How do we explain Mexico's embarrassing failure as a country?

Question

Nearly every educated person has to agree that Mexico, as a country, has failed miserably. There really is no good reason for the country of Mexico to even exist any more. They cannot provide their people healthcare, jobs, or welfare. Their science, technology and military is minimal. They cannot even develop a plumbing system that allows for flushing toilet paper into the system without clogging the works. The government is entirely ineffective and the police force is among the most corrupt on the planet.

But the question is...why? Why has Mexico failed so miserably? They have rich natural resources, plenty of people, vast lands, and national pride. Yet in every challenge a nation faces, Mexico has proven to be a failure. I have heard students ask this question all the time and I would be curious to hear what others think about this dilemma. Even when Mexico owned land that would later be part of the U. S., they never accomplished anything worth while with it. Why?

Answer 1

Greed and selfishness by many in power (government and the rich and the strong). Who could do better--but don't.
We have the same problem-to a lesser degree(so far).

No powerful Leaders for the people for some time to help them group together.

Discouragement of the people themselves.

Answer 2

Please if you assume that you're an educated person, why not to come and make a real opinion by yourself?

Obviously Mexico has serious problems to affront but for some reason Mexico's the 12th wealthiest country of the world. Has one of the most integrating and efficient social health service and the 15th biggest army.

Expression liberty is widely bigger in Mexico than in US. Do you remember those reporters that were jailed because they refused to reveal their sources in California? This would never happen in Mexico.

I know, you'll say: "Then why so many Mexicans are immigrating illegaly into the US?" And I'll say: Because of these amazing changes in Mexico. This people come from a part of the society that in the past it they thought it wasn't worthy to prepare and educate since Mexican employment standards were too low. Now, when this growing country needs more specialized and educated people for the new standards, all of these people are staying back and having no more place in nowadays Mexican society. This is quite similar of what is happening in China, where Mao grew an entire generation and prepare them to be only factory workers. Now China needs more than factory workers, they need ecomomists, and programmers, and a lot of professions that an entire generation didn't prepare too.

There's still too much to do in Mexico. But we're on the way.

So I invite you to read and get more information before making comments like this.

Answer 3

As an educated person I must strongly disagree with you. I hope your students have more sense than to take what you say seriously. Mexico, particularly in the Northern states has a burgeoning economy, tourism is only third to real estate development, and aquaculture.

The beef in your Mac Burgers comes from the state of Sonora,the Mexicali Valley just shipped 200,000 tons of wheat to
Italy. China, Japan , South Korea and Spain are active trading partners. The mining and oil producers are busy with exploration,
but they run up against ecologists every step of the way. There is a mega port being built in Punta Colnet, Baja California which will
be bigger than both Los Angeles and Long Beach. There is talk of connecting Medicare with Mexican doctors since medical
tourism, as it is in India, is becoming popular. Law enforcement
is a problem that will be solved, US criminal justice heads are
teaching classes all the time and corruption when found is being
routed out. I challenge your information. However I agree about the flushing of toilets, my plumbing, US made is 20 years old
anybody caught tossing paper in the toilet is scolded.

Answer 4

You know what I find amusing is that you are certified to be an educator yet you seem to be doing the complete opposite, and then they wonder why we have college students who still at this point cant read!!

"Their science, technology and military is minimal. They cannot even develop a plumbing system that allows for flushing toilet paper into the system without clogging the works. The government is entirely ineffective and the police force is among the most corrupt on the planet."

You answered your own question here my friend!!

Answer 5

That is such a bizarre question I had to put in my 2 cents.

What is the criteria for failure? Is there a threshold? If yes, what is the percentage of coutries that have crossed it? Should it be an "average" criteria or a "limits" criteria, i.e., if a country has a certain percentage of its citizens living below a certain acceptable level, but a very high average, has that country failed or succeeded? What countries would have reached this (or these) criteria(s)? Has the US reached it?

On the other hand, should it be a "static" or "dynamic" criteria? In other words, if a country has very low scores in several areas, such as sanitation, health care, education, wealth distribution etc, but is "moving fast" towards progress is it a failure? What about the exact oposite?


Alternatively, recent advances in economics has been trying to replace the usual measures (like GDP per capita, life expectancy, etc) for more direct measures. Try searching Gross National Happiness or GNH (I know what it sounds like, but this is cutting edge stuff) and you'll be surprized.


http://www.nytimes.com/2005/10/04/science/04happ.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5088&en=a4c0250cf8730dca&ex=1286078400&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

Take a look at figure 1 in this article (compares happiness to HDI - human development index) and see how well Mexico does in happiness even thou it is very poor in HDI.
http://econrsss.anu.edu.au/~aleigh/pdf/CommentBlanchflowerOswald.pdf

There are several articles that can be found easily with any Google search. Of course that GNH is still a developing metric and is open to critic, but it does show how mute - or at least biased - the "failure" statement is. Anyway, I don't feel an "educated person" has necessarily to agree with that statement.

Answer 6

in simple terms what we want yet another centred visitor worker application. those from the final centred visitor worker application on no account troubled to pass away and why do they think of unlawful extraterrestrial beings will obey the regulation this time around is previous me. Mexico is that one among those God forsaken us of a. that is humorous how Mexico has hundreds of thousands of greenbacks for their human beings right here, yet declare to be broke and straving there. All Mexico cares approximately is having somebody else pay for the wellbeing of all their human beings.

Answer 7

Mexico is a third world country The only reason they have what they have is from tourism. Their government and law-enforcement is corrupt. Their government even encourages illegal immigration to the US, so the individuals that make it across can send funds to their families to help support them, instead of finding a solution within their country to establish wealth.

Answer 8

Unlike the U.S., Mexico didn't have such a close reationship with their mother country (spain) back when it was formed. Spain failed to integrate and support Mexico like Great Britain did for us.

Answer 9

i am a native born in mexico, and i lived there during the ruling period of the PRI, and i can agree wtih you that we had not accomplish anything because of them, taht party ruined the country i saw it happend i experienced it they jacked all of our money and ran off with it. ever since fox took office things have gotten sligtly better,not the best but u cant expect a country that was left in bankrupcy to accomplish so much in so little time, its going to take years for mexico to improve its economy, that is of course if the presidents that are elected do the right job.

Answer 10

The corrupt govt. there pockets funds instead of trying to improve the country.

The USA gives aid to Mexico, yet the people never reaps any benefits from that aid. The USA should stop giving aid to Mexico directly to that govt. We should give aid directly to the people there, if we give any aid at all. The way the illegals have slithered into the USA and have acted so disrespectful of us, we should cut off aid to them completely. They are not our problem any longer. Let Mexico take care of Mexico. I couldn't care less about whether their toilets flush t. tissue or not. They come up here and demand we allow them to break our laws and they worship the Mexican flag after the way that country treated them, they can all eat $h!t and die for all I care anymore.

Answer 11

i think Hispanics are very proud people. maybe to an extent too proud. it is almost as if they do not want help or advice from any other country, and refuse to do things that most countries do in order to be successfull. they beat to their own drum and even though they feel it is working (otherwise they would do something, anything different) they seem to overlook the fact that thousands try to cross their borders in order to escape their life in Mexico.