* Spring Break in Cancun, in the narco era, via FP.
Spring Break is upon us, and with it, fretting over whether Mexico's narco violence poses a danger to the throngs of U.S. vactioners who come south to swim, tan, and get faded. Will the drug war kill you if you hit Mexico's beaches this year? The short answer is no. The cartels are fighting themselves and the government. Narcos gain next to nothing with messing with this time-honored binational tradition. That's the deal, basically.
Mexico is safe for you, noble traveler, and cheaper than it's been in a long while.
At the same time, the narco war poses a complicated and pressing international crisis that affects society on both sides of the border. We cannot ignore how serious the situation has become. Yet I've been reading on U.S.-Mexican ex-pat blogs and media circuits far too much dismissing, resentful commentary on supposed hysteria in the U.S. media on the drug war. Such reaction to the coverage is more or less Felipe Calderon's line right now. Consider that for a moment.
This kind of complaining is dangerous for everyone, at least if you believe in acknowledging reality. More comprehensive, probing, forthright coverage is needed, not less. If the story is ugly, it's ugly, and no amount of blind boosterism can change that.
Check out this Foreign Policy photo essay for more.