Hillary and Drugs, Mexico and America

Yesterday, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton revealed herself to have a "blame America first" and "blame America often" mindset.

I guess we've known that for a long time, but now her perspective carries more weight. She's no longer just the first lady or a senator. She's representing the United States on the world stage.

MEXICO CITY -- U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday pledged to stand with Mexico in its violent struggle against drug cartels and admitted that Americans' "insatiable" appetite for illegal narcotics and their inability to control weapons smuggling was partly to blame.

...Obama said Tuesday he wanted the U.S. to do more to prevent guns and cash from illicit drug sales from flowing into Mexico.

But Clinton's remarks were more forceful in recognizing the U.S. share of the blame. In the past, particularly under the Bush administration, Mexican officials have complained that Washington failed to acknowledge the extent that U.S. drug demand and weapons smuggling fuels the violence.

"I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility," Clinton told reporters aboard her plane on her way to Mexico.

"Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade," she said. "Our inability to prevent weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians."

Criminals are outgunning law enforcement officials, she said, referring to guns and military-style equipment such as night-vision goggles and body armor that the cartels are smuggling from the U.S.

"Clearly, what we have been doing has not worked and it is unfair for our incapacity ... to be creating a situation where people are holding the Mexican government and people responsible," she said. "That's not right."

Hillary isn't practicing diplomacy. She's bashing America. That's not right.

She's trashing the country. She's being unfair.

Yes, the drug problem with Mexico is a two-way street.

But it could just as easily be said that illegal drugs coming in from Mexico has fueled our insatiable demand, not the reverse.

We have to hold the Mexican government and people responsible. Why wouldn't we? Why should they not be held fully accountable for their role in the problem?

Likewise, U.S. buyers need to be held fully accountable for what they do.

Hillary whines about our inability to prevent the smuggling of weapons across the border. What does she want? How does she propose we rectify that situation?

It's funny that Hillary complains about weapons getting into Mexico illegally. If Mexican people can get into our country illegally, is it any surprise that guns make their way there?

She's disturbed about the guns more than she's disturbed about the people committing the violence with the guns. Weapons and drugs aren't crossing into or out of our country on their own. They can't. They're inanimate.

Should we blame Mexico's "insatiable demand" for guns as the reason for the smuggling?

The argument that our insatiable demand for drugs somehow makes us responsible for Mexico supplying drugs to the U.S. is nuts.

Our insatiable demand hasn't caused the same problems on our northern border. Why isn't Canada overrun with drug cartels and the accompanying violence?

Why isn't weapons smuggling causing the same sort of problems on our norther border?

"I feel very strongly we have a co-responsibility," Hillary said.

That's silly.

The fact is the Mexican government and people are totally responsibility for what they are choosing to do. Our insatiable demand does not demand that they be the ones to supply.

This co-responsibility stuff sounds like psychobabble that would come out of a marriage counseling session.