| Photo by Rodrigo Porto on Unsplash
Part XIII of “A Socioeconomic ‘Co-optopia'” Series
Last Wednesday’s Part XII of this series said: “Mexico just launched this week a Universal Health Service, which guarantees free medical access for all its citizens. Apparently, the U.S. federal government refuses to do so, and even to discuss it, in the United States Congress, which the Republican majority of legislators controls.
On December 9, 2020, this columnist wrote: “POTUS Biden, Americans, and Canadians Must Help in Turning Mexico Into an Economic Power”. The cover photo showed then-President George W. Bush, Mexico’s President Vicente Fox, and Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper, standing in front of the Chichen-Itza Archaeological Ruins in Mexico in March 2006.
The first 3 paragraphs of said column article said: QUOTE. On April 2, 2014, I had the honor of meeting with former President Vicente Fox of Mexico in an event sponsored by the Milken Foundation in Santa Monica, CA. Mr. Fox, who was the guest of honor, said in his speech that Mexico would become the world’s fifth-largest economy by 2050.
I was the first in line to ask the former Mexican President to sign his new book, Revolution of Hope. When I informed him that I am a Filipino, his eyes brightened, and he said that Filipinos are some of the closest people to Mexicans. I said, “Yes, Mr. President, Filipinos are like the first cousins of your people.” And I also remarked that the nearly 4 million Americans of Filipino descent and Overseas Filipinos would help their country become an economic powerhouse even before 2050.
I respectfully suggest that President-elect Joe Biden and his incoming administration can help Mexico become an economic superpower. Suppose Mexico became the world’s fifth-biggest economy. In that case, many North American problems from immigration to illegal drugs to universal health care coverage to homelessness – to name a few- would be easier to solve in partnership with Mexico. And in turn, a prosperous Mexico — with the help of its North American partners, the U.S. and Canada — can do more to assist struggling countries across Central and South America and the Caribbean. UNQUOTE.
Remember what Donald J. Trump said when he kicked off his presidential bid in July 2015 with harsh words for Mexico? He said: “They are not our friend, believe me.” Then he disparaged Mexican immigrants: “They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists. And some, I assume, are good people.”
Now, just 11 years later, Mexico has begun universal healthcare. At the same time, the second Trump Administration is bogged down in even describing — for legislative purposes — a similar “Universal Health Service” idea that Mexicans are now starting to enjoy.
Here are some of the metrics used by this columnist’s friends, who are Americans of Mexican descent, to argue that Mexico is on the way to becoming one of the world’s biggest economies. In contrast, the U.S. economy is on the way down:
POVERTY OF THE PEOPLE. According to this columnist’s editorial assistant, Mister Google, approximately 35.9 million people live in poverty in the U.S., compared to roughly 37-to-40 million people (or about 29.6% of the population) in Mexico.
HOMELESS POPULATION. The U.S. has a significantly larger number of homeless people than Mexico. The U.S. counts over 745,000 homeless individuals nationwide. In contrast, Mexico’s official estimates suggest a much lower number. For instance, Mexico City estimates its homeless at roughly 30,000, while the national shelter/street numbers remain a fraction of the U.S. total.
New York City (90,000+ sheltered): New York City indeed has nearly 100,000 homeless residents. Recent reports indicate that roughly 96,500 to 98,600 people sleep in NYC’s main shelter system each night. Because NYC enforces a legal “Right to Shelter,” over 95% of these individuals are in temporary housing, with only a small fraction remaining completely unsheltered on the streets.
Los Angeles (70,000+ countywide): The estimate of 70,000+ refers to the unhoused population across Los Angeles County, not just the City of Los Angeles. Skid Row Population (4,000–5,000): The Skid Row district of Los Angeles City is only a 50-block radius, and unofficial estimates place the stabilized homeless population there between 4,000 and 5,000 people.
Maybe this column ought to write next: “Perhaps Mexicans and Canadians Must Help in Turning the U.S. Back Into an Economic Power”?
