A topic that we have yet to really explore is that of the changing relations between the United States and our southern-most neighbor. Over the past 23 months, the Bush Administration has begun to prioritize the upholding of the border along the Rio Grande, including an attempt to construct a fence along the entirety of the 2,000 mile border.
His embittered battle with California state is first introduced here .
As the Bush administration begins to gain momentum, we see Vicente Fox (about to be up for re-election) go against his longtime ally, claiming that Mexicans enjoy the lack of border control and that to "no country that is proud of itself should build walls." Article can be read here.
Is this interplay between Fox and Bush simply for politics sake? Why does Fox break from Bush now? Wouldn't the Bush administration have discussed it with Mexican officials before pursuing the fight?
Is the construction of a fence a fair move for the U.S.? So many problems to explore...
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At American University in DC last semester, I took a class specifically on NAFTA. An interesting turn of events post-9/11 is the interest in patrolling the border not just for the now-cliched drug lords, coyotes, etc. but also for "terrorists."
As clumsy and inefficent as the Border Patrol is now (and how could it be efficient - with a 3,000 mile border?), the shift in values has near-destroyed the Patrol's ability not only to focus on the specific groups it has targeted in the past but also its ability to produce results. What kind of numbers will they have to prove that they have or have not detained terrorists?
I have articles upon articles dealing with this issue and others related to NAFTA if anyone is interested.
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