Divided Mexico

Right now, Mexico finds itself in a split decision not unlike the US 2000 national elections. With votes still being counted -- and soon to be recounted -- Andrés Manuel López Obrador and Felipe de Jesús Calderón Hinojosa each has about 36% of the national vote, with the more status quo Calderón slightly ahead a la Bush vs. Gore in Florida.

Reuters: "Electoral officials say it could be Wednesday before a final vote count is in, and some feared Mexico could be lurching toward a nightmare scenario of political deadlock, street protests and volatility in financial markets." Buckle your seatbelts -- this could be a bumpy ride. Mexican voters are at each other's throats just like voters in every other American republic.

If we remain divided like this permanently, surely we will all fall down. Goodbye Planet Earth, hello Mars! Lest we forget, Mexico is the third most populous nation in the Americas, after the USA and Brazil.


More Atrocities of War

War brings out a lot of things in people, including a latent propensity to commit evil. No war is black and white in its morality, either: all sides commit atrocities, even though opposing groups usually believe -- if they believe anything at all -- that "God is on our side."

When the 101st Airborne Division fought in World War II, some of its members were captured and massacred by some of their Nazi enemies. The unit was famous for its fighting skills and risky missions behind enemy lines, often being airdropped to hold strategic points until relieved by follow-up ground forces. Today, though, we learn of appalling atrocities commmitted by at least one member of the 101st: Steven Green, a 21 year old Iraq War veteran, was taken to court in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will soon be charged with allegedly plotting and carrying out the murder of a young woman's 10-year old sister and her parents, followed by that woman's rape and execution, all in the family's home in Mahmudiya, Iraq. He apparently did this with other US soldiers. Revelations of this act of merciless brutality is the latest in a long string of them, including Marines gunning down two dozen civilians last November in Haditha in November 2005, torture in Abu Ghraib and dozens of other containment centers in Iraq, and around the world. It's disgusting, but not surprising. Fact is, plenty of Americans have shown themselves to be as evil and depraved as many other glorious members of the greater human population. The buck must ultimately stop with the serving President as far as being "in country," but individuals must specifically be held accountable for their own actions, especially if they enjoy a certain amount of autonomous decision-making capability. That's basic existential freedom and responsibility. What a mess. God help us all.

Ciao.