Our policy makers need to study Mexican culture and history, then try to understand the often nefarious role the United States has played down there. They need to know the Royalists as well as the Revolutionaries in the Wars of Independence; the damage that Joel Poinsett did and the greatness of Lucas Alamán; that backing Juarez first against Miramón and then Maximilian was a very poor plan; and that supporting the PRI against the Cristeros was criminal. They need to understand the Sinarquistas and the founders of the PAN.

Understanding our own contributions to making her the basket case of a nation that she is and the unique pride that Mexicans have in their country will help our leaders understand whom they can work with to help Mexico live up to her potential after her own manner.

It is essential that the cartels be destroyed, the country’s economy be allowed to pick up (and perhaps thereby slow the northward population stream), and the church/state and Indian/Hispanic rifts at the heart of her soul be somewhat healed.

The United States needs a strong and stable partner in Mexico, not a mere source of cheap labor and raw materials. If the Mexicans coming northward leave a strong civil society behind, they will be far more of an asset to this country and less a source of fear for the dwindling numbers of native-born.

Or our rulers may continue as they have done, with one ill-conceived opportunistic scheme for amnesty or repression after another, while ignoring the problem to our south. In that case, Mexico’s fraying social web will tear completely, and sooner or later ours will follow. Even if we one day build a wall along the border, it will be no more effective than Hadrian’s if the situation to the south is not under control. The Mexicans are indeed at our gates; whether they will be barbarians or not depends a great deal on us.

Image of painted door courtesy of Shutterstock