Tijuana is off-limits to Camp Pendleton Marines. Last year, Tijuana had more murders than Atlanta, St. Louis, and Baltimore combined. When I trained at Camp Pendleton for a few months in the mid-1990s, Tijuana was off limits to me. Unlike so much of the regimented military life, this was a personal rule imposed on me by me. It wasn't so much the crime then, as it was the fear of catching hepatitis, as a friend did by merely eating the food, or having to bribe my way out of a lock-up where the jailers are no better than the jailed. President Obama, apparantly, doesn't share my antipathy toward travel south of the border. On his trip to Mexico a week ago, the president reportedly met a man who subsequently died of swine flu, which has already killed over 100 Mexicans. Though acutely affecting Mexicans, the illness has been around the world and back again several times over. Why it prefers Mexico as a travel destination more than I do is a mystery to me.

When on the West Coast in the service of my country, I visited Tijuana many more times than I care to admit. Down and definitely dirty place with some interesting night life. I was lucky as I guess I’m just not that bright. Or maybe too crazy in those days?

Anyway, it was an eye-opener to see the third world up close and personal directly over the border from the most wealthy and powerful economy on the planet with the highest standard of living.

Also did some time in Ensenada which was a different world from the border towns, albeit still the third world by most standards.

I always liked the Mexican people but their country seems to be in a constant state of chaos and has been for some time.

But, does anybody remember how immigration used to be organized and legal? And when everybody was subject to a physical exam to determine the condition of their health? And if there was a person coming into this country who was a suspected health risk, that person would be quarantined so they wouldn't unleash an epidemic on their new land?

Those were the days. The days when our government actually cared about doing its job and protecting its citizenry.

The rest was inevitable.

We’ve got no Surgeon General and Obama is out playing golf. Meanwhile, the only people in positions filled by the administration who are making statements are the two incompetents Napolitano and Gibbs. Beeeeautiful!