A game changer in the immigration debate?
No, it’s not a new scandal or a piece of legislation or a bigger, higher fence. It’s demographics.
The Economist is reporting on a remarkable shift in Mexican culture, with families there having far, far fewer children.
In the 1960s Mexican mothers had nearly seven children each (whereas women in India then had fewer than six). The average now is just over two—almost the same as in the United States. The UN reckons that from 2040 the birth rate in Mexico will be the lower of the two. The fall follows a government u-turn nearly 40 years ago, when a contraception campaign replaced the previous nation-building policy.
This isn’t the kind of change that will produce overnight shift in the border tension. Mexico’s population isn’t expected to peak until 2043.
But long-term it could bring North American societies into far closer balance, with the US, Canada and Mexico all moving toward more stable, older populations.
Then where will we get our cheap labor from? Robots?
Who will pay our social security?
Is it just possible that “cheap labor” might not mean the same thing in a few years as it does now? The paradigm is changing slowly. I’ve heard and read multiple reports the AMERICANS seem willing to take low paying jobs when push comes to shove. Maybe some of the “cheap labor” will come from traditional places- high school kids, retirees, transients. Maybe when folks come to the realization “public assistance” means assisting and not providing a life long living some of our less…able?…willing? will turn to and become our low wage labor.
I’ve always been fascinated by the American/Mexican relationship. While we take the moral high ground and try to be “nice” to our illegal aliens, our neighbors to the south continue their brutal practices that resemble something from a 1920’s mindset. While we bend over backwards in our attempts to influence the middle east, Africa, parts of Asia, we say nothing about the horrid conditions and miserable excuses for human rights in Mexico. That’s just wrong to me. And now the cancer from the south is spreading further into our southwest. Attempts to slow it are called “racist”. I just shake my head in wonder. Shouldn’t we be demanding Mexico feed it own people, provide jobs for their own people, provide decent living conditions for their own people? Instead we basically condone Mexicos corruption and obscene practices.
Sorry, I just don’t see anything “right” about what we’re doing.
i vote “helper monkeys”
Change is coming.
Bret said: “Shouldn’t we be demanding Mexico feed it own people, provide jobs for their own people, provide decent living conditions for their own people?”
Yes. We should. But they have oil, and just like we let Saudi Arabia build al Qaeda with our money, we’re cool with Mexico as long as Pemex injects us with our fix. Plus, we have someone to pick our lettuce and mow our lawns. It’s all good as long as we can drive our 4x4s.