Fox urges pact to deal with poverty

AP via Boston Globe ^ | September 8, 2001 | George Gedda

[sarcasm]

ASHINGTON - President Vicente Fox of Mexico called a Cold War-era defense alliance ''obsolete and useless'' yesterday and urged that it be replaced by a new Western Hemisphere pact to deal with poverty and other social and economic problems.

Fox said that Mexico may withdraw from the Inter-American Reciprocal Defense Treaty of 1947, which was designed primarily to protect hemispheric nations against communism. He said he will decide on withdrawal within 60 days.

[sarcasm]

Fox said the Rio treaty cannot be relied on because it was not invoked in 1982 in support of Argentina, when it went to war against Britain over the Falkland Islands.

Ummm, Argentina invaded the Falkland Islands.

[waxhaw]

Quote from article "Fox's remarks are apparently prompted by the slow economic and social progress being made in many countries in that region. Although the hemisphere is virtually fully democratic, an estimated 130 million Latin Americans live in extreme poverty." I've lived in Latin America (Peru, Colombia, Panama, Venezuela, Honduras and Mexico) for the last 20 years. I've traveled through, briefly worked in or visited El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, Belize and Costa Rica. Many of these countries still had dictatorships or "juntas" ruling them while I was in them. The "extreme poverty" has really only came about since these countries became "democratic" (and it was also at this time that we started seeing mass illegal immigration into the U.S.). Perhaps some nations' people do better economically/financially under a "non-democratic" type of government. By forcing Albright's version of "democracy" on these people we've also forced them into dependence on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund; we've taken away their sovereignty and allowed unbridaled capitalism to reign, making the rich richer and the poor poorer. Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador more closely resemble feudal systems today then they did 15 years ago; Guatemala and Mexico are headed the same direction (now that they have "democratic" governments). The multinational companies which are now "investing" in these countries deal only with those who are out to become richer... and they're only interested in labor, not the laborer.

[sarcasm]

Or, maybe, in his mind "Anglos" are always bad and "Latinos" always good.

Probably the correct interpretation.

Why doesn't the Mexican ruling class deal with its own impoverished underclass? Why should American taxpayers pay their welfare bills?

I guess that you aren't a compassionate conservative!

[sarcasm]

Can you imagine what it will be like if the FTAA is passed?

[Willie Green]

Article IV

Section 4. The United States shall guarantee to every state in this union a republican form of government, and shall protect each of them against invasion; and on application of the legislature, or of the executive (when the legislature cannot be convened) against domestic violence.

I guess our Constitution can't be relied upon either when Congress and the Presidency are subject to the corrupt influence of transnational business interests.

[meenie]

So much for guarantees. This is,after all, our Constitution. If Congress or the President are dissatisfied with it, there is a procedure spelled out to amend it. This includes not only our border issues but gun issues, takings, or a host of other violations of our Constitution.

When we have foreign leaders come into our country trying to blackmail us into aid packages in order to stop illegal entry into our country, it shows how far ignoring the border issue has taken us.

Our hospitals, schools, and infastructure are overwhelmed in various states due to this influx. Taxpayers pockets are picked for the sake of cheap labor and now the demand for aid to Mexico is asked. Is there no limit to how much people are asked to support this charade?

[Vigilanteman]

Fox said the Rio treaty cannot be relied on because it was not invoked in 1982 in support of Argentina, when it went to war against Britain over the Falkland Islands.

Fox has just positioned himself to the left of Cuba and Venezula with this asinine statement. The Falklands were and are populated by people of English descent loyal to the English crown. Not even Castro thought the Argentine Junta which invaded the Falklands were worth supporting.

[Mopp4]

Fox said that Mexico may withdraw from the Inter-American Reciprocal Defense Treaty of 1947, which was designed primarily to protect hemispheric nations against communism

Uh oh...we should really be concerned about this... /sarcasm>

''We have, on the other hand, common adversaries that we must confront without letup and with all the determination of our countries: economic backwardness, extreme poverty, transnational organized crime, subversion of democratic processes, environmental destruction, and defenselessness in the face of calamities and natural disasters.

He's just looking for someone (us) to bail out his ass. All of the problems he mentions are of his countries own doings. We have enough of our own problems to deal with.

[sarcasm]

He's just looking for someone (us) to bail out his ass. All of the problems he mentions are of his countries own doings. We have enough of our own problems to deal with.

I'm waiting for the Latin American countries to start demanding reparations for "Yankee Imperialism."

[norton]

Waiting for them to demand reparations?
Looks to me like Fox has already got that bandwagon rolling along Pennsylvania Avenue.

Personally, I'd be willing to can the Rio Treaty then define illegal border crossers coming into my nation with either drugs or grand illusions about welfare happiness as an invasion.
As I remember the Geneva Convention - if they're out of uniform you can shoot 'em.