Wednesday, January 12, 2005

Mexico and the United States

The media in the United States operates under the assumption that Latin American foreign and domestic policy show serve US interests. An article in the New York Times suggests that Mexico is remiss for placing the survival needs of its citizens over US concerns over a porous border. However, the mainstream press and the general populace would revolt if the United States government put foreign policy needs over the needs of its own citizens. I think this double standard should be acknowledged and hopefully fixed.

1 comment:

Huck said...

Monisha - Excellent observation. US foreign policy is quite rife with double-standards and inconsistencies -- especially as it regards immigration. Who can blame the Mexican Government for wanting to save Mexican lives? The fact is that the US State Department also has "tips" and "guidelines" for US citizens travelling illegally in places like Cuba or North Korea. The motive is the same: not to encourage migration, but to make sure that citizens who do so are at least informed about local conditions and are as safe as possible at every step of their journey.