Monday, August 28, 2017

A thought on Trump, Mexico, Katrina and Harvey

In the aftermath of Katrina in 2005, despite then-President George W. Bush bungled response to the hurricane, he allowed Mexican troops to enter the United States. They offered housing, clothing, meals, and money in an extraordinary and unprecedented gesture of friendship.


According to The Washington Post:

The aid Mexico sent was no small thing — it was an extraordinary gesture, and it may have saved many lives. Marking the first time that Mexican troops had set foot on U.S. soil since the Mexican-American War in 1846, President Vicente Fox sent an army convoy and a naval vessel laden with food, water and medicine. By the end of their three-week operation in Louisiana and Mississippi, the Mexicans had served 170,000 meals, helped distribute more than 184,000 tons of supplies and conducted more than 500 medical consultations.
“Mexico and the United States are nations which are neighbors and friends which should always have solidarity in moments of difficulty,” Fox told NBC News at the time.

While Trump is busy beating his chest on Twitter, he has managed to alienate an ally that may have been able to once again offer lifesaving aid to a state in dire need of it.

Source

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