Mexico is upping the rhetorical ante against the cartels by labeling them as terrorists. The government's re-labeling the group is to do two things. One, calling the cartels terrorists is reportedly going to allow the government to use stricter laws against them e.g. harsher prison sentences, but harsher prison terms are a already ineffective, especially to hard core killers- their guards let them out. Two, the government wants to clearly categorize them as a matter of perception. Right now, some Mexicans see law enforcement as causing much of the violence. Then again, Mexicans may be accusing falsely accusing law enforcement in favor of discrediting Mexican authorities to support local cartel elements.
Comment: I think labeling the cartels as simple terrorists is not the optimal idea, they should be called serial killers. While labeling the cartels as terrorists is all good in theory, I'm not sure how this is going to work well in reality. Terrorism is a verb and an adjective, not a noun. Fighting terrorism is perpetual...it never ends and its very difficult to find tangible results. The term terrorist means different things to different people; some see them as heroes, some as villains...there is no conceptual unity here. Call them for what they are...serial killers, there are roughly 30,000 bodies, many mutilated (some ritually), to prove it.
While the government is making some positive gains, the cartels have still penetrated much of the government...meaning it remains dirty, prison breaks will likely continue, justice will be a facade. Mexico needs to have the death penalty. This penalty should be reserved for those who are serial killers. I would call certain cartel members serial killers. Terrorism is the tactic they use to control the population, to include members of the government.
By removing the serial killers you remove the fear instilled in government officials who want to work on the good side of the law but cannot due to lack of support; you remove the fear in the population who are concerned about retribution should the cartel serial killers escape. People don't like to be associated with serial killers. The cartels are concerned about their image, they are willing to kill over it. That's why the cartels have targeted the media in Mexico. That's why the cartels donate to local communities, have songs made about their misguided heroic deeds...they are murders...serial killers.
Mexico Needs the Death Penalty, at least until their government is back under reasonable control. A measure of effectiveness in their campaign will not be the total eradication of crime, but the reduction of crime to a reasonable level to where local law enforcement can handle the situation effectively.
Call those cartels members 'serial killers'; it's easier to understand...it denies any political context...it matches their deeds. The label justifies using the death penalty. This is a state of emergency for Mexico, not a game. Security is more about the state of mind. Assure the people and government officials they are protected and the people will choose the path of least resistance in order to survive.
Other related links of interest.
Ripping Apart Narco-Insurgents 2 - Governance and ...
Ripping Apart Narco-Insurgents - Understanding the...
‘Disrupt Insurgent Psychological Dominance’
Cartel’s Psychological Dominance of the Battlespac...
Dominate Psychological Environment- Excerpt from "...
Counterinsurgency Warfare: Theory and Practice (PSI Classics of the Counterinsurgency Era)
Counterinsurgency
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