Firing Back: Mexican Drug War Heats Up, Expect More Blame From U.S. Firearms

If you’ve following the news from south of the border you already know that the situation has turned from bad to worse. And in much of the reporting from the mainstream media there has been mention of how American made firearms are playing a role. But consider this passage from CNN.com:

“A 10-minute shootout started when police tried to stop the BMW in which the men (suspected drug cartel members) were riding.”

I ask you where is the outrage at Germany? The drug suspects were in a BMW, so clearly this is proof that German-made luxury automobiles are helping fuel the drug war. Apparently too American made guns are good enough for these desperados, but only German autos will do.

OK, so maybe this reporter is making light of a terrible, terrible situation. But the point is that German cars are readily available in Mexico. That car, along with many others, was likely purchased with drug money. The homes these men live in, the suits they wear, the TVs they watch, all paid for with drug money. The suits were likely imported to Mexico, as were the TV sets (although some consumer electronics are actually made and/or assembled now in Mexico). The point is that Mexico is still part of the global economy.

And in a global economy you buy what you can afford. In the case of American firearms, one point that the MSM has neglected to report is even why the Mexican drug cartels are “buying American.” One possible answer is quality. American made firearms are reliable and a darn good value. My statement might give the anti-gun crowd and the MSM ammunition in their argument, but the point is that today quality and reliability counts for more than costs. Soviet era AK-47s are still available throughout the world, and remain the de facto weapon for revolutionaries and warlords in war torn Africa – but for the Mexican “businessmen” in the cartels they choose quality. Hence, they have BMWs because the cars are reliable autos.

The war in Mexico is just that now, it is a war. This has moved way beyond a regular turf war between cartels, and now it is essentially a revolution against the legitimate Mexican government. Should this conflict escalate – and let’s hope it doesn’t – we will see more guns flow into Mexico. But if that should happen, it won’t likely be from the United States. It will instead begin to resemble the situation in Africa, where the revolutionaries seek something less reliable, of lesser quality and more affordable. And it won’t be BMWs that the revolutionaries drive.

So this is Mexico’s war to win or lose. And it is one that America cannot afford to have the Mexicans lose. We’ve had a lawless semi-anarchic state south of our border before, and having one again wouldn’t be good for anyone on either side. This goes well beyond blaming Mexico’s woes on American guns.