Being away from the Quinta for such a length of time leaves the observer a bit in the dark about the nuts and bolts, the ins and outs, of activities South of the Border. To be sure, anyone who says that he knows and understands everything that is happening in Mexico at any any given moment, past, present, or future, is a fool. There are many such observers, some who even charge for their services. This particular entry into the annals of Voice from the Sierra Madre Oriental is simply a bit of a summary of notions, observations, and a few facts about what is going on.
(1) President Felipe Calderon Hinojosa :
The President enters his end days in office now, having served well. My own evaluation of his service might even place him in the highest tier of Mexican Presidents who were worth more than a bucket of spoiled donkey mare's milk. El Gringo Viejo gains no friends in some Mexican circles by citing the bad ones, in our opinion, such as Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, Benito Juarez Garcia, Venustiano Carranza, Alvaro Obregon, Pllutarco Elias Calles, Lazaro Cardenas, Luis Echeverria Alvarez, and Jose Lopez Portillo. There are others who were just dumboes, and others who were "interim Presidents" who had little effect, good or bad. There were others who had some value of a positive nature.
The greatest objection we have with Felipe Calderon is that he cannot resist the ancient Mexican political custom of blaming the United States for the interior problems of Mexico. He does so much less frequently than most Mexican national level politicians, but that is to be expected from someone who comes to the political scene from the right wing of the spectrum. Figure that demagoguery ranks about like this:
Percentage of Demagogic Bilge when mentioning the USA
Partido de Accion Nacional - PAN 13%
Partido Revolucionario Institucional - PRI 28
Partido Revolucionario Institucional - PRI 28
Partido Revolcionario Democratico - PRD 63
These figures are highly scientific and approved by Nancy Pelosi, who will read them shortly after the OROGs have voted for this blog-entry.
It is none of any foreign head of state's business what Arizona does with its relations concerning the central government of the United States of America. It is none of any foreigner's business who, what, when, where, why, or how matters transpire within the govbernment and the people of the United States of America. Not the Queen of England, the Prime Minister of Canada, or the President of Mexico or any other of their elected and/or appointed officials.
While the President of Mexico did point out during his most recent visit, that the military and other authority in Mexico has recovered 150,000 or more firearms during the past 5 years with origins in the United States, he could well have pointed out that over 400,000 weapons such as automatic rifles and pistols, grenade launchers, hand grenades, and even bazookas have been decommissioned, whose origins were from Red China, Russia, Eastern Europe, Hezbollah, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. El Gringo Viejo has had too, too many conversations with military personnel who freely admit that this is the case, and whose numbers have almost always been in very close focus.
We are certain that the Mexican President, who is certainly an intelligent man, knows that the Fast and Furious debacle was an artificial construct, meant almost exclusively for the purpose of causing the death of a few Americans and/or American police so as to have a huge pin~ata made of gun dealers, gun owners, and any one else who is stupid enough to think that the American Constitution means anything.
To the President of Mexico's kind attention, El Gringo Viejo also points out that Mexico is awash with firearms that are normally only found in large armies of small countries. So, it might occur to him that, in spite of the draconian anti-gun and ammunition laws in Mexico....only the law abiding are disarmed. The thugs, trash, cockroaches, gangs, and other human refuse are, however, qualified to have automatic weapons and unlimited access to Red Chinese ammunition for AK47s and AR16s. Thankfully, the vast majority of the people who have been killed or wounded during the last 10 years have been the thugs, trash, cockroaches, gang members, and other human refuse. But the innocent have also been unjustifiably punished. Some 200 - 300 civilian deaths alone have been traced to the firearms moved in the Fast and Furious disaster. Many of those were miscreants. But others were women, children, soldiers, sailors, honest and semi-honest cops, who were killed because Obama and Holder thought the had a sure-fire way to forward the progressive agenda of disarming American civilians.
The President did return from a relatively productive trip to Cuba, however. He made very few friends among the higher ups in the Government by Gulag. It is said that he made his overtures to Fidel and Raul about how Mexico would be willing to renew investment in the Cuban mess. When Raul began to point out how the accomplishments of the "Revolucion" could not be compromised even while Cuba begins to make linkages with "friendly and understanding" nations, it is said that Calderon stood up and declared, "Gentlemen, I am on vacation. I came to give you my message, not to listen to yours. We'll go out an take our pictures and you can announce that the Revolucion is working as always for the betterment of the Cuban people and that we are all brother nations in Democracy".
The President was insolently received at Jose Marti' Airport, which was to be expected. He was received, for instance, by the Assistant Secretary for Foreign Relations. He did have sit downs with Raul Castro and Congressional leader Alarc0n. Distance has steadily increased between both official and man-on-the-street Mexico and the regime in La Havana de Cuba during the past 20 years. Almost all of Calderon's statements in public were directed over the head of the media and directly to the Cuban populace. He did speak about the future possibly involving Mexican private industrial investment.
It is sad in a way. Mexico is Cuba's number six or seven trading partner, but trade does not exceed 400,000,000 dollars total per year. Mexico and the United States do about that much trade in a day and a half. C0untries that trade with Cuba in declining rank are (1) Venezuela, (2) Red China (3) Canada (4) Spain (5) Holland, then Mexico and the United States. All of that commercial interaction barely totals 10,000,000,000 dollars.
Cuba has little or nothing to sell, and it cannot buy anything since it is broke. Fidel is a zombie, but Raul has the metabolism of a 40 year old man. So my granddaughters will get to grow up with the Castro-Ruz brothers, just like El Gringo Viejo has.
Obama has ruined the mystique generale of the gringo. No political leaders or presidents or dictators want to sidle up to the El Presidente Americano if he is not a tough, fair, real-live-pro-gringo gringo. The grovelling apologiser is not the guy you want to stand beside at the bar in the Real World Saloon.
(2) Please beware of news articles about the unpopularity of Felipe Calderon Hinojosa. His overall approval ratings remain remarkably high. The sober and silent Mexicans who are undecided about their vote this round have a very high level of possibility that they will keep to the right. El Gringo Viejo had thought about printing bumper stickers in the blue and white....with slight orange accents....which are the PAN's battle colours....with the ancient highway sign admonition (before the days of deaf-mute, metric signs with circles and bars).
The was a sign for the literate that stated "Conserve su derecha".....which means Keep to the right. Anyway it was a thought, but it would have probably resulted in my being escorted to the border. We'll leave everyone with what it might have looked like, more or less. There will be more on the Mexico situation, politically and in terms of the peculiar calm that has settled over most of Mexico. Perhaps it is Popocatepetl....or maybe it's the Mayan Calendar thing....or perhaps Al Gore is going to visit Mexico City and they are breaking out the snow ploughs.
CONSERVE SU DERECHA - Vote Josephina, Vote PAN
As always, we appreciate your presence on the blog, and your continued interest in the affairs we cover.
El Gringo Viejo
It is none of any foreign head of state's business what Arizona does with its relations concerning the central government of the United States of America. It is none of any foreigner's business who, what, when, where, why, or how matters transpire within the govbernment and the people of the United States of America. Not the Queen of England, the Prime Minister of Canada, or the President of Mexico or any other of their elected and/or appointed officials.
While the President of Mexico did point out during his most recent visit, that the military and other authority in Mexico has recovered 150,000 or more firearms during the past 5 years with origins in the United States, he could well have pointed out that over 400,000 weapons such as automatic rifles and pistols, grenade launchers, hand grenades, and even bazookas have been decommissioned, whose origins were from Red China, Russia, Eastern Europe, Hezbollah, Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. El Gringo Viejo has had too, too many conversations with military personnel who freely admit that this is the case, and whose numbers have almost always been in very close focus.
We are certain that the Mexican President, who is certainly an intelligent man, knows that the Fast and Furious debacle was an artificial construct, meant almost exclusively for the purpose of causing the death of a few Americans and/or American police so as to have a huge pin~ata made of gun dealers, gun owners, and any one else who is stupid enough to think that the American Constitution means anything.
To the President of Mexico's kind attention, El Gringo Viejo also points out that Mexico is awash with firearms that are normally only found in large armies of small countries. So, it might occur to him that, in spite of the draconian anti-gun and ammunition laws in Mexico....only the law abiding are disarmed. The thugs, trash, cockroaches, gangs, and other human refuse are, however, qualified to have automatic weapons and unlimited access to Red Chinese ammunition for AK47s and AR16s. Thankfully, the vast majority of the people who have been killed or wounded during the last 10 years have been the thugs, trash, cockroaches, gang members, and other human refuse. But the innocent have also been unjustifiably punished. Some 200 - 300 civilian deaths alone have been traced to the firearms moved in the Fast and Furious disaster. Many of those were miscreants. But others were women, children, soldiers, sailors, honest and semi-honest cops, who were killed because Obama and Holder thought the had a sure-fire way to forward the progressive agenda of disarming American civilians.
The President did return from a relatively productive trip to Cuba, however. He made very few friends among the higher ups in the Government by Gulag. It is said that he made his overtures to Fidel and Raul about how Mexico would be willing to renew investment in the Cuban mess. When Raul began to point out how the accomplishments of the "Revolucion" could not be compromised even while Cuba begins to make linkages with "friendly and understanding" nations, it is said that Calderon stood up and declared, "Gentlemen, I am on vacation. I came to give you my message, not to listen to yours. We'll go out an take our pictures and you can announce that the Revolucion is working as always for the betterment of the Cuban people and that we are all brother nations in Democracy".
The President was insolently received at Jose Marti' Airport, which was to be expected. He was received, for instance, by the Assistant Secretary for Foreign Relations. He did have sit downs with Raul Castro and Congressional leader Alarc0n. Distance has steadily increased between both official and man-on-the-street Mexico and the regime in La Havana de Cuba during the past 20 years. Almost all of Calderon's statements in public were directed over the head of the media and directly to the Cuban populace. He did speak about the future possibly involving Mexican private industrial investment.
It is sad in a way. Mexico is Cuba's number six or seven trading partner, but trade does not exceed 400,000,000 dollars total per year. Mexico and the United States do about that much trade in a day and a half. C0untries that trade with Cuba in declining rank are (1) Venezuela, (2) Red China (3) Canada (4) Spain (5) Holland, then Mexico and the United States. All of that commercial interaction barely totals 10,000,000,000 dollars.
Cuba has little or nothing to sell, and it cannot buy anything since it is broke. Fidel is a zombie, but Raul has the metabolism of a 40 year old man. So my granddaughters will get to grow up with the Castro-Ruz brothers, just like El Gringo Viejo has.
Obama has ruined the mystique generale of the gringo. No political leaders or presidents or dictators want to sidle up to the El Presidente Americano if he is not a tough, fair, real-live-pro-gringo gringo. The grovelling apologiser is not the guy you want to stand beside at the bar in the Real World Saloon.
(2) Please beware of news articles about the unpopularity of Felipe Calderon Hinojosa. His overall approval ratings remain remarkably high. The sober and silent Mexicans who are undecided about their vote this round have a very high level of possibility that they will keep to the right. El Gringo Viejo had thought about printing bumper stickers in the blue and white....with slight orange accents....which are the PAN's battle colours....with the ancient highway sign admonition (before the days of deaf-mute, metric signs with circles and bars).
The was a sign for the literate that stated "Conserve su derecha".....which means Keep to the right. Anyway it was a thought, but it would have probably resulted in my being escorted to the border. We'll leave everyone with what it might have looked like, more or less. There will be more on the Mexico situation, politically and in terms of the peculiar calm that has settled over most of Mexico. Perhaps it is Popocatepetl....or maybe it's the Mayan Calendar thing....or perhaps Al Gore is going to visit Mexico City and they are breaking out the snow ploughs.
CONSERVE SU DERECHA - Vote Josephina, Vote PAN
As always, we appreciate your presence on the blog, and your continued interest in the affairs we cover.
El Gringo Viejo
