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American standoff

In the world of international trade, sometimes we must make concessions when
a favored partner is not acting the way the United States government thinks it
should.

Unfortunately, that's the way of the world. Sometimes it results in
ambivalence. Our policy toward the People's Republic of China is a classic
example of tolerating fundamental differences for the sake of economic common
sense.

The focus is now on our neighbor to the South Mexico and commerce of the
unfavorable kind.

Mexico seems to be a little lax in addressing the issue of drugs, against
which the United States has pledged to wage unrelenting "war" on all fronts.

What to do about a country that needs to be worked with on one level but
needs to be spanked on the other? In this case, we punted.

The Senate, after negotiations with the Clinton administration, approved a
resolution to block any efforts to decertify Mexico as an ally in the United
States' antidrug efforts. That gives everybody a little time to save face
while trying to figure out how to grapple with the problem.

The new measure, worked out by senators from both parties in talks that
involved Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, criticizes both the U.S. and
Mexico in the drug war. It also establishes a program of intense monitoring
which gives Clinton until Sept. 1 to report to Congress on progress made in a
number of specific areas.

Congress wants improvements in the extradition of drug merchants, efforts to
curb moneylaundering and measures to protect U.S. drug agents in Mexico
areas where that country's government has been particularly lax.

There is general agreement that the status quo is unacceptable. Even some
senior administration officials agree that drug corruption appears to be
endemic throughout Mexican law enforcement, making cooperation difficult.

The Mexican government has dodged a bullet with this compromise. However, in
the interim period we need to forcefully reiterate our waning tolerance of the
status quo and demand significant changes are made.

A word to the wise should be sufficient. Either they get their act together,
or face the inevitability of drastic changes in aid and trading agreements.

Perhaps we will some day even cut out the "war" rhetoric and realize that
it's our demand for drugs that generates the business and the corruption.
Anything could happen.

John