Free Republic

Each year Mexicans in the United States send billions of dollars in remittances back to Mexico. In 2006, Mexicans working north of the border sent back US$23 billion. Remittances have become (after petroleum) the second highest legal source of income for Mexico. And that’s one of several reasons why Mexican leaders don’t want emigration to end. But are these billions of dollars really helping Mexico? You might think so, but if you look at the Mexican regions that receive high levels of remittances, they’re not exactly booming economically. Take for example Michoacan, President Felipe Calderon’s home state. That state is...

The National Guard should be deployed to the borders. The size and scope of the American military presence here in Iraq is enormous. I guess I knew that already. But now that I'm actually in Iraq, deployed here with my Army National Guard unit, I've been able to catch a glimpse of it firsthand. It's impressive. It's not only the fact that we have so many people, both military and civilian, over here. We operate a vast infrastructure — a complex of over 100 bases served by fleets of supply trucks. Base facilities are constantly being upgraded in ongoing construction...