Posted on 04/03/2006 12:16:03 PM PDT by Rockitz
Certainly there are many poor people in Mexico, since perhaps half the country lives in poverty. However, the nation as a whole is quite rich — see the documented facts listed below — and could well finance the sort of improvements in education and infrastructure that would better the living standards of all Mexicans. But the Mexican ultra-rich, like telecommunications magnate Carlos Slim shown here, don't like to tax themselves for investment the country badly needs for infrastructure and education, and it helps them greatly that the American taxpayer has been forced to support Mexicans living in the United States.
Interestingly, the Forbes list of billionaires published in 2006 showed Carlos Slim moving up to the number three spot among the world's richest men.
Every dollar spent in U.S. taxes for social services for illegal aliens frees up additional cash to be sent south as part of the annual remittances which provided $20 billion in 2005. According to the CNN news show Lou Dobbs Tonight (3/21/05), "Remittances, as they're called, are expected to become Mexico's primary source of income this year, surpassing the amount of money that Mexico makes on oil exports for the first time ever."
So when el Presidente Vicente Fox complains that the "dignity" of Mexicans living illegally in America requires that they receive free healthcare on the U.S. taxpayer's dime, he is really talking about increased remittances to keep their whole corrupt system afloat.
Consider these relevent facts:
• Mexico has the second-highest highest Gross Domestic Product in Latin America, after being #1 for several years over second-place Brazil.
• When measured in GDP per capita, Mexico ranks #1 as of 2005, ahead of Chile and Venezuela.
• According to Forbes magazine, a substantial proportion of Latin American billionaires, 10 out of 26, were Mexican as of 2005.
• Mexico raises less revenue through taxation than nearly any other Latin American country, just 12 percent which is one reason why the nation's wealth is not better utilized. By comparison, the United States takes in 25-28 percent of its gross domestic profit in taxes. Even Brazil taxes itself at twice the Mexican rate.
• Economist Gary Hufbauer of the Institute for International Economics has remarked, "It's up to Mexico to solve its problem, and basically the wealthy classes do not want to tax themselves, period. While I'm not usually an advocate for larger government, Mexico is a country where public investment, done wisely, could pay huge dividends."
• Mexico expert Prof. George Grayson of William and Mary College calls Mexico an "immensely wealthy nation."
• Mexico's economy is the world's tenth largest.
• When the ruling party needed a hefty sum for the 1994 election, Presidente Salinas leaned on a group of rich businessmen to write $25 million checks each at an infamous dinner party, where contributions totaled a staggering $750 million by evening's end. Compare that with the measly $150 million campaign chest in spring 2004 that President Bush had accumulated after three years in office.
• Freedom House notes the cost of corruption: "According a recent study by the Mexico chapter of Transparency International, some $2.3 billion-approximately 1 percent-of the country's economic production goes to officials in bribes, with the poorest families paying nearly 14 percent of their income in bribes."
• Ricas y Famosas — Rich and Famous is a book of photos that takes a peek at the hidden world of the Mexican ultra-rich. Photographer Daniela Rossell used her membership in the exclusive club to reveal the decadent lifestyles of blonde women in gold lamé. It is a shocking view of the most extreme ostentatious wealth among great poverty.
• Sure Things in Mexico: Death, Taxes and Evasion According the recent rankings released from the IMD International, the Switzerland-based International Institute for Management Development placed Mexico at 56 out of 60 economies examined, largely because of a dearth of investment in everything from infrastructure to education. Due to its pathetic tax collection, Mexico cannot even buy schoolbooks or pay its police enough to live on, much less invest in its future.
• Lou Dobbs Tonight Transcript (12/16/04) The CNN news show shines a light on Mexican wealth. Particularly noteworthy is Prof. Grayson's remark: "There is a small economic elite who live like maharajas, and there's a political elite that protects them. Our border provides an escape valve which really lets the Mexican political and economic elite off the hook in terms of providing opportunities for their own people."
• While US Focuses on Iraq, Mexico is Collapsing June, 2005, and the symptoms of Mexico's failure as a state are accumulating. The recent takeover of border city Nuevo Laredo by the Mexican army because of the breakdown in law and order was so obvious.
Interestingly, Defense chief Donald Rumsfeld is guided by a secret Pentagon report which identifies Mexico as a potential failed state in the making.
For more, read "Mexico's Rich Don't Like To Pay Taxes — They Think You Should."
These days everything I hear seems to make me angry.
Then why bellyache that they can "afford" lots of socialist programs, as if it's a problem that they don't implement them? Hypocritical.
The issue is whether they should be allowed to illegally export their poor to other countries?
That's an abuse of the word "export", and it presupposes a fallacy: is it in fact possible to "export" the poor of a country? Is it even something one would want to do, were it even possible? When the last poor person is "exported", who cleans the septic tanks and picks up the trash?
Not to mention that it's complete balderdash: Fox loves illegals not because it reduces the number of poor people, but because it generates an inflow of wealth into Mexico, as these illegals start sending checks home to Momma. To suggest that immigration is all about eliminating the dregs of society is silly when we already know that's false.
If they keep all of their citizens within their borders, they can tax themselves however they damn well please.
I'm against illegal immigration, but I'm for legal immigration. So I suspect we won't see eye-to-eye on that, either. Unsurprisingly, I don't wish socialism on the Mexicans. I don't even wish it on the Arabs, and I don't like Arabs.
That sentence makes no sense. It's on par with, "The US already destroyed property rights in Kelo v. New London, so they may as well nationalize all the land in the country." Or maybe, "Police have killed innocent Americans before, so they might as well go ahead and exterminate everybody."
Comprende...??
I'm afraid one can never comprehend nonsense.
I wouldn't mind it much, either, because if that's all I paid for it would lower my tax bill below the threshold of worrying about it. I long for that day, so we can debate whether even more things can be privatized, like roads and emergency services.
Well, one good thing would come of it, they'd break the socialist system.
Sounds crazy and weird but with an arrangement not dissimilar from Puerto Rico, Mexico could be a successful state.
Because they want the fun of driving the garbage trucks themselves, period?
If Mexico wants to develop a thriving, stable economy they have to build it from within.
If they want a stable, thriving economy they need to set the people free, on the one hand, and inculcate a strong self-defense ethic and armed populace, on the other. They're just as unready for freedom as the US is, but it's worth a shot.
I took my kids down to Ixtapa over the holidays a few years ago. I heard it was Mexico's west coast version of Cancun. We stayed at one of the top hotels and I was surprised to see the majority of the guests were Mexicans.
Ping away!
Mexico sounds primed for a Chavez type hard left wing govt. Just what we need on our southern border. Then again maybe we would finally deploy the military and hermetically seal the border.
now lemme see if I got this right..rich Mexicans invite our president and senators down to Mexico..where they are browbeaten for their constitituents orneriness about the border..........
The purpose of the question is to wake up Vincente- to seal his border with us. Step 2 would be to allow everyone into our country as temporary guests- even offer pay incentives to teachers of English- Doctors- Firemen- all to destroy their tax base. Finally give Vincente a handful of trinkets and a temporary job as advisor to the mayor of Catalina Island.
This is freaking infuriating!
Mexico already has more or less a socialist government. The difference is that we're the ones providing the social benefits. This is really nothing more than wealth redistribution on an international scale.
The elitist class system in Mexico does need to go. We're the pressure relief valve. There's a reason why Mexico doesn't want us to build a wall. The few in power don't want their own brown rabble, as they see them, to fight for their rights. They would rather them be here fighting for non-existent rights.
If they want a stable, thriving economy they need to set the people free, on the one hand, and inculcate a strong self-defense ethic and armed populace, on the other. They're just as unready for freedom as the US is, but it's worth a shot.
NO, Mexico needs to reform itself from within rather than trying to export their problems. Again, Mexico is quasi-socialist just as Canada is but at least Canada takes care of its poor and doesn't have them flooding into U.S. cities.
I was told something along those lines when I travelled Mexico in the 70s.
MEXICO = The SAUDI ARABIA of the Western Hemisphere.
One of the things I'm proud of in this country is that we take care of our own- maybe too well in some cases. Mexico and most of Latin America, for that matter, have a two class system- the ultra-rich and the dirt poor with no middle class. Pretty soon the US won't have a middle class.
Yeppers, add this one to the fire in my belly also. (now where's that Gaviscon)
/jasper
Outraged, and not surprised. Mexico is a nation of thieves.
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