Victor Davis Hanson: With ‘Friends’ Like Mexico’s Obrador, Who Needs Enemies Like Putin, Xi, Kim Jong Un and the Ayatollahs?

American Greatness ^ | 1 Apr, 2024 | Victor Davis Hanson

[MtnClimber]

In Obrador’s view any country that would open wide its border, welcome in 10 million foreign nationals, without legal sanction, without audit, without even processing, deserves the contempt he extends.

In a recent 60 Minutes interview, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador—who prefers to be known as AMLO for short—issued to the Biden administration blackmail demands that sounded more like existential threats.

AMLO warned the U.S. that the current influx of some 10 million illegal aliens through the southern border will most certainly continue—unless America agrees to his ultimatums.

One, Obrador says the U.S. must now send $20 billion in de facto bribery payments to Latin American nations, many of them corrupt and dysfunctional. Apparently, he thinks it is America’s fault that millions of Latin Americans are fleeing these failed states northward, not the inept and corrupt governments that create such misery.

Two, AMLO demands amnesty for vast numbers of Mexican illegal aliens currently unlawfully residing inside the U.S. He apparently also thinks there is no such thing as U.S. immigration law. Or, if there is, such statutes do not apply to citizens of Mexico. Can we ask Mr. Obrador to simply grant permanent visa-free, no-questions-asked residence to any American living in a vacation complex in Mexico?

Three, he also requires America to lift sanctions against anti-American Venezuela. That communist government currently is part of the new China/Russia/Iran strategic axis. It is sending thousands of its citizens northward to enter the U.S. illegally.

Many of them are criminals, as the recent murder of Laken Riley by a felonious Venezuelan illegal alien attests. Dictator Nicolás Maduro’s Venezuelan regime recently threatened to invade and annex oil-rich Guyana, its smaller neighbor to the east. Maduro’s “security forces” have routinely murdered hundreds of political opponents. This rogue state is apparently Mexico’s newest ally.

[laplata]

Oh, yeah.... invading Mexico would be wonderful. You lead the way.

[Chainmail]

Welcome home to you too! 101st was a great outfit and well known for their bravery and ferocity. We were lucky to have you with us in I Corps.

I know that they're a proud people - I grew up with Chicanos in San Fernando went down Baja California to Ensenada a lot. My battalion went to orphanages around Tijuana once a month to bring the kids clothes and feed them while repairing their toilets and roofs and windows. The kids had never seen grass before the one time we go permission to take them to Camp Pendleton.

But that Mexican government is a disease - same old corruption, same old distance between the top tier and the suffering people, and either ignoring or facilitating the invasion and the drug barons.

We can't let this continue or our country becomes "North Mexico" without any of the benefits.

If we don't do something drastic, particularly against the cartels, we lose generations to Fentanyl, heroin, and Cocaine.

[laplata]

Thanks for that good post and the welcome Home.

You understand the internal situation and have done good work there.

I lived in Mexico (Monterrey and Guadalajara) in the mid ‘60’s. I never want to go back.

You’re right...something drastic must be done.

I think it’s possible that conditions here in the USA might be such that many people will be returning to Mexico and other countries.

Donald Trump handled Mexico and the situation very well for what he was facing, both internally and with Mexico.

Regards-