Welcome to “Estados Unidos del Oaxaca Norte” – the former “United States of America” Part 3 – Down Mexico Way by Larry Stout
Welcome to “Estados Unidos del Oaxaca Norte” – the former “United States of America” Part 3 – Down Mexico Way by Larry Stout
The source of the immigration problem is very easy to discover. There is no discussion about building a fence between the United States and Canada for a very simple reason – Canadians are happy living in Canada. The same is not true for that rather large country south of the Rio Grande River. If Mexicans were not so disgruntled with their country, there would not even be an immigration discussion in the United States.
To the surprise of many Americans, Mexico is actually a very rich country. According to Professor George Grayson of the College of William and Mary, Mexico “abounds in oil, natural gas, gold, silver, beaches, seafood, water, historic treasures, museums, industrial centers and wonderful people.” It has been given large investment capital from the United States and other countries to develop. It has the benefits of the removal of trade barriers so it can freely export its goods to the USA and Canada. There are probably at least 100 countries in the world that would be willing to trade places with Mexico for these advantages.
So what is the problem? Why did a recent Pew Foundation survey reveal that 46 percent of Mexicans answered yes to the question, “If at this moment, you had the means and opportunity to go to live in the United States, would you go?” Think about that for the moment – nearly half of the population would leave if they could! My experience from all over the world reveals that individuals instinctively do not want to leave their homeland. Only in the most destitute or turbulent countries do such high numbers wish to leave.
Quite frankly, life in Mexico is wretched, and has been for longer than anyone can remember. Benito Juarez initiated the constitution of 1857 that ushered in self-rule for Mexico, but the revolution of 1910 would institute a one-party rule that rivaled the Soviet Union. The Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI) enjoyed absolute power while displaying the appearance of a democracy. The Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa described it as “a perfect dictatorship.”
The perfection related to the party’s ability to exert its will, and not the perfection of its ability to govern. In the standards of encouraging a viable economic system, provide the citizenry with protection from crime, establish rule of law in the judicial system, education of children, etc, etc., there is not a single area that Mexico’s government has done well.
Consider the economic situation. Pemex is the fifth largest oil company in the world and it controls every refinery and gas pump in the country. Yet according to Tim Weiner in the New York Times, Pemex manages to lose $1 billion per year due to corruption. Corruption, or as they call it in Mexico, mordida (“the bite”), effects everything – even education. Mexico has one of the worst school systems in the world, with half of all 15 year olds are illiterate or semi-literate. The reason is not for lack of funds particularly, but due to “corruption, cronyism, crookedness and feather-bedding suffuse in the 1.3 million teacher’s union” (Professor Grayson).
The police are so corrupt in Mexico that one study revealed that 60 percent of all crimes involve policemen! 90 percent of Mexico City residents say they have no trust in the police whatsoever. 78 percent of all Mexicans say it is normally necessary to pay bribes to resolve issues with the government. It is understandable that no one would want to get arrested. The BBC found “torture, intimidation, and coercion of detainees are entrenched practices in Mexico’s criminal justice system.”
Six years ago, Mexicans finally had enough, and elected Vicente Fox from the center-right National Action Party, PAN, who promised economic prosperity, political liberty and social peace. Unfortunately, the Mexican legislature remained in the hands of the corrupt and oligarchic PRI – and President Fox found himself in a continual uphill battle to make any progress on his promises of reform. This might represent a great lost opportunity, as the recent elections in Mexico showed how split the citizens were in how they want their country governed. They gave the PAN presidential candidate Felipe Calderon a 35.88 percent vote over Lopez Obrador, the left-leaning Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) who polled at 35.31 percent. With a threadbare victory margin, Calderon faces bigger handicaps than Fox, especially given that the PRI again won big in the local elections.
Mexico needs help, which is why so many desire to leave it. As Cicero once said, when my neighbor’s wall is burning, it is my problem too. Christians in America have long desired to lend a hand to their neighbors to the South. In fact, Mexico receives more short-term missionary visits from North America than any other country in the world. However, it is going to take more than church building teams and child evangelism ministries to make a change in Mexico. Christians in North American should pray fervently for Mexico. Pray for godly men and women to enter government. Pray for righteous men and women to emerge in the law enforcement and legal systems. Pray for leaders in the United States to encourage the right kind of changes that are necessary for Mexico. Do not curse those who are seeking to escape across the border. They are victims of a country ruled in unrighteousness. They need our prayers as well.
The source of the immigration problem is very easy to discover. There is no discussion about building a fence between the United States and Canada for a very simple reason – Canadians are happy living in Canada. The same is not true for that rather large country south of the Rio Grande River. If Mexicans were not so disgruntled with their country, there would not even be an immigration discussion in the United States.
To the surprise of many Americans, Mexico is actually a very rich country. According to Professor George Grayson of the College of William and Mary, Mexico “abounds in oil, natural gas, gold, silver, beaches, seafood, water, historic treasures, museums, industrial centers and wonderful people.” It has been given large investment capital from the United States and other countries to develop. It has the benefits of the removal of trade barriers so it can freely export its goods to the USA and Canada. There are probably at least 100 countries in the world that would be willing to trade places with Mexico for these advantages.
So what is the problem? Why did a recent Pew Foundation survey reveal that 46 percent of Mexicans answered yes to the question, “If at this moment, you had the means and opportunity to go to live in the United States, would you go?” Think about that for the moment – nearly half of the population would leave if they could! My experience from all over the world reveals that individuals instinctively do not want to leave their homeland. Only in the most destitute or turbulent countries do such high numbers wish to leave.
Quite frankly, life in Mexico is wretched, and has been for longer than anyone can remember. Benito Juarez initiated the constitution of 1857 that ushered in self-rule for Mexico, but the revolution of 1910 would institute a one-party rule that rivaled the Soviet Union. The Revolutionary Institutional Party (PRI) enjoyed absolute power while displaying the appearance of a democracy. The Nobel Prize winner Mario Vargas Llosa described it as “a perfect dictatorship.”
The perfection related to the party’s ability to exert its will, and not the perfection of its ability to govern. In the standards of encouraging a viable economic system, provide the citizenry with protection from crime, establish rule of law in the judicial system, education of children, etc, etc., there is not a single area that Mexico’s government has done well.
Consider the economic situation. Pemex is the fifth largest oil company in the world and it controls every refinery and gas pump in the country. Yet according to Tim Weiner in the New York Times, Pemex manages to lose $1 billion per year due to corruption. Corruption, or as they call it in Mexico, mordida (“the bite”), effects everything – even education. Mexico has one of the worst school systems in the world, with half of all 15 year olds are illiterate or semi-literate. The reason is not for lack of funds particularly, but due to “corruption, cronyism, crookedness and feather-bedding suffuse in the 1.3 million teacher’s union” (Professor Grayson).
The police are so corrupt in Mexico that one study revealed that 60 percent of all crimes involve policemen! 90 percent of Mexico City residents say they have no trust in the police whatsoever. 78 percent of all Mexicans say it is normally necessary to pay bribes to resolve issues with the government. It is understandable that no one would want to get arrested. The BBC found “torture, intimidation, and coercion of detainees are entrenched practices in Mexico’s criminal justice system.”
Six years ago, Mexicans finally had enough, and elected Vicente Fox from the center-right National Action Party, PAN, who promised economic prosperity, political liberty and social peace. Unfortunately, the Mexican legislature remained in the hands of the corrupt and oligarchic PRI – and President Fox found himself in a continual uphill battle to make any progress on his promises of reform. This might represent a great lost opportunity, as the recent elections in Mexico showed how split the citizens were in how they want their country governed. They gave the PAN presidential candidate Felipe Calderon a 35.88 percent vote over Lopez Obrador, the left-leaning Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) who polled at 35.31 percent. With a threadbare victory margin, Calderon faces bigger handicaps than Fox, especially given that the PRI again won big in the local elections.
Mexico needs help, which is why so many desire to leave it. As Cicero once said, when my neighbor’s wall is burning, it is my problem too. Christians in America have long desired to lend a hand to their neighbors to the South. In fact, Mexico receives more short-term missionary visits from North America than any other country in the world. However, it is going to take more than church building teams and child evangelism ministries to make a change in Mexico. Christians in North American should pray fervently for Mexico. Pray for godly men and women to enter government. Pray for righteous men and women to emerge in the law enforcement and legal systems. Pray for leaders in the United States to encourage the right kind of changes that are necessary for Mexico. Do not curse those who are seeking to escape across the border. They are victims of a country ruled in unrighteousness. They need our prayers as well.
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