The Mexican War of 1846 to 1848 was a lopsided American victory ON MOST ASPECTS. Zach Taylor's and Winfield Scott's armies thrashed the Ejercito Permanente everyplace from Contreras to Churubusco to Chapultepec. The Mexicans turned to guerilla action, and when the US Army (regulars and volunteers) weren't able to handle the guerillas (no special warfare skills in those days), Los Diablos Tejanos....the Texas Rangers....were brought in to pacify the rear areas, which they did extremely well.
Generally since 1848 relations with Mexico have been strained in one way or another. In the decades following the Mexican War, Mexico became a haven for cattle thieves, bank and train robbers and criminals of various other stripes....both Mexicans who struck into the US (such as Augustine Chacon), and Americans who stole from both sides (the Clantons, as an example). Although we have an extradition treaty with Mexico, the Mexican government fails to abide by it. We've had to deal with drug runners, coyotes who smuggle illegals, terrorists and other assorted scum coming up from Mexico. In 1916, one of their frequent governmental instabilities spilled over into Columbus, NM when Pancho Villa raided the US border. It's not improbable for something similar to happen again.
What Mexico fails to realize is this: The US was brutally attacked on 9/11/01, and the American people won't stand for it again, even if our elected officials are acting like a bunch of clueless baboons. If Mexico acts in an overtly hostile manner (unlikely), even the Wuss-in-Chief from Midland will have to act against his bueno amigo, Senor Presidente Fox. As it is, Mexico is acting in a hostile manner that is not as violently overt, and the Midland Mouse is just standing there and taking it as though nothing were happening.
The time is long since past to militarize the border, and begin rounding up and shipping out illegals. This is NOT anti-Hispanic, nor is it anti-immigrant. Hispanics who came here legally are just as offended as native born Americans at the way the border is being violated. The Hispanics I know who came legally view the illegals as pests and criminals who are ruining a country that the legals want to make a home in. But, I guess in the eyes of the left a legal isn't sufficiently Hispanic to count.....
If the federal government won't do something about the border, it does fall to the people to pick up the slack. The Texas legislators who are angry at the Minutemen are all traitors, and should be unelected next time around. When a cowpuncher has to strap on a pistol again so he can defend himself against dope smugglers and illegals just to check fence....that's when the border is in chaos, and needs to be secured.
This time around, when you vote, make sure the politicians put their money where their mouths are. If they fail to act, or act improperly, organize a recall and SEND THEM HOME! This country is far too precious to be left in the care of people who can't spot a threat when it's right under their noses!
They know well that we were also attacked on 3/9/1916. And what followed.
"We have Nicaragua, soon we will have El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Costa Rica, and Mexico. One day, tomorrow or five years or fifteen years from now, we're going to take 5 to 10 million Mexicans and they are going into Dallas, into El Paso, into Houston, into New Mexico, into San Diego, and each one will have embedded in his mind the idea of killing ten Americans."--Thomas Borge, Nicaragua Interior Minister as quoted in the Washington Times, March 27, 1985