But, the world did not change. That’s an egoistical way for Americans to assert their importance, which the rest of the world — particularly today — casually ignores.

Terrorists exist to inspire terror. Refuse to give in to fear and they are defeated. The average person is in more danger crossing the street than from terrorists, but if you tremble, buy duct tape. That’ll help.

I guess we’ll see how security for Obama is handled. I did notice this: During the acceptance speech, nothing was heavy-handed or visible. I’m sure there was lots of security. But that’s the point here: It can be effective. Or it can be visible, oppressive, and insulting.

Clinton was able to visit Merida without naval flotillas and squadrons of jet fighters and helicopters.

During the Clinton years, terrorists were just as intent on hitting the USA as during the Bush years, and in fact, exploded a bomb in the World Trade Center basement parking garage. Those terrorists were captured during the Clinton years, tried in a US court and imprisoned. The terrorists who planned the World Trade Center attacks on 9.11 are still at large.

As to all concept that “organized crime is completely defeated in the USA,” I suggest that anyone open any newspaper to read about the rings of meth gangs, the gangs dealing heroin, cocaine, etc, etc, etc. Organized crime is alive and well in the USA and killing people (though not as spectacularly) every day. In fact, there are many more drug killings in the US than Mexico. They are just spread around so much — and so common place — they don’t get the splashy headlines that “decapitation” does.

Finally, the drug wars in Mexico are precisely because of the drug DEMAND from the addicts and users in the USA. The trafficking to the USA is the profitable part. That is what the Mexican gangs are fighting.

Prohibition never works until the culture or society wishes to comply. No law ever prohibits market forces. The drug wars have been going on in the USA since Nixon — over 35 years! — and yet most any high schooler in ANY city in the USA can tell you where to score drugs.

If there is economic demand for a product, the market supplies it. What stopped “organized crime” in the USA — more particularly the gangland killings — was the end of Prohibition. Once alcohol was legal again, there was no profit in it for criminals. The precursors to the FBI nor any other police force ended the violence during Prohibition. Only the repeal of Prohibition ended the violence.

Interesting, isn’t it, how history repeats over and over, yet so many remain blind to its lessons?

Clinton, Reagan and all Presidents have had major security such as is described when intelligence agencies deemed the threat high enough. The President has little to do with it and CANNOT tell the security services to stand down.

2nd: You would not be aware of the security threats. It would not be the ever present protesters.

3rd: As to the “can you imagine” stuff about foreign forces in the USA. There is something to that though the US forces were invited by Mexico or they would not have been present. The USA lets known terrorists and brutal thug dictators into New York to be at the United Nations. We all have to put up with things we do not like.

4th: The story sounds like a lot of whining. All these security folk represented a large cash investment in the local economy. Do you complain when major festivals shut down the streets and crowd the zacalo? I doubt it.