What I call Drug War II when referring to the conflict going on in Mexico has now reached the point where the NYT also feels compelled to name it. They call it by the completely uninspired name of "War Without Borders," but you can't fault them for that. Creativity is often the first sacrifice of journalistic training.
...
That sentence could not have been more pretentious if it tried.
In any case, the first piece by the NYT to kick off this new series in what is sure to be a graphic and long-running series of articles about how Drug War II is a doozy, and pretty much summarizes what the situation is and where it's going. It's a pretty good read, and as comprehensive a news article as I've seen in English.
Obviously, more in-depth and nuanced reporting can be found in Spanish. But since 95 percent of my readers speak only enough Spanish to name various brands of tequila, the best I can do is a translation of an op-ed by Mexico's version of Doris Kearns Goodwin explaining why we're not now, nor will be, a failed state.
So if you're at all interested in learning more about Drug War II: The Dopest War, I highly recommend those two pieces. And perhaps, like me, you'll find little nuggets of hope, probably unfounded but still nice to believe.
Like the assertion that the escalating medieval tactics used by the cartels -- throwing heads into a night club to intimidate the populace is exactly like putting heads on a pike at the entrance of a castle -- are simply the last gasp of the wounded and dying animals, vainly clinging to life.
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