, as we became convinced, that nothing any longer would keep the Sudetenland within the Czechoslovakian State, we urged the Czech Government as strongly as we could to agree to the cession of territory, and to agree promptly. The Czech Government, through the wisdom and courage of President Benes, accepted the advice of the French Government and ourselves. It was a hard decision for anyone who loved his country to take, but to accuse us of having by that advice betrayed the Czechoslovakian State is simply preposterous. What we did was to save her from annihilation and give her a chance of new life as a new State, which involves the loss of territory and fortifications, but may perhaps enable her to enjoy in the future and develop a national existence under a neutrality and security comparable to that which we see in Switzerland to-day. Therefore, I think the Government deserve the approval of this House for their conduct of affairs in this recent crisis which has saved Czechoslovakia from destruction and Europe from Armageddon.

Does the experience of the Great War and the years that followed it give us reasonable hope that, if some new war started, that would end war any more than the last one did?

One good thing, at any rate, has come out of this emergency through which we have passed. It has thrown a vivid light upon our preparations for defense, on their strength and on their weakness. I should not think we were doing our duty if we had not already ordered that a prompt and thorough inquiry should be made to cover the whole of our preparations, military and civil, in order to see, in the light of what has happened during these hectic days, what further steps may be necessary to make good our deficiencies in the shortest possible time.

[Source: Neville Chamberlain, In Search of Peace (1939), p. 393; and Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons (London: HMSO, 1938) vol. 339, 12th vol. of session 1937-1938, pp. 361-369, 373.]

[truthkeeper]

Bush needs to stop treating this idiot Fox like he's his best friend. He should get tough on Fox and illegal immigration....

You took the words right out of my mouth. Bump to a great post.

[John Jorsett]

Anti-immigrant sentiment appears to be growing in the United States, Mexican President Vicente Fox said Wednesday

Ahem.
ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant. ILLEGAL immigrant.

Follow the law and come here via the approved channels, and you're welcome. Of course, Vicente knows the technique employed by the pro-illegal folks to obfuscate the issue by tagging the anti-illegal people as "anti-immigrant."

[ozarkgirl]

Hey, I'm female. I liked it for the wonderful relationship that developed between Denzel and his little charge. How it went from strictly business to a real caring for the little girl. Wonderful child actress.

[hedgetrimmer]

The conference at the Bush Ranch Mar 23 is about the "New Partnership for the Americas" or NAFTA-plus. This meeting is all about North American integration which is a step toward continental integration.

[Liberty Valance]

Hey Vicente: You're blaming the US for trying to solve a problem you turn a blind eye to. Are you afraid that gravy train of US Dollars being sent back to Mexico might dry up? FYATHYRIO

[Iscool]

He also said the two leaders, along with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, likely will announce a plan to expand the scope of the North American Free Trade Agreement.

"We have to act quickly and on time to prevent these kinds of actions."

The three leaders likely will announce a plan aimed at further integrating their countries' economies to compete against other trade blocs, Fox said. He called it a "new vision" that will not change the existing treaty.

For those of you who wonder what Bush is up to with the borders, this ought to make it crystal clear...They have to act quickly and on time...In other words, the time has been set for the elimination of the sovereignty of our country...And they must act quickly before the American public at large throw a wrench into the cog...

[dufekin]

In an age when the Privy Council of Jamaica supersedes our state legislatures in matters of juvenile criminal sentencing, why should the proclamations of the President of the United Mexican States not supersede the acts of the Congress of the United States in matters of immigration and border security? It seems that intelligent Vincente Fox understands American legal traditions and merely manipulates them to his own ends. There's nothing wrong with Fox; it's our own defective Constitution!

[4.1O dana super trac pak]

The 'fingers' scene was a bit much for me.

.I did like the portrayal of the slums, cars, cops, crooks etc. Definitely shot on location.

[daguberment]

Fox said....that turning millions of undocumented Mexicans into legal, taxpaying workers could help keep the Social Security system afloat.

I've suspected for some time that the Feds are turning a blind eye to this invasion for just this reason... the social security system.

[sweetliberty]

Since when did Vincente (Your Land is Our Land) Fox become an advisor to the president?

[Pendragon_6]

Since President Bush and Vincenti Fox are meeting next week, it might not be a bad idea to swamp the White House with calls, letters, and emails to make our redress about illegal immigration known to the President first-hand.

[hedgetrimmer]

Great idea. The Prime minister of Canada will be there too.

The northern border will also ultimately be erased.

[FBD]

>"I liked it for the wonderful relationship that developed between Denzel and his little charge. How it went from strictly business to a real caring for the little girl. Wonderful child actress."<


-that kid is one good actor, that's for sure.

[FBD]

Hi Dana.
>"I did like the portrayal of the slums, cars, cops, crooks etc. Definitely shot on location."<

-Yes; Mexico City. In the credits at the end they thank Mexico City, and say something that seemed like a back handed compliment, in context of the the way the movie portrayed it.

I've only been to Mexico once, and I don't understand the country at all. Mexico reminds me of what Winston Churchill said about Russia:
"It's a riddle wrapped in an enigma, wrapped up in a dirty snot rag, wrapped in a brown paper sack, or something like that... ;^D

Seriously, for a country that is both ultra rich, and ultra-poor, and full of both wonderful people and hoodlums, and some of the most corrupt politicians anywhere, it is sure a mystery to me.
I don't understand why it is the way it is.