Mexican Military

[PullerRommel]

Good point about the drug cartels. Although I generally dislike the idea of using the military instead of police forces for internal security challenges it seems to me that the cartels are a fundamental problem that must be solved before the country is able to progress politically and economically.

I see what you mean for the military policing the country but this is Mexico were 90% of the police force is owned by the Drug Cartels. The Mexican military has actually put out a number now were in the commercial for it says "Call us we'll so something about it".

 

[DefConGuru]

Per head, all the countries of which they are capitals are poorer. Turkey & Egypt (the latter has less than half Mexican GDP per head: Turkey is about 70%) also have smaller populations, meaning their total GDPs are much smaller than Mexicos. Total GDP of Mexico is 3 times that of Egypt, twice that of Turkey. You can look it up for yourself.

BTW, I've used PPP figures. At current exchange rates, the comparison is more in Mexicos favour.

Assuming thats true, that sounds like the most mis-managed country in the world.

 

[Incognito129]

That's income distribution, not the poverty of the country. Mexico is not a poor country, it is an unequal one. The average Mexican is overfed: Mexico has higher obesity levels than any European country - higher than the UK, where we think it's a serious problem. Real GDP per head is about what it was in the UK when I was born, & we had several aircraft carriers & three types of nuclear bomber back then without anyone going hungry.

poverty is poverty.

 

[swerve]

Assuming thats true, that sounds like the most mis-managed country in the world.

It's as true as the people making the estimates can get. They aren't infallible, but they're the best you'll find.

Nowhere near the most mis-managed. Look at Zimbabwe, Haiti, D.R. Congo & many, many others & you see far worse-run countries.

 

[MasterChief]

Thats right,Mexico doesnt has outside border enemys, The Army,Navy.. are just for serving the civilian people and to defend the country from outside invasions

 

[MasterChief]

Why building an army, there are a lot of economical problems the 80% of the money that Army recives from government goes to paying to the soldiers.

 

[Verstandwaffe]

Mexico doesn't need an army , this is an army that has a black history, it only kills it's own people and political movements, like student protests in 1968, there are plenty (and corrupted) federal forces to do that job.

Mexico only needs a national guard force, a good coastline surveillance, drones and a good radar/SAM system.

That way millions can be saved from budget , no need to pay hundreds of thousands of useless troops , which are extremely high in numbers for a country that has no real enemy, and the only possible "enemy" is so powerful that it would be stupid to combat it.

That saved money could better go for social development and a good open and strong internal economy, thus avoiding mexicans to go to US looking for jobs ignoring and breaking US laws and way of life; US would not need to waste money and affect enviroment building divisory walls.

 

[swerve]

Mexican military expenditure is a very small proportion of GDP, lower than almost any other country, & very little of it is spent on things which would be saved by the abolition of the army.

The navy functions mostly as a coast guard, doing fisheries protection, chasing smugglers, guarding oil rigs & the like. Those functions, & the equipment for them, will still be needed.

The air force has a purely token fighter force, enough only for air policing of the region around the capital. Probably worth keeping - indeed, it is arguable that it should have more, if only to be able to deal with smugglers & the like. Its reconnaissance aircraft are necessary if Mexican air space is not to be free for the passage of any villain who wishes to transport drugs, or whatever.

Air force transport is used to support the army, & for VIP transport. There isn't much of either, for a country as large & prosperous (on a world scales) as Mexico. What's to abolish?

The army - well, now, what does it do? Internal security & border patrol. As you say, a "National Guard" can do that - but what difference would it make if it changed its name? It is mainly equipped like your hypothetical "National Guard", with light AFVs & infantry weapons. You can argue that it should get rid of its small numbers of anti-tank weapons, its very old tracked AFVs, & its old light artillery - but frankly, they don't cost much to keep. As long as it doesn't buy lots more, they're not wasting much money.

Whether Mexico needs as many soldiers as it has is debatable - but its army is small in relation to population. Some of its weapons are pointless for national defence - but only a few. Converting it into a para-military pure internal security force would change very little except the name, & save very little money.

 

[USNlover]

To tell you guys the truth I didnt know that Mexico had an armed force

Crap some one already made this joke sorry

 

[kato]

this is an army that has a black history, it only kills it's own people and political movements, like student protests in 1968

Well, if we did it on that basis, we could probably eliminate around 90% of all worldwide military forces.

 

[Verstandwaffe]

In GDP numbers, ok Mexico spends very few, but still that's a lot if you consider how many people here live with 1 or 2 USD a day or less.

We have other priorities, and military expense should be further cut.

 

[indiana46767]

The Mexican Navy has begun upgrading their fleets since the ships that they posses are outdate. The Sierra and Durango class are ships that are state of the art, designed and built in Mexico. The Mexican Navy receive 1/3 more in the budget this year, so its going to build 2 or 3 more ships of the Oaxaca class and about a dozen interceptor vessels named “Aquarius”, rights which were purchased from the Swedish government, also in its purchase, they are to get 2 or 3 euro copter panthers for these vessels. Also, the Mexican Navy has made a purchase of about a dozen if not more of the Coast Guard interceptor ships, that of which I cannot recall the name of, but are those that cannot capsize, that they use for Rescue. Great news for a Navy that is the strongest branch of the Mexican Military as of now.