It’s not new when Senator Lindsey Graham thunders about wanting to “unleash the fury and might of the U.S.” against groups in Mexico, this time drug cartels. The catalyst was the kidnapping of four American citizens, two of whom were killed.

The Americans were black. That may explain why American outrage was so much stronger than when 70 Mormon missionaries were held hostage in 2021, albeit with none killed.

Several Republicans are urging military action within Mexico in response to drug cartels. Most of those taking the lead on this issue are notably weak on border security

Oddly, calling for military intervention in foreign countries is more politically correct than refusing to let foreigners in. War as a crusade is now an American tradition. We kill people to save democracy; end war; or to stop fascism, Communism, authoritarianism, or the latest incarnation of Hitler.

We do not fight wars in the national interest. That would require a distinction between “us” and “them,” which is now forbidden.

The United States of America lacks the will to defend its border, which makes it weaker than even the smallest sovereign state. President Obrador knows this; he laughed at Republican threats and issued his own:

Starting today we are going to start an information campaign for Mexicans who live and work in the United States and for all Hispanics to inform them of what we are doing in Mexico and how this initiative by the Republicans is an offense against the people of Mexico.

And if they do not change their attitude we are going to call for them not to vote for that party.

Since 2016, American media have been hysterical about so-called Russian meddling and disinformation. Here we have an open threat from a head of state. President Obrador also takes for granted that Mexicans and Hispanics will pay more attention to Mexico and be more eager to defend Mexico’s independence than America’s. There is no outrage. America, having imported a foreign helot population, does not have the power to prevent this. To denounce it is to admit that the United States has been wrong since 1965, when it dismantled the policy to keep America overwhelmingly white.