I don't have an adequate explanation for the failure of the US to engage more fully with Latin America.
Well... what you have provided is very good I will explain...
My guess, and it's only a guess, is the historical tendency of Latin American economies to sort of self-destruct causing massive defaults on bonds and loans. Latin American economies are more volatile that European economies. But of course there is a lot of economic activity between Latin American countries and the US, and there will be even more in the future, especially as Hispanics in America go higher up the economic scale.
Quite accurate at least in two counts.
Latin America self destructs because imo it does not have a real sense of community... This is heresy, because a native of any of those places would crucify me for saying so...
They have a GREAT sense of FAMILY but they distrust the "community" because such represents the fact that it is controlled by a bunch of corrupt and powerful leaders... Therefore they look after themselves, and they put the "community" in a much less important place.
They will NEVER publicly admit to it. They will always say that...
Living in _______________ (fill in the blank from your choice of any Latin American country) has no comparison.
They are very proud of their respective land... yet they don't (perhaps cannot is a better term), do anything about the fact that corruption and lack of education has destroyed over the years any hope to establish a successful and enduring community where doing business and making it grow is a viable proposition.
They live in eternal "promises" in their heads they believe that living in their country is better even if it is having to put up with all the inefficiencies. For example... they claim that they live "away" from the "American-like" where sex and drugs is unrestricted...
Truth is different.... as many of those societies have fallen to the same ills and worse.... corruption continues to decay whatever solid infrastructure there could be.
Perception is reality.
I think it's hard to convey to someone living outside the USA how apathetic the ordinary American is to foreign affairs. It's always been that way.
True... personally, I have never been able to understand such lack of interest, particularly in today's world where trade and life in general are more interlocked with the welfare of other lands.
Language is another example.... most educated people in Latin America (and I am sure this is the same in other countries), have a high degree of proficiency in English, PLUS they have the interest to learn it. Not so in the USA (and I should add, England is the same way).
In Europe, I believe most people speak English PLUS one, two and even three additional languages other than their own native one.
Speaking a language opens the door to whatever country where the language is spoken. What is extraordinary is that the USA with its vast interest in other countries, there is minimal interest in learning the respective languages of those countries... perhaps the exceptions are the more educated individuals.
In the particular case between Mexico and the USA, this is a special situation simply because they are neighbors and they have about 3,000 kilometers of common border.
There is another aspect that there is a degree of stubbornness even being a hard head NOT to accept the metric and decimal systems. Why?? I have no idea, it is a thousand times easier then the damned feet, inches, gallons ounces... stones etc etc etc.... all you need is divide and multiply by ten.
Try to imagine getting citizens of your own country interested in the politics of, say, Manitoba, or Liechtenstein.
Well... I understand your point... personally, I try to take interest for no other reason than I find it interesting... no I do not know them all, but I can read. What it is more pressing is the fact that we ALL should give more interest to what happens simply because we can no longer say... "We live in the USA and what happens outside of it is none of my concern” We live in a very interconnected world.
Again... in the case of Latin America and the USA had we all had a different attitude to learn a little --only a little more about each other's country, things could have been different. Again... take the example of Mexico and USA in terms of the immigration.
The reason of immigration is no other than jobs. PARTICULARLY in the case of Mexico. Most Mexicans HATE leaving Mexico, but they have no choice since they have no jobs.
On top of that population growth continues to create an impossible situation in Mexico: (This btw... applies to varying degrees to every country in Latin America, the difference being the USA and Mexico are neighbors).
In 1950 the population of the entire country was 30 million people. Living in Mexico, during the 30's through the mid 60's was like living in paradise.
Inexpensive, clean, easy to make $$$, great food, better beer, most places were unpopulated, no threat of nuclear attacks by lunatics.... in a word paradise.
Slowly, in a stealth way.... the population growth along with corruption and lack of infrastructure for education... created a monster of hellish proportions.
.... Today ? Population is 100 million. Pollution is out of control; population growth is a nightmare living in the cities is literary living in HELL main threat? The fear of kidnapping for ransom.
Now... if both countries had had some serious interest in each other a possible better solution could have been reached... now... BOTH countries HAVE to deal with the existing problems.... because BOTH countries are suffering from each other's ills. And it will be worse in the future...
If the USA was not the world's biggest economy, people wouldn't expect so much from us. Just think of us as much like you, only with more money and more guns. We aren't any smarter, probably know a lot less about you than you know about us, although what most people around the world know about the US they saw in a movie or on TV. Same as us. We saw some quaint customs in the National Geographic or the History Channel and some people burning one of our politicians in effigy or storming one of our embassies but that's all we know about the rest of you.
I am for all intents and practical purposes someone who has lived in enough countries that I cannot claim to identify with one particular country. I am not too fond of "nationalism" either. But I do believe in free speech, free thought and capitalism.
In my eyes, what happened on Sept 11th. Was not only an attack on this country. It was an attack on the ideals and the principles under which this country was founded. In short, it was an attack on the beliefs of the most advanced civilization on the planet.
This country is formed from the best of the planet that over the years have been capable of building what the country has become.
NO ONE can afford any more to say... I have no interest in what happens on the other side of the world because sooner of later whatever is it that is going on is going to affect us.
Task number one has become to convince and spread peacefully the principles and ideas that formed this country, which are free thought, freedom of expression, the concept of private property and capitalism.
Unless we succeed in influencing the people of other lands and overcome the sundry tyrants that control such areas of the world we will continue to run the risk of terrorism. The USA will be the center of attraction because of simple envy. The reason can be religious extremism or revenge for whatever pretext.
Religion must not be part of the mandate (other than "freedom of religion" NOT imposition of a particular religion.)
Now... if it was up to me... I would say freedom FROM religion will allow you to live a better life... If you do not believe me, just think in what shape would Latin America be had all the people in all those countries would have been able to be educated in the practice of sex and "plan their families"...
It is pitiful that the pope, who is not even married and sits his fat arse in the wealth of the Vatican can exercise such heavy influence in Latin America where poverty abounds... worse, the catholic priests serve as "marriage counselors" in many a small town and city of Latin America, who create a de facto prohibition law on family planning and based on such fear and guilt these miserable people continue having babies like rabbits. To what f%$#@ end ?
Personaly I consider such act a criminal act of cruelty and negligence against humanity. But I won't get into that sh*t. |
