"People always make the same two mistakes about the devil. The first one is the belief that he is hiding behind every bush and tree. The second, more importantly, is the belief that he does not exist at all."
- C.S. Lewis
A story in today's New York Times -
Yesterday afternoon we were visiting a museum and had lunch with a distinguished looking Mexican gentleman who spoke good english. It was a great opportunity to hear from a citizen their views on the world. Naturally the subject of 'The Wall' came up and he agreed that it is a bad idea but not for the reason you might immediately think.
He is a businessman who travels the world. His point was such a harsh border policy is driving Mexico to other international investors, particularly China.
"Once they get in, they will not easily be removed," he said.
He also had harsh words for the current Mexican president. This surprised us. He informed us that the problem with Trump is he is too far right and his policies, such as they are, are ill advised and will lead to further problems that will be difficult to fix. But, he told us the problem with his president is he is too far left.
"Like Trump he is a populist who does little reading or gives little thought to his policies," he said, "But unlike Trump, we don't have other institutions to keep his worse inclinations in check." He felt if Mexico continues on this path it will slide towards a country more like the failed state of Venezuela.
He also talked about how dangerous it is in the North now. The recent tragedy there is a testimony to this fact. He lamented that nothing is being done and both Presidents are too inept to fix it. His comments reflect a lot of what was said in the above article.
When I wrote about the tragedy earlier, I was speaking about the need for reflection and thoughtful action. It is appalling to see U.S. politicians use the killing as a tool for advancing anti immigration policies. I was not suggesting that nothing be done at all.
There are boogeymen in the shadows here. We have not seen any, nor are we likely to as well. We do not go looking for them either. The people we have met, like Veronica mentioned earlier, have been overwhelmingly kind and generous to us.
But the men in the shadows are real. Pretending they are not is foolish.
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