'Narco-tank' found in Jalisco

This is how outgunned the Mexican military is.

The so-called "narco-tank" is a 2011 Ford F-Series Super Duty with steel armor plates welded to nearly every surface and a folding battering ram, or "man-ram" fitted to the front bumper, the BBC reports. The cargo bay was transformed into a metal cabin, complete with gun ports and a rotating turret, presumably to protect passengers from gunfire.
-Business Insider

Check out this video to see some more of the creative ways that drug cartels ply their trade.

Speaking of war...

On March 28, Radio Free Europe reported that Russia was accusing the of U.S. aiding the Afghan Drug Trade.

The next day, on March 29, an alleged suicide bomber attacked the Moscow Metro during Monday morning rush hour, killing 38 and injuring at least 60.

Later on that week, Russia announced that it had signed arms deals with Bolivia, Venezuela, and China, and that it was finalizing a missile deal with Iran.

Setting up shop in America's backyard:

Russia has said that it will help Venezuela to set up its own space industry and develop nuclear energy, the Latin American country’s President announced yesterday. The two have also signed a new contract to exploit Venezuelan oil and are discussing a raft of further military and energy deals.

The deal will allow Moscow to entrench its foothold in Latin America through a deepening alliance with America’s main regional foe. As the Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Caracas, Venezuela’s vocal, anti-imperialist leader, President Chávez, said that the allies were building “a new, multipolar world”.
-Timesonline

Selling missile defense systems to China and Iran:

China is a major buyer of Russian weapons, and the two countries say they are trying to forge a strategic partnership, though senior Russian officials are privately concerned about an increasingly assertive China.
-Reuters

I'm sure none of these news stories are related though, since no news networks are telling us they are connected.

Civil War?

‘Patriot’ hate groups grew by 244% in 2009
It shouldn't be news to anyone that the Radical Right has been shitting themselves ever since a black man was elected president. Well, they've been organizing.

An "astonishing" 363 anti-government or "Patriot" groups appeared in 2009, with the totals going from 149 groups to 512, according to a report released by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
-Raw Story

And now the government is responding. The Feds recently carried out raids in three different states.

"They took over the block like it was the Army. I thought we were being invaded," said Michael Morin, who lives two lots away.
-Washington Post

The raids were conducted against a group called the "Hutaree," who planned to incite an armed struggle against the government by killing police officers:

The group's alleged plot appears to have required killing a cop at a traffic stop, or after a faked 911 call. Then, the group planned to attack the funeral of that officer — in order to wreak further havoc by killing even more government and law-enforcement officials who would have gathered to mourn.
-Time

And then last week, an internet post from an alleged Marine Sergeant warned anti-government groups against taking up armed struggle:

… There are no second chances, no time for regrets, and no do-overs. This is not Call of Duty.
Now I ‘d like to disperse a myth here – many of you think that US military would not fight civilians. I can’t speak for all, but in my case – the moment you declare civil war, you’re no longer civilians. The moment you attack the constitution, you’re now enemies of that constitution. And I swore to defend and support and if necessary give my life for that Constitution and utilize every tool, technique, and weapon at my disposal to do so. And trust me, I’m not alone.
-An article I wish I would never have to write

Fortunately, not everyone has lost their mind. Here's an interesting response to the above post:

The US Marine’s letter, whether real or not, serves as a warning that the military option will be readily used against American citizens. The Marine is correct that Americans cannot win in a Civil War. But the American people can employ other options.
-AlterNet

We already have a pattern for real, peaceful change. That pattern can be found in the words and actions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi. The power structure is prepared for Civil War and they will win easily. But they will have a harder time fighting the ‘Soul Force’ of the people.
-AlterNet

I'd say that things are getting interesting...