Don't Blame Mexico

Submitted by Bill St. Clair on Thu, 20 Apr 2006 11:36:20 GMT  <== Politics ==> 

Fred Reed at LewRockwell.com - an American living in Mexico clears up a few misconceptions about Mexico's immigration laws. [lew]

Bear in mind that the United States is far more powerful than Mexico, and far richer, and that America and Americans are by nature meddlesome. At the national level the US tries to impose democracy, change "regimes," and dictate social policy in all sorts of countries. At the level of the individual, Americans, certainly those in Mexico, try to pass leash laws, make horses wear diapers, regulate smoking, and set closing hours for bars. Neither the US nor most of its people grasp that some things are simply not their business.

Protecting Mexico from such intrusiveness is a concern of the government here.

Politics? No, you may not engage in politics. I am not sure why Americans think they should be permitted to, but I know why Mexicans think that they should not. In the Yankee enclaves, they would take over and run things as they wanted, not as Mexicans want. They would want rules, regulations, correct attitudes, laws, laws, laws. They would want to instruct Mexico. There would be encampments of activists demonstrating in Chiapas. (When the US has solved its own ethnic problems, then perhaps it might make polite suggestions to others. Day after tomorrow, you think?) And a naturalized American is just an American with a different piece of paper in his pocket: Same attitudes, culture, and lack of respect for other countries.

The Mexican approach is, "You are free to live here, but we will make our own laws, thank you." Which makes perfect sense to me. I came here in large part to escape the micromanagement of everything by the damned government up north.

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If you want to live here, it's easy. You get a tourist visa for 90 days when you land (try that in the US), and with no hassle you can then get FM-3 residence status (try that in the US), provided you can demonstrate an income of $1000 a month. (You are welcome, but Mexico isn't going to support you. Why should it?) Driver's licenses are easy. You can bring your car and belongings, and no, the police aren't going to give you a hard time. The government hassles you far here less than does the government up north. But also no, you are not going into politics and, if you do something adequately undesirable, you will be chucked unceremoniously out. And why not?

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Note that the immigration problem is entirely of America's making. Laws, decisions in the courts, amnesties, interpretation of the Constitution, and policy all encourage illegal immigration. What the US does is to say to impoverished and desperate people, "See this river? Don't cross it. If you do, we'll give you all sorts of privileges, and jobs, and a chance to advance in life and give your kids a good future. Now, don't cross it, you hear?"

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of course if we treat the

Submitted by RayC on Tue, 25 Apr 2006 01:34:08 GMT

of course if we treat the ILLEGAL Mexican immagrents the same way we are treated in Mexico the Mexican gov will hire them lawyers to get them the same or more rights and priviledges than an American citizen. Mexico has a right to do what it wants within its borders. But don't take the high ground when they are willfully violating ours. As always just my opinion.

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