"Poor Mexico - so far from God, so close to the US".

Michael Yon posts retired General McCaffrey's observations:  Mexico and Canada are the most important nations to American economic health and in Mexico in particular (filled with a hardworking, humble, spiritual people—terrific businessmen and friends) we find a culture that has permeated much of the United States.  The dialogue between the United States and Mexico, outside of the last ten years, has been based upon a combination of U.S. ignorance and arrogance, and Mexican paranoia. What we are facing now in Mexico is not a “war on drugs.” What’s happening in Mexico is a struggle to establish the rule of law.  Somewhere between $19-$35 billion a year of drug-related commerce is being generated there.  That amount of money is a blowtorch that melts democratic institutions.

The retired general addresses US gangs and prison recruiting grounds, platoon-sized cartel troops armed with automatic weapons, and the Texas border (not counting El Paso) being the poorest area of the US with the highest rate of federal crimes.   We are going to hear more.  (Excerpts edited for readability).