Mexico's shame

I got this e-mailed press release from the International Commission of Jurists recently, and I see it will be in the next edition of the Economist:

If Turkey is not permitted into the EU because of, amongst other things, systematic human rights abuses, shouldn’t the same standard apply to Mexico? Can or should NAFTA rebuke Mexico for this? It certainly seems like the Mexican Government really fouled up.

It makes me mad to think that those who dedicate their lives to preventing human rights violations can be murdered like this.

While someone who knows what they’re talking about arrives I’ll display my ignorance… My impression is that Turkey’s government oficially act in that manner while Mexico’s government does not. Mexico is the victim of corruption and bad government but the government does not support those actions. Just my feeling.

I will have to check but I think the Turkish government also denies it.

I have seen a cite, but not recently, and I’ll try and find it.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t the EU a lot more than NAFTA is? NAFTA is a trade deal; the EU is a political union of sorts.

The piece of news quoted does not impute the Mexican government with anything except maybe not investigating dilingently enough. OTOH, the Turkish government has an open policy of repressing the Kurdish minority. Again, I am no expert, but it seems to me there is quite a difference. My own impression is that Mexico is indeed a country more respectful of individual rights than Turkey. Blaming Mexico’s government for crimes committed against its laws would be like blaming the US government for crimes committed against its laws. Many Americans may see Mexico as a lawless land but do not forget a great part of Europeans feel the same way about the USA.

sailor wrote:

Ya ain’t just whistlin’ Dixie there, bub.

According to one sort-of-recent episode of Frontline (dealing with the War On Drugs), the Mexican government, from its highest officials to the police officers walking the streets, thrives on bribery. Police are expected to accept bribes from drug runners (for example) and then let them go on their way. Bribery is apparently a way of life there, and is practically instutitionalized – even though it is “officially” illegal.

Just how much does the law matter in Mexico, anyway?

I meant to type “institutionalized,” not “instutitionalized.”

“Instutitionalized” sounds vaguely breast-related.