would be happening today.

On a good day, Mexico only shoots itself in the foot instead of the head.

Basically five percent of the population holds the wealth. The revolution did not solve their problems. We are becoming Mexico. Crazy.

If not directly in charge of one gang or another, they are beholden to them. They've allowed them to get out of hand and infiltrate the police forces until even the President is fearful of them.

The drug trade is a direct result of the Mexican caste system that was set up for the "New Spain". The spaniards were obsessed with pure blood, dating back from their invasion by the Moors. To be in the upper caste, you must not have any Jewish, Muslim, Indio, or black blood. In addition, preference was giving to those born in Spain. It is all quite complex. They still refer to themselves as "White Mestizos, or Amerindians".

In the end, they set up a government ruled by about 15 wealthy families from Spain and a few Criolles (pure blood (or mostly pure blooded) Spaniards born in the new world). This system was in place until they forced Diaz out in 1910-1920. Pancho Villa fought the Hacienda owners.

Anyway, Mexico is screwed because all the wealth has been held by about 20 families. Everyone else is poor. Half of the poor are third world country poor. Some of my family were northern italian/french immigrants who settled in Jalisco. They fled to America in 1910 during the Mexican Revolution.

Drugs are big business in Mexico because it is one of the few jobs that you can make real money at if you are not part of the upper class.

Interesting. So you're saying it almost as if they (the ruling 20 families) have left the messy dirty drug trade as some kind of scrap to the "impure". Its like they'd rather see it prosper just to keep the population down so as not to go after them.

so, drugs happen. Bribing the police happens. Kidnappings happen. Desperate people do desperate things. We are becoming Mexico. If this keeps up, look to our neighbor in the south. That will be us in thirty years,