[ilbegone]

Mexico has finally become a majority middle-class country, former Foreign Minister Jorge Castaneda argues in his recent book "Manana Forever?" Mexico has more cars and television sets than households now, most Mexicans have credit cards, and there are almost as many cell phones as people.

There has been a boom in higher education, especially in technical schools. The increasing numbers of well-educated Mexicans have no need to go to the United States to live a comfortable and even affluent life. Mexico has grown its way out of poverty.

This is something that I found a few months ago while looking and comparing stats between the US and third world countries including many just south of us. What I found was that Mexico has been doing quite well and actually better than the US in the past few years. But it's something no one was reporting on, and when I mentioned it, some did not believe it. Let's hope it's true and the US puts the needed laws and infrastructure in place to prevent another invasion.

I read Castaneda's book.

"Middle class" can be relative, as suggested to me by the book - that sometimes one has "arrived" when one no longer has to sleep and cook in the same room.

As I remember it, Castaneda referred to an import law which specified that cars resold in Mexico from America were required to be at least ten years old, what's a gross polluting clunker worth in Mexico? Castaneda commented on the environmental disaster that came from that one.

Television sets and cell phones?

Merchandise is sold according to what the market will bear, and cell phones designed for paid up front service sell very cheaply in the US. How much less in Mexico? On the other hand, show me someone in Oaxaca who is uneducated and only makes $8.00 a day who has an I-phone.

Castaneda mentioned television, it's been around quite a while in Mexico. But, I suspect that television ownership for those under the poverty line in America approaches 100%, why not in Mexico as well? Television ownership in and of itself is no indicator of class or status.

I don't recall much what Castaneda said about credit cards, I have an idea that it involved interest rates which would shame a loan shark.

Education was discussed in the book, I recall that he said that there are more uneducated people in Mexico now than in previous generations, that had to do with a time when there was less educational funds than previously due to a national monetary crisis. He also talked about educators going through a form or process of teaching which is more important than imparting an education. Something about a cultural form of ceremony in which the box presented is more important than what is in the box itself.

Mexico has grown its way out of poverty? I don't think so.


I don't have Castaneda's book in front of me - I'm away from home. Otherwise, I would have a look through and find just what was cherry picked out of context for the above quotes.

Some things I agree with Castaneda, I've observed it myself or it was explained to me by far too many people of the culture to be otherwise. Other things I'm sure he sees through his nationality. I did like the book, I believe Castaneda made a great effort to be objective and had some conclusions sure to piss off Mexican nationalists. He even steers clear of the victimization crap and explains why.

One of the more interesting things he said (as I understood it) was that for Mexico to have a future, Mexico has to let go of the past and experience somewhat of a change in its culture.

MANANA FOREVER? Mexico and the Mexicans by Castaneda is a worthwhile read.