President Calderon on 1848 war with USA - "We lost because of the invasion and expansionist desires of our enemy, but also because of divisions among Mexicans," he said

Still the Enemy?

Democrats Agree With Mexicans

Obama Cabinet members applaud Calderon. Can you name the others? See larger image.

Glenn Spencer -- American Patrol Report -- September 14

Yesterday, Mexican president Calderon appeared at a memorial and described the 1846-1848 war with the U.S as an "unjust military aggression motivated by clearly imperialistic interests." "We lost because of the invasion and expansionist desires of our enemy, but also because of divisions among Mexicans," he said, according to the AP report. He called upon the Mexican people to unite.


I believe Calderon deliberately used the term "enemy" to be in the present tense.

A June 2002 Zogby poll found that 58 percent of Mexicans believe "The territory of the United States' southwest rightfully belongs to Mexico."

57 percent believe "Mexicans should have the right to enter the U.S. without U.S. permission."


Within that context, on May 20 of this year we saw Democrats standing and cheering when Calderon stood before a joint session of Congress and attacked Arizona for attempting to enforce immigration laws. (28-second video clip)


Do they agree that Mexicans have a right to invade the United States? Do they think the Southwest belongs to Mexico?

Mexico marks anniversary of 1847 battle with US
Associated Press

Sept. 13, 2010, 6:32PM
Alexandre Meneghini AP

Mexico's President Felipe Calderon said the lesson of the 1840s war was that "we only prosper when we are united."

MEXICO CITY — President Felipe Calderon on Monday criticized both Americans and Mexicans for their roles in the 1846-48 war that cost Mexico half its territory during a ceremony commemorating the definitive battle of the conflict.

Speaking on the 163rd anniversary of the Battle of Chapultepec, Calderon called the war an "unjust military aggression motivated by clearly imperialistic interests."

Mexico lost about half its territory to the United States in the war, including much of what later became Arizona, Nevada, Utah and California.
But Calderon also said Mexicans deserved some blame.

"We lost because of the invasion and expansionist desires of our enemy, but also because of divisions among Mexicans," the president said, noting a widely cited theory that Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna refused to send reinforcements to another general because of bad blood between the two, contributing to a key U.S. victory that allowed the invading troops to advance to Chapultepec.

"Thus, while many Mexicans fought to the death in the war with the United States, others simply watched the American troops go by without standing up to them," Calderon said.

"We only prosper when we are united," Calderon told the crowd as Mexico prepares to celebrate the bicentennial of its 1810 independence Wednesday and Thursday. "That is the great lesson of our history."

Even though Mexico lost at Chapultepec, on a hill overlooking the capital, the battle produced a symbol of national pride.

According to traditional accounts, six cadets — the "child heroes" — fought to the death rather than surrender to invading U.S. troops. One is said to have wrapped himself in a Mexican flag and leaped to his death from the battlements.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/world/7199032.html