Posted on 05/17/2006 4:02:40 PM PDT by Racehorse
The United States could reduce illegal immigration from Mexico by helping its neighbor develop its vast oil resources, the former chief of staff for President Bill Clinton told an industry conference on Wednesday.
Thomas McLarty said the United States should partner with Mexico, and to a lesser degree with Canada, in a "Marshall Plan" effort -- named for the U.S. aid offensive for a ravaged Europe after World War Two -- that could inspire Mexico's work force to remain at home.
"In Mexico, we need to consider some type of Marshall Plan," McLarty told a Latin American energy conference in a San Diego suburb. McLarty said the three countries could provide $20 billion in development aid over a 10-year period.
"That sounds like a lot of money, and it is," said McLarty, who served as White House chief of staff from 1993 to 1994 and is now a consultant. "Consider that the United States spent $100 billion in Iraq in just this past year. Unless we help out our neighbors to the south, and especially Mexico, we will continue to have this issue of immigration which will hurt our relations."
Mexico's energy minister, Fernando Canales, on Tuesday at the same conference said Mexico will continue to have difficulty developing its energy infrastructure as long as international private investment is outlawed. Mexico's constitution calls for all energy sources and development to be controlled by the national monopoly, PEMEX.
The United States needs to make nuanced efforts to help open Mexican energy development to outsiders, McLarty said.
(Excerpt) Read more at today.reuters.com ...
The Drug Lords that really run Mexico hardly want Americans over there telling them what to do IMO.
Except they call it, the Clinton Plan. Kind of like a giant sucking sound, with lots of corruption on both sides of the border.
Until the corruption is cured in Mexico, all the aid in the world would make no difference. On a per capita basis, Mexico is far richer than the United States in relationship to natural resources. The country and its people have been plundered by the corruption of its government.
He probably wants Halliburton to do it also. Clinton gave more no bid contracts to Halliburton than Bush ever did.
Build the fence right and we don't give a $hi# what happens in Mexico.
So we are supposed to pony up part of 20 BILLION dollars because Mexico is run like a turd world banana republic?
I am shocked a Clinton lackey thought this up. Just shocked!!!
beware of these increments of consolidation of the US, Canada, and Messico into one big serfdom.....
Americans doing the bribery of elected officials that Mexicans weren't willing to do.
That is until they can run it on their own.
I would support helping Mexico reform, but only if we invade and conquer them.
Uh...does this mean we carpet bomb them for a while first?
Build the fence and cut off all foreign aide and see how fast their constitution changes. You want our help? Fine, but you get it our way or you dont freaking get it at all.
Many times it has been pointed out that Mexico's problems would not take that much to cure in terms of U.S. GDP, and would pay back far more in stability, future market cooperation, etc.
The problem is a sick, regressive, antiquated culture of extortion (that's what bribery in Mexico is - they demand, you pay, or else bad stuff happens) and low-brow thuggery.
And that's just the nice folks who run the government. The criminals - who employ the aforesaid - are worse. Murderous and ruthless are really kind words for what they are.
It's too bad about Fox. He might have been able to change it if he were the modern day tough guy he fancies himself to be. But in the end, he's just another crude thug, and he and his wife will probably end up stealing the light bulbs out of Los Pinos like all his predecessors did.
This kind of puts a different spin on the immigration problem, if you consider that we could easily threaten Mexico with a ban on financial transfers and a strict clamp-down on legal and illegal immigration, in exchange for access to their energy resources.
Mexico has been getting the best of this relationship for awhile. It it in their interest to co-operate if we make in their interest to do so.
I rather like this line of thought since it take the emotion of expulsions off the table and puts the problem in the light of international relations, with a two way solution.
Clinton gave more no bid contracts to Halliburton than Bush ever did.
That sounds like the opinion of someone who couldn't make it in Halliburton.
>>"In Mexico, we need to consider some type of Marshall Plan," McLarty told a Latin American energy conference in a San Diego suburb. McLarty said the three countries could provide $20 billion in development aid over a 10-year period.<<
We could do that.... $20 billion over 10 years but for every illegal immigrant that comes across from there side we take $100,000 off the top. If it gets to 200,000 illegals they start owing us. I'd go for that.
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