Criminals, Hegemony, and Discourse: The Role of the United States in the Mexican War on Drugs

Despite economic progress, Mexico is commonly illustrated by mainstream US media and many politicians in terms of extreme brutality of Mexican drug cartels. It further juxtaposes vicious cartels against the virtuous United States, which has devoted billions of dollars to fighting organized crime in Mexico. However, the mainstream account is misleading; the United States has also used its aid programs to strengthen its hegemony over Mexico. This paper argues that the United States’ involvement in the Mexican War on Drugs has been to a significant degree motivated by political and economic interests, whose advancement strengthens US hegemony over Mexico, and which have also helped exacerbate the drug-related violence. Implicit interferences of the United States in Mexico have been legitimized through discourses of Mexican racial inferiority, criminality, and vice. This thesis looks at three broad areas - culture, politics, and economics - and tries to elucidate US interests in respect...Show moreDespite economic progress, Mexico is commonly illustrated by mainstream US media and many politicians in terms of extreme brutality of Mexican drug cartels. It further juxtaposes vicious cartels against the virtuous United States, which has devoted billions of dollars to fighting organized crime in Mexico. However, the mainstream account is misleading; the United States has also used its aid programs to strengthen its hegemony over Mexico. This paper argues that the United States’ involvement in the Mexican War on Drugs has been to a significant degree motivated by political and economic interests, whose advancement strengthens US hegemony over Mexico, and which have also helped exacerbate the drug-related violence. Implicit interferences of the United States in Mexico have been legitimized through discourses of Mexican racial inferiority, criminality, and vice. This thesis looks at three broad areas - culture, politics, and economics - and tries to elucidate US interests in respect to the Mexican War on Drugs.Show less

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Criminals, Hegemony, and Discourse: The Role of the United States in the Mexican War on Drugs