To answer the question whether the security situation in Mexico can be
classified as a "new war" its distinctive features and characteristics will be
presented in theoretical form. On the next level, it is argued that organized
crime violence can be a new war actor himself and cannot be reduced to a
supporting role to the economic. Based on the acquired theoretical
knowledge an analysis of empirical findings follows. Here it is shown how the
Realities of the Mexican conflict situation make the country into a theater of
war in the sense of presented concept. Finally, the results are summarized
in a conclusion and pointed to the possible implications of the finding of a
new war.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. The New War
2.1 Agents of violence and privatization of violence
2.2 Economy of violence and "third sector"
2.3 Violence beyond ideological motives paradigms
2.4 Violence Strategy
3. Organized crime as a player in a new war
3.1 Organized Crime against the State
3.2 Organized crime against Organized Crime
4. Mexican drug war - a new war
4.1 Actors
4.2 The "big business" of the Mexican drug trade
4.3 Causes of Violence
4.4 Within the cartels
4.5 Between cartels and the state.
4.6 Brutality and Media Staging
5. Conclusion
Objectives and Themes
The primary objective of this work is to analyze the security situation in Mexico through the scientific lens of "new wars". The research question explores whether the intense violence characterizing the Mexican drug trade can be classified as a "new war" by examining the roles of non-state actors, shadow economies, and evolving strategies of violence.
- Examination of "new war" theory and its characteristics in intrastate conflicts.
- Analysis of organized crime as a central war actor and economic "war entrepreneur".
- Evaluation of the Mexican drug cartels as privatized violence groups.
- Investigation of the relationship between economic motives, state erosion, and extreme brutality.
- Assessment of the impact of "narco-violence" on civil society and democratic stability.
Excerpt from the Book
1. Introduction
In August, the number of deaths caused by the so-called "Mexican drug war" has increased to over 7,000 in 2010. Thus, only in the first half of the entire previous year's level has been exceeded. Since President Calderón in 2006 declared the war to the cartels a total of more than 28,000 people died. It is also notable that the number of soldiers, the military used to curb the pervasive violence in the domestic, are now exceeded to 50 000 soldiers.
The ratios of this magnitude are like those of conflicts, which political science recognize as "War". In addition to the purely numerical dimension, the Mexican Situation is characterized by a staging remarkable brutality and cruelty of torture, mutilation, staged execution and display of the dead in public particularly in the north of the country.
Due to this situation in July 2010 the U.S. government was forced to public a travel warning for the neighboring country. The quantitatively and qualitatively, extraordinary violence, which occurs between the actors, raises the question of whether this situation can also be described as a "war". The presence of a "traditional" interstate conflict can be denied without further debate. Even the term of "civil war" seems premature, since the one hand, the government action itself want to be understood as a crime fighting in the narrow sense and the excessive violence between non-state actors on the other hand is an outflow of more radical market logic.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the escalating violence of the Mexican drug war and poses the central research question of whether this conflict qualifies as a "new war" in political science terms.
2. The New War: This section defines the theoretical framework of "new wars," focusing on the privatization of violence, the emergence of shadow economies, and the shift away from purely ideological motivations.
3. Organized crime as a player in a new war: This chapter analyzes how criminal organizations transcend traditional roles to become active participants in new wars, specifically through their conflict with the state and other criminal entities.
4. Mexican drug war - a new war: This chapter applies the previously established theoretical criteria to the specific context of the Mexican drug cartels, examining their structure, motives, and the resulting brutality.
5. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes the findings, confirming that the Mexican conflict aligns with the "new war" model and discussing the potential risks to the nation's democratic stability.
Keywords
New War, Mexican drug war, Organized crime, Privatization of violence, War entrepreneur, Cartels, Economy of violence, Third sector, State monopoly, Brutality, Media staging, Narcoterrorism, Illegal markets, Security policy, Democracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this publication?
The work examines the security crisis in Mexico, specifically the conflict between drug cartels and the state, utilizing the political science concept of "new wars" to categorize the nature of the violence.
What are the central themes discussed in the book?
Key themes include the transformation of organized crime into military-like actors, the economization of violence, the failure of state monopolies on force, and the use of extreme brutality as a communication tool.
What is the primary goal of this research?
The aim is to determine if the security situation in Mexico meets the theoretical criteria of a "new war" and to analyze the implications of these findings for the stability of the Mexican state.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author employs a theoretical-analytical approach, establishing criteria for "new wars" based on literature (e.g., Kaldor, Münkler) and then conducting an empirical investigation of the Mexican situation against these predefined characteristics.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the evolution of privatized violence, the specific economy of the drug trade, the internal dynamics of cartels, their relationship with the state, and the role of media in broadcasting acts of extreme brutality.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as "new war," "privatization of violence," "drug cartels," "shadow economy," and "state erosion."
How does the author explain the extreme brutality of the cartels?
Brutality is explained as a strategic tool for intimidation, market regulation, and media-staging, designed to project power and establish the cartels as the de facto authority in certain regions.
What is the author's conclusion regarding Mexico's stability?
The author concludes that while Mexico is not necessarily a failed state, the ongoing "new war" dynamics and the loss of the state's monopoly on violence pose a severe threat to democratic stability and public trust.
- Citar trabajo
- Anonym (Autor), 2012, Drug War Mexico, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/194852
