An NPR commentator asked about what the Mexican President should do concerning his upcoming meeting with Republican Presidential Nominee Donald Trump, especially in the face of comments that the Republican Presidential Nominee has made concerning Mexico, Mexicans, and "The Wall".
Who remembers when "the Wall" was the symbol of the Iron Curtain when it stretched across Berlin?
What can President Pena Nieto really say to Nominee Trump? In a world where all was fair and equal, the President of Mexico could call him out for his comments, could yell at him, could hold his feet to the fire in the court of public opinion. But can he really?
The Mexican Press might be screaming about this, but there is no way to know with patterns of reporting in this country.
The reality of the situation is that there is a mathematically significant chance that Nominee Trump might become President Trump let us bow our heads in prayer... and Mexico will have to get in line with the rest of us to 'live' under such a regime. There is only so much room in Canada...
Historically, there are four reasons why President Pena Nieto must be politically correct with Nominee Trump, at least on a superficial level. Those reasons are Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California. Please forgive the limits of my historic memory if there is more Mexican territory that we, these free United States, seized from our neighbors to the south.
Politically, the world is divided into two hundred countries according to my World Maps Game App and we like to pretend that they are two hundred equal partners in the running of Mother Earth.
Sure.
The United States is the preeminent power in the Western Hemisphere. It the world, China, what was the Soviet Union...well, that is about all I can think of...in the world, that might form a balance of power with us. But over here? Canada? Mexico? Brazil? Argentina?
Historically, Mexico is wise to fear the United States and her expansionist policies. Economically, for all the crying that goes on in the US press about jobs 'heading south', is there any measure of parity between these two neighbors? Militarily, what would it take for the US to decide that, for its own good, it should intervene in the Drug War going on 'down there'?
I do not believe that any of these scenarios is likely, but I am also not the President of Mexico or the United States. But we do not live in a world where every nation is equal to every other one. Nor do we live in a nation that has a spotless record as preservers of rights and freedoms for the world. And the rhetoric coming from the Republican Nominee is...intense...to say the least.
Racist? Classist? Hateful?
I do not know that President Pena Nieto is going to say to Presidential Nominee Donald Trump. I can guess-probably with some accuracy-what he would like to say, and that is for more reasons than because I follow a religion that believes in prophecy.
But he cannot. Because he has the 'joy' of considering that the Nominee for President may actually become the President that he has to deal with. And that sends shivers down my spine.
