But negative mood isn’t to blame!
It looked like an episode of “Narcos: Mexico.”
Except, it was real.
On Feb. 22, Mexico’s most powerful drug lord “El Mencho” was killed in a targeted military attack — igniting days of deadly retaliation and civilian lockdowns throughout several popular tourist destinations. From Al Jazeera:
The Mexican operation set off a wave of violence, with gunmen torching cars and blocking highways in more than half a dozen states, including Jalisco, Colima, Michoacan, Nayarit, Guanajuato, and Tamaulipas.
Jalisco’s capital, Guadalajara, which will host several matches in the upcoming FIFA World Cup, was turned into a ghost town on Sunday night as civilians hunkered down.
In our July 2009 issue of The Socionomist, we explained how positive social mood, reflected in the strong performance of Mexico’s Mexbol index, was fueling “modern versions of the 1920s North Side-South Side Chicago gang wars.”
The February 2022 Socionomist concluded that a continuation of Mexico’s positive-mood trend could see a new, “bull market in blood” from escalating tensions between the military and cartels. The Mexbol Index has soared to record highs since.
Cultural shocks don’t happen in a vacuum. Social mood shifts progress gradually, revealing themselves over time. Right now, our brand-new March 2026 Socionomist establishes a clear correlation between social mood and the conditions leading to the U.S. Civil War — and invites us to consider how those same conditions are underway today.
Plus — a way to get your 10,000 steps a day in AND spread a message of peace!
Read the complete March issue today for just $30!