Sanders, when asked about the Evo Morales situation: " I don't know that everybody's interested in Ecuador"

Lol, I'm comparing Latin American countries' ability to wage war in comparison with other countries (Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Vietnam, etc). This is the comparison YOU were making, that Latin America is much more peaceful than the rest of the world. Sorry buddy, but it's not. If a country is unable to put down chronic rebel groups, then they are quite weak. Of course they have militaries, but these militaries are ineffective when it comes even to controlling territory within their own borders. I was saying how if you took a Latin American country and compared it with a Eurasian country of a similar GDP level, the Latin American country will almost certainly have a much higher violent crime and murder rate (I made it quite clear in my comment).

You asked show me a better arrangement? Latin America is no case study for peace, that's my point. You suggest that because somehow the OAS magically reduces war (I suggest that OAS likely has little to do with that and more likely has to do with the fact that Latin American countries dont even really have the capacity to wage war to the extent we see in Eurasia)

Even then, what peace are we talking about here? How many of the cities with the highest murder rates are Latin American? In reality, we have to get to the 45th most murderous city in world until we find a country that ISN'T in the western hemisphere (Nelson Mandela Bay, South Africa). So your standard for peace I am sorry to say is not very robust. How can a country that cannot even hold the peace within its borders be given credit for peace among nations?

But let me give an example to further illustrate my case. Colombia has 2 cities in the top 50 most murderous cities in the world. It is an important center for drug trafficking. It has a GDP per capita of ~$6 000. Now lets look at Thailand. Thailand also has a GDP per capita of roughly $6 000. Thailand is ALSO an important center of the global drug trade. Yet, no city actually makes it into the top 50 most murderous cities in the world. Surprising, no? A poor country with a lot of drug money washing around is not a bloodbath. Interestingly, it is the Thai military that actually controls and monopolized the drug production in Thailand's north. This gave the Thai state effective control over the industry and made the country much more peaceful. As I'm sure we all know, this is not how it is in Colombia, or even Mexico. And so this suggests that there is a correlation between the strength of the state/military and peace/control.

I found your response dismissive and quite emotional. You accuse me of not understanding the cases, but I think your own judgement is being clouded by whatever biases you may have. If you are actually interested in this topic, I recommend that you read Blood and Debt: War and the Nation-State in Latin America by Miguel Angel Centeno

/r/neoliberal Thread Parent Link - nbcnews.com