Quote Originally Posted by Bill Moore View Post
...who have well trained and equipped militias that are more than a match for most law enforcement agencies around the world.

In Mexico ... Their concern is not taking over Mexico, but creating the conditions to facilitate business. However, if that involves killing off good cops and judges, and buying off bad ones, then that is a form of subversion intending to effect control of at least part of the government.

... but then again this isn't your grandfather's mafia either. The nature of the threat has changed, and in the end the one point we can probably agree on is that these elements present an increasing threat to our national interests and the safety of our citizens in some cases.

...then it is a law enforcement problem, even if it is beyond their capacity to suppress. The military can provide limited support.

A perfect definition would be nice, but we're all used to working in gray areas. I don't want to spend too much time tripping over definitions, they are what they are, so I'll close with your point, this threat requires more action than we're applying to it now.
While disagreeing on this:
On the other hand if the threat is defined as an insurgency (only in cases where appropriate), then that implies that other authorities could be implemented if our nation wanted to take more decisive measures to suppress the problem. (emphasis added /kw)
Not our job -- unless we're asked to help. Even then, I'm concerned that out help would be overboard and out of control as it has been in too many cases where we have 'helped.' That's why a lot of people -- sensibly -- do not want our help and do not trust us.

Words are important. Spinning things to get ones own twist is as old as mankind and it's not going away. Insisting on relative precision in terms helps keep the system honest; shading the terms help politicians and the unlawful do stupid stuff. There is no such thing as absolute precision and that's particularly true in the use of words but trying to be reasonably accurate doesn't hurt and may help.

On your pet rock, I share your concern but I think that each nation should approach the problem in its own way and other nations should support that. There are nations like Mexico where Armed Forces involvement is desirable or necessary. For the US, my personal belief is that a military solution or reaction to gangs and trans-national criminality would be totally wrong.