The U.S. military report, which also analyzed economic situations in other countries, also noted that China has increased its influence in places where oil fields are present.

That is the whole mention of China in the article. Not exactly damming. I would at North Korea to the list of Pakistan and Mexico as far as sudden collapse. For major international players anyway.

Also today, on NPR's "The Diane Rhem Show"...

"Mexican Security and the U.S.
Violence from Mexico's drug wars continues to spin out of control and the FBI now says Mexican cartels pose the biggest organized crime threat to the United States. A look at U.S.-Mexican cooperation on crimefighting, trade, and immigration, and what may change under the Obama administration."

O.K., so maybe the China mention in the first report had nothing to do with Mexico, even though we, in Texas, have heard rumors for years of border sightings of Chinese military units engaged in "exercises" with the Mexican army. Well, allright, just rumors.

It's interesting that they're saying the drug cartels could destabilize Mexico to the point of "sudden collapse".

I think what is more likely is an economic collapse and they're just using the drug lords as an excuse for the real reason for concern.

The surprising thing, to me, is that drug cartels have had a lock on Mexico for decades and the country's people are used to poverty, so I would think that Mexico is somewhat immune to "collapse".

If it did collapse, I could envision an emerging superpower like China wanting to step in and unload a lot of money to enter into a situation with the drug lords for natural resources. I think China would love a permanent military base in Mexico as a forward base near the USA, just as the USA has created a forward military base in Iraq, at the back door of both Russia and China.

The US would never allow another country to take over Mexico! Are you kidding??? If it gets that bad I am sure our military will be stretched even thinner and have to go "police" them. Sad, we should have already done something, but nooo, we had to go and attack Iraq! Our governments officials heads are sure way up their a _ _ es!

There was an article not too long ago that the US gov't is nervously watching Mexico and may have to deploy military if the drug cartels come into the US.

Follow the money here...

The 'War on Drugs' is just like the 'War on Terror'. Never ending amount of enemies to support an ever increasing war budget to fight a war that can never be won.

This could be an excuse to step up the War on Drugs, of course benefiting specific corporations and causing further inflation of dollar for a broader set of goals.

There must also be a more specific set of goals seen here by the TPTB.

Big Oil would love the collapse. See, Mexico conned US oil companies a long time ago to come on down and develop their oil fields for them. Then, once everything was built and in place, the Mexican government booted them out. And thats basically how PEMEX came to be.

And Big Oil has not forgotten this, as far as they are concerned, its theirs.
They did all the hard work, they want it back.

Drug Lord coupe? US military intervention? Smells oily crafty to me...