Americans fearful of the direction our country is taking need only look south of the border to see the results of a country descending into chaos.

Narcoterrorism has claimed the lives of over 31,000 and plunged Mexico into a death spiral as the government struggles to reestablish law and order. In an indication of just how bad the violence has become, Marisela Escobedo Ortiz was recently gunned down in front of the governor's office in Chihuahua as she protested the government's inability to apprehend her daughter's murderer. Mothers are sacrosanct in Mexico, and this unprecedented killing has prompted outrage from a populace weary of violence.

The violence is also taking an economic toll as companies shun Mexico in favor of expansion in the US. Cheap labor no longer compensates for the uncertainty drug cartel violence has created. This violence is also affecting American imports of fruits and vegetables as inspectors are pulled out of Mexico for their safety.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon has vowed to crush the drug cartels and is slowly making progress with actions such as the appointment of General Jesus Villa as police chief of Torreon, key to a major drug route being contested by rival drug gangs. General Villa's first act was to fire most of the Torreon police force as they were actually working for the drug cartels.

While America has yet to sink to the depths of chaos Mexico is experiencing, it does share a border with Mexico and the Mexican drug cartels are exporting their products, along with their violence, across our border. Criticism of American drug demand enabling and exacerbating the problem rings hollow as America is also criticized for supplying the weapons drug cartels demand. You can't have it both ways.

The fact is that Mexican corruption begat a culture where drug cartels could thrive and they did. Now, the problem is too big to ignore or pass off.. Corruption is pervasive as a recent pipeline explosion in Mexico City was the result of thieves illegally tapping the pipeline to steal fuel.

And that's the way it is south of the border.

Tom Roberson is an independent conservative blogging at www.tomroberson.wordpress.com and doing his small part to save his country. He'd love to hear from you.