What if the USA just bought Baja California Peninsula?

I think that this would solve a lot of Mexico's problems, and a lot of America's problems. Tijuana and Baja California are culturally more similar to the United States than they are to central Mexico, and a lot of this current "Drug War" is really about the central Mexican government's vendetta against the "troublesome" peninsulars. The revenue from the sale of the land would also bail out Mexico's faltering economy, and help them to focus more on the renegade guerrilla factions in the south. California's economy would be bailed out of its current financial mess thanks to the construction as Interstate 5 was extended south through Baja California Sur and Tijuana/other major cities received significant infrastructure improvements. Furthermore, with one or two more states composed almost solely of Spanish speakers Hispanic people would finally have a fair voice in capital hill, and American ingenuity would surely benefit from the moxie of its new Mexicanos population. United in this way America would be energized with fresh ideas and a cultural expansion, something which we desperately need to stave off intellectual stagnation. The central Mexican government would also be pretty glad to be rid of what they seem to think of as troublesome elements.

So is this idea a win-win, or am I delusional?

You're delusional. Doesn't mean it's not a good idea. But you're still delusional.

I actually used this as a plot point, once. But the US of that story was not much like ours and the resulting war ended with the US annexing Mexico in its entirety...

edited 29th Sep '11 4:30:37 PM by USAF713

You'd have to ask Tijuana and Baja California.

One large land purchases like that are expensive as hell. Two all the problems on the Pennisula now become our problems directly. Three the vast amount of issues and problems we have to deal with to complete the process is more trouble then it is honestly worth.

USAF: And your story has no bearing on the discussion.

@OP: I sort of doubt that the US has superior ability to leave the Peninsulares alone.

edited 29th Sep '11 4:46:59 PM by SavageHeathen

No need for hostility, I'm just noting an amusement. Or, I guess, what was an amusement to me.

It is implausible because Mexico won't go for it, the US doesn't have the money for it and the US population wouldn't go for it, and these are just the really obvious reasons. I imagine Baja California would end up being the most liberal State in the Union, assuming it kept most of its laws. Its healthcare and social welfare might drop pegs when it goes from a national government thing to a State Government thing...

Hypothetically, of course. This would never get past the planning stage.

On another note, it might just move the problem south. You'd still have drug barons, they'd just be plaguing everything south of Tijuana.

However troublesome the peninsula is to them I highly doubt that Mexico wants to lose anymore of its territory to the US. Also, this does not change the geographic location of Baja California. The problem is still in the same place and whoever's doing the crime are likely to continue using the same routes and shit. None of the things you listed actually solves the issue of drug related crimes.

And given that it's got such issues anyway, I don't really see any reason for the US government to shell out the money for it. We can get intellectual stimulation from the Mexicans we have living here now, if they feel like joining in government. (And quite a few do, at least on a local level.)

The whole deal sounds like a big oopsie waiting to happen. To many people who would not be happy in some regard or the other with the change over.

Could you imagine the political quagmire in the U.S. for this? Then lets look at the political nightmare for Mexico too boot. Finally as noted it is likely the folks of the Pennisula are more or less happy where they are.

edited 2nd Oct '11 4:35:55 PM by TuefelHundenIV

sounds like a bad idea. It would certainly be political suicide for whomever who tried to do it.

I oppose this on the grounds that it will make the country look like a N64 controller.

lol that would be awesome

The way the world economy is going, I doubt the USA could afford to buy a postcard of the place.

Well I would say that it would be more fruitful for American authorities to spend resources cooperating with Mexico to combat the drug problem. However, international operations are notoriously bad since everyone has a different agenda. Oh well, I'd still try that in any case.

edited 30th Sep '11 8:55:48 AM by breadloaf

Simple cost/benefit analysis.

First, we calculate what I'd like to call the Drug Difference: how much we spend on fighting the war on drugs from across the border vs. how much we would spend if the Peninsula was part of our territory, and thus we could send in the FBI and the Army without issue. If this difference is negative, such that it would cost us more in the long run, then the possibility of buying the territory is probably a non-starter.

But if it's positive? Then, Mexico and the U.S. have some math to do. What would the cost be for maintaining the Peninsula as a state/as part of California, vs. what they would gain from economic growth and tax revenues of introducing the Peninsula to the Union? That plus the drug difference equals the value of the purchase to the U.S. It's quite possible that we can't afford that; Washington isn't exactly swimming in cash right now. Meanwhile, down in el Districto Federal, they have to calculate how much they would lose in tax revenue and so on, minus how much they would save from not having to fight the drug war there or having to spend revenue on services there and so on so forth. That would give us the value of the sale to Mexico.

The value of the purchase for the U.S. and the value of the sale for Mexico are obviously not going to be even. They also have to factor in the costs of migration (people who don't want to be Americans moving further into Mexico, and people who do moving to the Peninsula) and unrest (cuz you know folks'd be bitchin about this forever) into the calculations. If it would be a net economic positive for both countries, a sale could be made to happen. If it's a net economic positive for only one side, it wouldn't happen without the winning side pushing major leverage on the losing side somehow. If it's a net loss for both, forget about it.

If you wanted to just save money on the drug war though, we could go with the pinko commie suggestions of decriminalizing and taxing the mild stuff while treating the hard stuff medically with things like supervised injection sites.

Alternatively, the U.S. could pay Canada to buy the peninsula from Mexico. Hear me out. It'd be a huge population boost to Canada - possibly doubling our population depending on how the migration works out. It could cost the U.S. less than immigration reform might, as Mexicans would have an easier option of migrating to the free-healthcare-providing welfare state of Canada instead. Canada's not the kind of country to muscle in on Mexican sovereignty, so Mexico may be more comfortable with them as a neighbour. And finally, we'd surround you Yankees from both north and south, which would be worth turning Vancouver into San Diego Mk II when the first boats of new Canadians arrive from our recently acquired territory.

edited 2nd Oct '11 12:53:51 PM by RadicalTaoist

I say we dump nuclear waste along the border, except at about 20 checkpoints. That way we solve the illegal immigrant, drug, and all other "guarding the entire border" problems. :)

...

Two birds, one stone?

The only thing I can say to that is...

...fucking Canadians...

I'd say bad idea, not only for the direct onces, but suddenly the only thing keeping illegals and drugs out is a short streach of water.

if you want a story setting, this could have happened in the mexican-american war. some wanted to annex all of mexico, so it wouldn't be completly impluassible.

I still prefer my Doom Fortresses plan.

@Dead Man's Life: I'll take that as a joke suggestion, as the thought of sterilizing when the wind shifts kinda sucks. Funny as it might be.

@USAF: What, still sore about 1812? *trollface-eh.jpg*

Fuck your War of 1812, I'm still mad about the healthcare. ;_;

Join the Army and get TRICARE.