Sure wish there was some sort of physical structure we could use to ensure violence from a failed state didn’t spill over into America. What do you call that? Oh yeah, a fence. Sure could use one of those now:

EL PASO – Mexico is one of two countries that “bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse,” according to a report by the U.S. Joint Forces Command on worldwide security threats.

The command’s “Joint Operating Environment (JOE 2008)” report, which contains projections of global threats and potential next wars, puts Pakistan on the same level as Mexico. “In terms of worse-case scenarios for the Joint Force and indeed the world, two large and important states bear consideration for a rapid and sudden collapse: Pakistan and Mexico.

“The Mexican possibility may seem less likely, but the government, its politicians, police and judicial infrastructure are all under sustained assault and press by criminal gangs and drug cartels. How that internal conflict turns out over the next several years will have a major impact on the stability of the Mexican state. Any descent by Mexico into chaos would demand an American response based on the serious implications for homeland security alone.”

Mexico has already descended into chaos with military troops battling drug gangs who can equal them in firepower and manpower. Border Patrol has publicly stated that they have plans in place to deal with the expected spillover of drug violence in a statement meant to calm border state residents fears.

John Robb Author of Brave New War has a good post breaking down the basics of why we should be concerned about this, and his blog Global Guerrillas is worth perusing to fully understand why this isn’t simply a “drug war” on our border and solutions aren’t as easy as legalizing pot.