Mexico: history, geography, and culture

Mexico, U.S., and Globalization

The promise of globalization in the late 1980s and 1990s has given way to a host of problems with this new and still emerging world order, some of which were predicted early on in the scheme of things. Others, however, have come as something of a surprise, in the magnitude and immediacy of their onset, if not in the practical details of the effect itself. Chief among these unexpected problems with increasing industry and -- for some, at least -- virtually unchecked attempts at economic growth is the specter of global warming. There is little doubt now in the scientific world that temperatures are on the rise globally, and that humans are largely responsible for this change in temperature due to their release of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gasses as byproducts of industry. Though this problem had shown its warning signs far earlier than the current era of globalization, the increasing inequalities that appear to be inherent to the globalized system provide a sharper contrast to the issue.

The forces at work in the creation and furtherance of global warming are intrinsically and inextricably tied to the economic realities of living in a globalized world. Examples of this relationship abound; China's rapid economic growth has come at a significant environmental cost, and other developing countries are bristling under carbon emission limits that the international community is trying to impose upon them, asserting -- quite rightly -- that such limits will only keep them in an economically disadvantaged position by limiting their ability to promote effective and efficient industry. One need not look too far from home to find an example of the inequality that exists in the globalization/global warming framework; the United States and Mexico, two neighbors with a rich history of animosity and cooperation, are evidence of this point.

In Plan B. 3.0, Lester Brown outlines the interconnected and complex issues of global warming and globalization, and suggests ways to combat the growing issues caused by both. He also briefly outlines the economic disparity found between established powers like the United States and still-developing nations like Mexico. Of particular importance in the relationship between these two countries is the issue of agriculture and the employment this industry offers as a way of combating poverty and increasing development without altering carbon emissions. Brown asserts that for many developing and poverty-stricken nations with available natural resources, successful export-oriented farm sector -- taking advantage of low-cost labor and natural endowments of land, water, and climate boost rural incomes and to earn foreign exchange -- often offers a path out of poverty. Sadly, for many developing countries this path is blocked by the self-serving farm subsidies of affluent countries" (Brown, 2007).

This statement is central to many of the major issues that face Mexico and the United States in this era of globalization. Farm subsidies have been a contentious issue in United States politics for decades, and their effect on the international economy -- especially on our nearest neighbors (and even more especially on Mexico, which has a much greater agricultural potential than Canada) -- can be devastating, especially with the other effects of regional "free trade." In essence, the combination of free trade and farm subsidies makes it more profitable for the United States to export to Mexico, and can even make U.S. agricultural goods cheaper then domestic gods in Mexico, perpetuating and furthering poverty in Mexico.

The agricultural issue also speaks directly to the issue of immigration, both legal and illegal, that has also been a major and complex problem between Mexico and the United States since the two countries first became neighbors. In Making Globalization Work, Joseph Stiglitz agrees with the assessment of farm subsidies that Brown provides, noting its effect on individuals in developing countries, as well: "Farmers and developing countries saw their jobs being threatened by the highly subsidized corn and other crops from the United States" (Stiglitz, 2006). As jobs decrease in developing countries, the population turns to the nearest available source of employment and income, and in Mexico this has traditionally been the United States. Immigration controls, both in increased patrol and enforcement of borders and suggested legal restrictions on the number of immigrant laborers allowed into the country each season or year, have a been a major hot-button issue off and on throughout the past century. The economic disparities caused by the unbalanced rules of globalization show up very clearly in the immigration patterns from Mexico to the United States. (Stiglitz is not against globalization, however, but instead he is strongly opposed to the way that globalization has developed. He believes that increased economic cooperation and interdependence is the most practical way to solve the global issues that the nations of the world are faced with in the twenty-first century. He maintains that the only way to effectively combat global warming is through a fair set of globally adhered-to rules, and sees a better implementation of globalization policies as almost automatically furthering this cooperation Stiglitz, 2006). This is directly tied to economic issues; if Mexico were not so disadvantaged due to the United States' policies, it might be more willing to make environmental concessions.