The Mexican political class living a lie about Mexico's violence

Down in Mexico, the political class continues its entertaining distraction over the fence.     They react to all of the “border fence talk” as an insult to Mexico’s sovereignty.    

In the meantime, the cartels and violence continue to plague Mexico, as Patrick Corcoran wrote:  

After a three-year rise in murders, 2017 was the most violent year in Mexico’s recent history. 
The more than 29,000 murders registered by the National Public Security System represented a 27 percent jump from 2016, and a nearly 60 percent increase since 2014. 
As is usually the case, organized crime was the chief driver of this wave of bloodshed.

And yes a border fence could actually help Mexico fight the same organized crime walking dollars and weapons south of the border every week.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

October 2006: The NY Times: 650,000 dead in Iraq but the margin of error is between 426,000 and 793,000!

A post from October 2006

Can you believe this story?

Check the headline Iraqi Dead May Total 600,000, Study Says .

Now, read the story and see this:

"A team of American and Iraqi public health researchers has estimated that 600,000 civilians have died in violence across Iraq since the 2003 American invasion, the highest estimate ever for the toll of the war here.

The figure breaks down to about 15,000 violent deaths a month, a number that is quadruple the one for July given by Iraqi government hospitals and the morgue in Baghdad and published last month in a United Nations report in Iraq. That month was the highest for Iraqi civilian deaths since the American invasion.

But it is an estimate and not a precise count, and researchers acknowledged a margin of error that ranged from 426,369 to 793,663 deaths."

Why do they even print the story? How can any serious newspaper run this headline based on such a margin of error?

Let me write a headline: I weigh 175 pounds. However, the margin of error is between 40 and 75 pounds!

Again, how can any serious person read this newspaper?

Thursday's show: A chat about politics of 2018 with Barry Cassellman, The Prairie Editor

Guest:  Barry Casselman, The Prairie Editor.........we will look at the state of US politics..............and other stories........

Click to listen:

Thursday's video: It’s a bad idea for companies to play politics

It’s a bad idea for companies to play politics: https://t.co/CYMiglc106 via @YouTube

— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) March 1, 2018

No ‘We remember Mary Jo’ at the women’s marches

We remember mid-July 1969 because Neil Armstrong walking on the moon.  I watched it in the living room with my parents and my brother and sister.  We also remember Chappaquiddick, the tragic story of Mary Jo Kopechne.

There is a new film about to be released, and I’m looking forward to it.

This is from Roger Friedman:

“Chappaquiddick” refers to a scandal that in hindsight is stunning that it didn’t end Kennedy’s political career – or put him in jail. Let’s say you’re a fan of Kennedy for everything but this episode. Still, on a boozy summer night – the same weekend that Neil Armstrong walked on the moon – a married but philandering Teddy drove his car off the Chappaquiddick bridge with Mary Jo Kopechne (astute performance by Kate Mara, she’s excellent), a young secretary who’d worked for his late brother Bobby, at his side.

Were they screwing, or just driving around, drinking, having a grand time? No one knows. But the car went into the water and turned upside down. Teddy escaped and did not try to save Mary Jo. He returned to the party house where he and friends had been whooping it up, found two of his sycophants (Ed Helms and Jim Gaffigan), brought them back to the scene of the accident. By then, Mary Jo had certainly died. They never reported the accident. Instead, they created massive coverup that presaged Watergate. The car and Mary Jo were discovered the next morning by a passersby. Curran peels the coverup like an orange, and it’s beautiful to watch. Clarke portrays Teddy so ambiguously you almost can’t tell if he’s calculating, stupid, just a lost man child. The result is you can’t take your eyes off of him. Teddy’s scenes with his father – Joe Kennedy after a stroke, wheelchair bound, wordless perfection from Bruce Dern – are riveting. 

The Kennedys will not be happy. They may try to kill this film. (In 40 years no one has even tried to tell this story accurately.) Allen will have to present quite a PR front and solid distribution. This isn’t a tabloid story. Curran is damn serious.  If Mary Jo as #MeToo victim takes off, the movie will click. This really happened. Ted Kennedy – using his brothers’ assassinations for sympathy – convinced the world that he just didn’t know what happened to this beautiful, smart young woman. “Chappaquiddick” is quite stunning.

Release date is April 6th. More to come, oh yes, when we get closer…

It will be worth watching.

Recently, we’ve heard about former President Clinton and his behavior with women.  It may be time to come to terms with Senator Kennedy’s own behavior and the Democratic women who defended him over the years.

It’s time for the women’s march to remember Mary Jo.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

January 2007: The 100 hour show is a show

A post from January 2007

Rep. Pelosi's 100-hour agenda won't survive the US Senate or Pres. Bush's veto.

The 100-hour show was just a show.  It was intended to capitalize on some things that sound good, like the minimum wage and ethics reform.

To be fair, I would like to see strong ethics reforms. It would help if the Democrats would make Rep. Jefferson into an example. But don't hold your breath!

Pelosi and Reid are not serious about the nation's real problems, such as the War on Terror, Social Security, Medicare or Immigration Reform.

Don't take my word for any of this. See An Opening for the Democrats By David Ignatius:

"Ask about universal health care and he shakes his head. Four smart presidents -- Truman, Johnson, Nixon and Clinton -- tried and failed. That one can wait. Reform of Social Security and other entitlements? Too big, too woolly, too risky. If the president wants to propose big changes to entitlements, he can lead the charge."

So don't expect a lot to happen from this Democrat Congress, unless you think that the minimum wage is the defining issue of our time.

January 2007: An update on Juan Carlos Herrera-Acosta, political prisoner

A post from January 2007

This is from Cafe Cubano:

"Cuban Prisoner of conscience JUAN CARLOS HERRERA ACOSTA sewed his mouth shut Tuesday afternoon, December 26, at the maximum security Prison of Kilo 8, located in the province of Camagüey."

Who is this man?:

"Juan Carlos Herrera Acosta was condemned to serve 20 years in prison during the March-April 2003, wave of repression in Cuba, and is presently confined in the same compound with dangerous convicts condemned to death and to life imprisonment."

Where is Cindy Sheehan and the Hollywood crowd? Why are they barking about GITMO?

October 2006: Who pays taxes in the US?

A post from October 2006

Let me thank Rush Limbaugh's website for these graphs.

The Democrats are the "class warfare" party. Here are the facts:

1) The top 5% of US taxpayers pays 54% of all taxes;

2) The top 10% pays 65%; and last but not least,

3) The top 50% plays 96%.

Where is the other 50%? They are paying 4% of our income taxes. Half of our people are getting a very cheap ride.

Why did Pres. Bush cut taxes for the "so called rich"?

The answer is simple. They are the only ones paying taxes in the US.

We want Mexico to be prosperous and self sufficient

From my position in Texas, we want a prosperous and very healthy Mexico.   

We want consumers and visitors who spend their money in Texas. 

We want to export to Mexico. Unfortunately, we don't have a neighbor like that.

Mexico has failed Mexicans.  It's time for our southern neighbor to realize its potential.   Instead, Mexico has become dependent on remittances or "remesas":   

Mexicans sent home $26.1 billion from January to November 2017, according to figures released Tuesday by the central bank of Mexico. That's the most ever recorded and better than the $24.1 billion sent in 2016 over the same period.

This is why so many of us want to force Mexico to reform itself.   It won't happen until Mexicans hold their government accountable and responsible for the nation's well being.

October 2006: So long Bevo (Only Texans will understand this one!)

A post from October 2006

The Texas Longhorns are the national football champs. They beat USC in January.

It was a great game!

This week, Bevo died.

Who is Bevo? He is the Longhorns mascot.

Where else would a mascot get a front page article about his death?

Only in Texas.

Of course, there is only mascot like Bevo!