Texas And Mexico: Eye on Southern Politics

In the article "Texas Keeps Close Eye on Mexico's Presidential Race," by Julian Aguilar of The Texas Tribune,  Julian makes some solid points on the implications of what a new Mexican government in place means for Texans. Just to give you a rough idea of how deep $$ our partnership with Mexico goes, just out of El Paso, Laredo, and Houston alone, they collectively make up for about $235 billion dollars in trade between Texas and Mexico. A new Mexican government in place would mean new trade regulations with the USA (if any), new economic restructuring for the growth of Mexico which could translate into new jobs for Mexicans and less immigration into the USA. Of course, not all, if any, of Mexico's problems are gonna be solved with a new government since their social and political unrests are just as deep rooted as ours, but for Texans, the outcome of their politics affect our pockets directly and without a doubt.  Monetary ties as well as the American-waged war on drugs are top issues of concern on both sides of the border. Which candidates will make Mexico safer from the cartels and their raging violence that spills into American soil? Which candidates are ready to create new jobs in Mexico? Does Mexico really have such a direct impact on a regular Texan citizen?

Paranoia! Paranoia! Everybody's Coming to Get ME!

Paranoia has been at the root of the political landscape ever since kings and politicians discovered the great benefits of shaping public policy through the means of fear and manipulation. Not only is it a great tool for shaping public policy, but also for the defense of the politician that is under public scrutiny for wrong doing or lack of better judgement and his/her only escape is to blame the "greater conspiracy against him/her," instead of simply apologizing for their mistakes.  In the article The Paranoid Style in American Politics by Scott Horton of Harper's magazine (August 2007),  Mr. Horton dissects this subject directing his aim at the paranoia of the the Republican right and then follows to analyze the subject from a universal perspective.  It is quite a peculiar article since it is an analysis of a 1964 piece of the same title by Richard Hofstadter in which you get to see the vast array of similarities between the political mindset of the 60's and today's. 

Hofstadter defines "The Paranoid Style" not as clinical term defining a few politicians as "certifiable lunatics," which I believe certifiable lunatic is just an understatement,  but  he defines the term as a force in politics that would have little relevance if it were applied only to men with profoundly disturbed minds. It is a mode of using the fear of the public for the political gain of an individual or party.  This isn't something new to anyone with the slightest political common sense, but to take a deep look at this subject could really make you wonder....
What If ALL American policy was based on reason as opposed to fear and the elitists' manipulation?

Some elements of the paranoid style are:

"The paranoid spokesman sees the fate of conspiracy in apocalyptic terms — he traffics in the birth and death of whole worlds, whole political orders, whole systems of human values. He is always manning the barricades of civilization… he does not see social conflict as something to be mediated and compromised, in the manner of the working politician.."

I guess we can't blame anyone but ourselves for letting this sort of behavior to continue. In the stage of the political spokesperson, an enemy is well crafted out of the insecurities of the general public as well as the fantasies of those who create him. He is crafted in such a way that he is invincible unless the public gets behind this messianic figure who is here to risk everything for the survival of the greater good.  In the words of Mr. Horton, "The selection and narrow definition of the enemy inevitably presents the simplification and coarsening of analysis of the risk environment." In the end, the public must use their judgement to make an informed and educated decision on such occasions.  Knowledge is power and it is up to us to execute such powers for our own good and survival.

A great example of Paranoid Politics.... Out of fear, empires are built.