HispanicVista Columnists

Starting with México, we see that in the middle of June, the federal government finally sent the federal forces and army into the Northern Border area cities in an attempt to take control of that lawless region after a newly sworn in police chief in Nuevo Laredo was assassinated just hours after starting his new job. That was the straw that broke the camel's back. In the beginning of the week of 13 June, federal officers and the army moved in. Police stations were closed; cops underwent "vetting" with some taken to México to be investigated. Then, by Tuesday, federal officials said that the federals would begin evacuation on Thursday. Now, what was this? The federals arrive to do a massive clean up and then start withdrawing three days later? Was the Fox administration afraid of offending the drug lords? That did not make sense. But too bad the federal government didn't move into the Juárez murdered-women found in the desert situation 10 years ago.

But by the end of the week, the Fox administration backed off and said that the war would continue and be expanded until law and order was restored and the federal agents would slowly be withdrawn and replaced by the city police after "intense screening". Talk about walking in two directions at once. But the Fox administration has always been good at this. On the other hand, maybe it had something to do with more assassinations happening in other areas of México, including an efficient narcotics squad police commander executed at the México City airport after a series of big cocaine busts. Maybe they are waking up to the enormity of the job at hand. Like I said, this is México's Iraq.

But now, consider the other problem on the border. The problem that is common to both the US and México . . . the vast immigration wave of Mexicans going north. There are those in the US who feel that by "sealing" the border, the problem will go away. Here's a news flash for those individuals; it won't work. Building a multimillion dollar 3.5 mile fence in California won't help a bit. Trying to militarize the border with the National Guard won't work either. Ever heard of Iraq and what has happened to the National Guard? Get real.

The problem lies on both sides of the border. First the unadmitted need for "cheaper" labor in the US and the fact that México is, by default, literally driving a good portion of our population northward. Two components that should be recognized by all. A senator from a Western US state (perceived as "anti-Mexican") says that US industry is "hooked" on cheap Mexican labor. Another way of looking at it is that many companies are simply trying to survive in the US without setting up plants in China. What is your choice, Senator?

A recent column by Andres Openheimer of the Miami Herald points out that the problem will continue as long as the wide per capita income gap exists between México and the US. When I moved to México 14 years ago, the pay difference between México and the US was about one to six. At the same time, the productivity difference between the Mexican worker and the US worker was one to three. And things have only gotten worse for the Mexicans, especially with the revolution in modern farming here eliminating many small farms.

What neither the Mexican political administration or the Mexican business class understand is that México needs to develop an internal market for its products. And that means increasing (gradually) the pay of Mexicans in order for them to purchase the products that they make. Henry Ford understood this back in the 1920s, but it is completely beyond the concept of our political and business classes. And the laugh of this is that even China has recognized this capitalist fiscal fact, and is acting on it.

México has lost the "cheap labor" war. México is increasing Asian imports rapidly as those countries can make less costly products than México. So far, México has slowed the "China" threat a bit by being able to take on work from the US in the assembly plants along the border. But those days are numbered. And, of course, the US is trying to compete by hiring more and more illegal Mexican labor to hold down their costs. And if you are going to migrate from central and southern México north to find work . . . why not keep going north? And they do.

But all of the great reforms talked about (and rejected by the Mexican congress) will come to nil without the most important reform of all . . . legal reform. Nothing can succeed without modernization of our opaque legal and enforcement processes. Nothing. And it would seem that in México, as in the US, there are too many of the ruling classes that like things just the way they are.

You know what it is going to take? . . . A good deal of cooperation from both sides of the border on these issues. And that includes something else from the US. That is to actively start the closing down of the largest dope market in the world. Just like the labor situation, as long as there is an immense market for dope in the US, someone will supply it, and that is what the war here is all about now.

To those in the US, look at your costs on the "War on Terror" and compare that to your costs (both human and financial) of your dope problem. Remove your dope problem and your federal deficit would disappear overnight. And it would be more peaceful here in México.
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Richard N. Baldwin T., a HispanicVista.com (http://www.hispanicvista.com/) contributing columnist, lives in Tlalnepantla, Edo de México. E-mail at: R1041643422@aol.com