Arnold and the Bean stalk

[Guest guest]

Schwarzenegger Denies Bush Troop Request

By AARON C. DAVIS (Associated Press Writer)

From Associated Press

June 24, 2006 4:25 AM EDT

SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger this week rejected a

request from the Bush administration to send an additional 1,500 National

Guard troops to the Mexican border, the governor's office confirmed Friday.

The National Guard Bureau, an arm of the Pentagon, asked for the troops to

help with the border-patrol mission in New Mexico and Arizona, but

Schwarzenegger said the request would stretch the California Guard too thin

in case of an emergency or natural disaster.

Schwarzenegger spokesman Adam Mendelsohn confirmed the governor's decision

Friday after two California National Guard officials revealed it to The

Associated Press.

Mendelsohn said the governor believed sending more troops would create an

inappropriate burden on the state and disrupt the guard's training schedule.

The overall deployment for the border mission will remain at 6,000

soldiers.

On June 1, Schwarzenegger agreed to send the California National Guard to

the Mexican border to help the federal government's effort to curb illegal

immigration. That ended a 17-day standoff with the Bush administration over

whether the state would join the border patrol effort and who would pay for

it.

California has committed to putting 1,000 troops on the border by July 31

and has 250 there already.

Schwarzenegger initially criticized the administration's plan to deploy

troops to the border, saying it was the wrong approach to dealing with

illegal immigration.

The governor finally relented after the Pentagon signed a document

promising to pay for the entire mission, a cost that could top $1.4 billion

nationally.

Schwarzenegger also wanted the Bush administration to commit to a firm end

date. It did not, but Schwarzenegger signed an executive order saying he

would not authorize the deployment beyond the end of 2008.

---

Associated Press Writer Scott Lindlaw contributed to this report from Soda

Springs, Calif.

 

 

 

 

For the past year I have been , like the rest of the nation, so distracted

by the sideshow in the Middle east that I didnt see what was happening in a

place not too many miles from here.

 

I didnt really understand all the hoopla about closing the southern border,

sending troops etc. It mystified me that we could be so fearful of insurgent

terorists, yet why we would worry about the southern border, when actual

alleged al qaida terrorists were unmasked in Canada- where we are not

sealing the borders.

 

My bad. I just wasnt looking, and made some dumb statements; such as that

this " was racially motivated " , or that it was " to secure elections by

limiting hispanic demographic changes in the Southwest " , etc.

 

I was wrong.

 

Because I misled you, I feel obliged to correct myself.

 

The real fear behind the border issue has nothing to do with any of this. It

has to do with money and politics of money. At east that seems the most

likely answer, when one reviews all the data.

 

To begin with, you recall the recent elections of several leaders south of

here, who are self styled populists; we call them leftists.

 

In either case, Venezuela's Chavez is the most vocal, and tends to set the

tone for Bolivia's Morales.

 

The biggest flap between the US and Chavez has less to do with his recent

purchase of jets from Russia, and more to do with his threats to sell oil

and other products not for dollars, but for Euro dollars.

 

That is the same sword that Iran pulled, and recieved such an angry response

from us. The ability to produce nuclear powered energy is not as much of a

threat as refusing to buy or sell in American dollars.

 

Meanwhile, in Mexico, elections are about two weeks away. Vincente Fox is

about to fade into the black; and the leading cantidate, Obrador, is not a

member of PRI (the ruling party for the last half century or more) but of

the PAN- the party of those who would dump NAFTA and the rest of the " free

trade " agreements with the US.

 

Obrador has said that he would do this promptly. What seemed to set him off

wasnt oil, but beans.

 

Yes beans.

 

Remember, that on both sides of the border NAFTA was hailed as a free trade

agreement that would bring growth and prosperity. It hasnt.

 

Well, it has; but not to those who grow beans; at least not to the small

farmers (or workers) on either side. Large agro-business (corporations) do

benefit. The liitle guys pay the bill.

 

Mexican farmers have figured out that their beans cannot compete with

American beans. Attempts to rememdy the disparaty have met with US statemts

that " we will not re negotiate the agrements. "

 

In other words, " tough cookies. "

 

Obrador has said that he will dump NAFTA.

 

Why does that matter?

 

Well, if just for starters NAFTA is dumped, and Obrador does actually follow

suit with Morales and Chavez- ie " nationalizing " natural resources such as

oil and minerals- it would have the effect of sending money flowing back to

Mexico, instead of out to international and American corporations.

 

More than that, however, the threat of a possible Euro dollar replacing the

Dollar in Mexico is quite a daunting prospect to the government.

 

Think for a moment: if currently the peso stands at a disadvatage to the

Dollar, and then is replaced by the Eurodollar (as Chavez is promoting),

then overnight the familiar exchanges at border towns and elsewhere could

take a decidedly different charactor. All of a sudden, Mexicans would be

better of than Americans. Their goods would fetch more absolute trade value.

The agro corporations currentluy selling beans would not be selling them in

Mexico; but rather Mexicans would be selling beans in America, and we would

be eating them.

 

The notion that some Zapatistas might be eating steak while Tio Sam eats

beans doesnt sit well I suppose.

 

It is with the eye to this future that we are sealing off the door...just in

case Obrador actually does get elected with enough support for such a change

to these free trade agreements.

 

It wouldnt stop the inevitable changes that folks would accomodate; but it i

s the only thing one can do if all he knows is to call up the troops to

solve every problem.

 

In the end, every problem isnt solved by killing someone.

 

Hats off to the Terminator for this at least bit of apparent common sense

or accidental restraint.

 

Michael

 

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