382 online
 
Most Popular Choices
Share on Facebook 30 Printer Friendly Page More Sharing Summarizing
OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 7/4/09

A Nation on the Brink - Mexico's July 5 Legislative Elections

By       (Page 3 of 3 pages) Become a premium member to see this article and all articles as one long page.   No comments

Michael Collins
Follow Me on Twitter     Message Michael Collins
Become a Fan
  (120 fans)
Gross inequities in the economic system present a fearsome burden for the nation.

The wealthiest 20% of Mexicans control nearly 60% of the nation's wealth while the lowest 50% has only 12%.  This is somewhat better than the U.S. where the top 10% control 71% of the wealth.  But Mexico has a Gross Domestic Product of $1.1 trillion compared to the $14.3 trillion for the U.S.  There's less to spread around.

What's left for the vast majority and what is their incentive?

Year after year, the poor see their job opportunities and wages drop while the cost of food, energy, and other essentials rise.  For them, it's not a matter of giving up their medicine to eat.  Simply having that choice would be a luxury.

Mexico has an annual outbound migration of 800,000, mostly workers.  That's three times the annual outbound migration of India and four times that of China.  An estimated 12 million Mexicans live out of the country.  This reduces the population on Mexican soil from 107 to 95 million and the active work force from 45 million to 33 million, less than a third of the total population.  Workers left at home are placed in the increasingly arduous position of coming up with the revenues that run local, state, and federal programs.

Mexicans 19 years old and under comprise 40% of the population (ILO Laborsta).  Will the state be able to educate and train this resource to capture the creativity of the people or will it squander this valuable opportunity as it has Mexico's oil wealth.

The winners may end up as the ultimate losers as these imminent dangers reach maturity over the next few years?

Part 3 of this series will accurately predict the winner of elections and comment on an irresolvable inconsistency in the PAN war on drugs.

END


This article may be reproduced in whole or part with attribution of authorship and a link to this

Next Page  1  |  2  |  3

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).

Rate It | View Ratings

Michael Collins Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Go To Commenting
The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.
Follow Me on Twitter     Writers Guidelines

 
Contact AuthorContact Author Contact EditorContact Editor Author PageView Authors' Articles
Support OpEdNews

OpEdNews depends upon can't survive without your help.

If you value this article and the work of OpEdNews, please either Donate or Purchase a premium membership.

STAY IN THE KNOW
If you've enjoyed this, sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter to get lots of great progressive content.
Daily Weekly     OpEd News Newsletter

Name
Email
   (Opens new browser window)
 

Most Popular Articles by this Author:     (View All Most Popular Articles by this Author)

Ukraine President Once Agent for U.S. State Department

Worst President Ever - Barack H. Obama

It's official! You're on your own

Rigged Elections for Romney?

Real Unemployment at 23% - Dampening the Excitement

Humiliation And Death As A Tool Of National Policy

To View Comments or Join the Conversation:

Tell A Friend