newyorkasarizonagovernorjanbrewertriestokillethnicstudies,bryancurtissaystheresanunexpectedforcebehindthestatesawfulimmigrationbill:mexico"spresidentfelipecalderon.Whoshouldweblameforarizonasanti-immigrantlaw?Governorjanbrewer,whosignedthething.Theteaparties,whichhavedraggedourpoliticstotheright.Andtheu.S.Congress,whichhasgonethreeyearswithoutactingonimmigrationreform.But,today,letstrainouranimusonapoliticianwhohasthusfarescapedmuchscrutiny:felipecalderon,thepresidentofmexico.Calderonswarondrugs,nowwobblingintoitsfourthyear,helpedturntheu.S.-Mexicoborderintoabloodyslaughterhouse,completewithkidnappings,torture,andbeheadings.Youcandrawastraightlinebetweenthebordersclimateofterrorandthepoliticalopportunisminarizona.Calderonsfailurehascreatedasituationofcompletelyunjustifiedoverreaction,saysjohnm.Ackerman,aprofessorattheinstituteforlegalresearchatthenationalautonomousuniversityofmexico.Howaudaciousiscalderonswarondrugs?Itslikethenewyorkpolice,duringtheheydayoftheitalianmafia,goingtowaragainstallfivefamiliesatonce.Calderonisanoddfiguretostandatthecrossroadsofhistory.Hesknowntoamericansasatoughdrugwarriornolessachicagoanthanbarackobamacomparedhimtoeliotness.Buthispresidencyisalmostanaccident.Injuly2006,theformerenergysecretarywonthejobbyjust.58percentofthevoteoverhisliberalopponent,andrsmanuellópezobrador.Thecircusthatfollowedmadethe2000floridarecountlooklikeaminorhiccup.Lópezobradordeclaredhimselftherightfulpresidentofmexico.Calderonsdecember2006swearing-inwaspunctuatedwithabrawlinmexicoschamberofdeputies.Thankstointensifyingintra-cartelviolenceandinactiononthepartofcalderonspredecessor,vicentefox,drugtraffickersranroughshodoverblocsofthecountry.Socalderondidsomethingaudacious:hedeclaredwaronallofmexicosdruggangsatthesametime.Calderonunleashedthearmybecausehewonbyarazor-thinmargin,sayscharlesbowden,authorofmurdercity:ciudádjuarezandtheglobaleconomysnewkillingfields.Justhowaudaciousiscalderonswarondrugs?Itslikethenewyorkpolice,duringtheheydayoftheitalianmafia,goingtowaragainstallofthefivefamiliesatonce.Insuchascenario,newyorkscopswouldbeout-fundedandoutgunned.Andnewyorkerswhodidnthaveanythingtodowiththemoborthepolicewouldbekilledinthecrossfire.Thisisthewarthatcalderonhasunleashedinmexico.Calderonsfirstbigmistakewasusingthemexicanarmyashisenforcers.Likeitsamericancounterpart,themexicanarmyistrainedtodestroytargets,notdopoliceworklikeraidingapartmentsorarrestingcartelleaders.Moreover,theintensenationalismofthearmybrasscausedittoresistcooperationwithamericanintelligence,saysgeorgew.Grayson,theauthorofmexico:narco-violenceandafailedstate?Thearmyismuchmoreinsularandparochial,graysonsays,anddoesntliketotakeadvicefromgringos,nomatterhowdiplomaticandsubtlethatadvicemaybe.Calderonswarinevitablymovedtothecitiesandtownsalongtheu.S.-Mexicoborder,whichthedruggangsuseasastaginggroundtomovetheirproductnorth.In2009,calderondispatched10,000troopstojuarez,whichsitsacrosstheriograndefromelpaso,texas.Despitetheoccupation,thecity,toborrowcharlesbowdensusefulterm,isakillingfieldmorethan2,700peopleweremurderedinjuarezlastyear.Bordercitieswereoftenviolent.Undercalderon,theybecamewarzones.Thebattlesbetweenthearmyandthegangswerebadenough.Butcalderonsforcessoondiscoveredanothergrimsideeffectofthedrugwar.Whenyoustartkillingcartelleadersoroustingthemfromkeyterritories,youupsetadelicatehierarchy.Toagainborrowthenewyorkanalogy,ifthepoliceeradicatedonemafiafamilyfromqueens,thatfamilymighttrytomoveitsoperationsontotheturfofabrooklynfamily.Orelsethebrooklynfamilymighttrytohorninonthenewlyvacatedblocksinqueens.Orelsesomelow-levelhoodsmightusethepowervacuumtosetuptheirownkidnappingbusiness.Thiswouldtransformabloodypolicewarintoabloodymobwar.Thisalsohappenedinmexico.Inapril,au.S.Law-enforcementsourcetoldtheassociatedpressthatthepowerfulsinaloacartelhadwonthebattleofjuarezmeaningithadeffectivelykilledofftheotherdruggangs.Incalderonswar,thisqualifiesasapathetickindofvictory,becauseonemurderousgangisbetterthantwoorthree.Sincehetookoffice,obamahasbeenoneofcalderonsbiggestcheerleaders,sendinganall-stardelegationofhillaryclinton,robertgates,andotherssouthinmarchtotoastthemexicaneliotness.Butevencalderonhasbeguntohintthathisall-militarystrategyisntworking.Inmarch,hevisitedjuarezandpledgedtofocusmoreoneducationandpovertyeradication,whichiswhathisstrategyshouldhaveproperlyfocusedonfromthebeginning.Butcalderonsvisitonlycameafter15juarezresidents,whoapparentlyhadnothingtodowiththedrugtrade,weremurderedatahouseparty.Howdidwegetfromcalderonswartoarizonasstatehouse?Residentsofborderstateslikearizonawereunderstandablyterrifiedthataviciouswarwasragingafewmilesaway.Goppolsseizedontheviolence.Statesenatorrussellpearce,thebillsarch-conservativeauthor,usedhismediaroundstocitegruesomebordercrimestatistics.Johnmccain,whosupportedthebillinhisbidtofendoffagopprimarychallenge,saidthatborderviolencewastheworstihaveeverseen.Themurderofamericanrancherrobertkrentz,whowaskilled20milesfromtheborderinmarch,madeitfeellikethestatewasundersiege.Mostofthiswaspurepoliticking.Almostalltheviolencemccainandpearcehavecitedoccurredonthemexicansideoftheborder,nottheamericanside.(Evenkrentzsmurderremainsunsolved.)Asanarizonarepublicstorylastweekshowed,thenotionofdrugviolencespillingoverintoarizonasbordertownsisfictional.Butcalderonswarhasgivennewweighttoapowerfulpoliticalidea:thattheu.S.-Mexicoborderisamaginotlinethatliesbetweenusandagreatevilashadowymenacethatwouldkillus,tortureus,beheadus.Inhisefforttowipeoutmexicosdruggangs,calderonhaspulledoffakindofcoup:hesomehowmadetheborderanevenbiggerpoliticalflashpoint.Askedaboutarizonasenatebill1070lastmonth,calderoncondemnedthelawasracialdiscrimination.Hesright.Healsomightwanttoconsiderwhathedidtobringitabout.Bryancurtisisasenioreditoratthedailybeast.Hisstoryabouthisgrandfatherssoftballcareerisinthebestamericansportswritingof2009.Getaheadstartwiththemorningscoopemail.Itsyourcheatsheetwithmustreadsfromacrosstheweb.Getit.Forinquiries,pleasecontactthedailybeastateditorialthedailybeast.Com. 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