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So I am an American and I think that we have it easy over here compared to the eastern hemisphere. Here is a question for the Latinos. Why has there not been a serious movement towards unification?
Major problems that typically are mentioned are absent on this hemisphere. Belligerent states (e.g. Russia), terrorism (e.g. ISIS/Boko Haram), and multitudes of languages are not present in anywhere near the degree as it is found in the rest of the world. In fact it seems that speaking 2-3 languages is practical for an average person. With 3 languages you could easily talk to virtually everyone on the entire western hemisphere. But even Spanish alone will get you from Mexico down to Argentina. So why haven't people ever considered the notion of uniting to make a stronger union? If Europe is considering it with the European Union, Africa is considering it with the East African Federation & others, why no consideration in Latin America?
Would you want a union with neighboring countries? What would be the hangovers?
To quote an astonished Ronald Reagan, arriving home from his first state visit to Latin America, "Those are all separate countries down there!" This quickly becomes obvious when you go by bus from Mexico to Guatemala then to Honduras. The difference is even more striking from Nicaragua to Costa Rica to Panama, and you can;t even get from there to Colombia. And I think Bolivia and Chile are still legally at war with each other. All three crossings in the thousand-mile Chile/Argentina border are often snow-blocked for months at a time.
Therre are probably no four adjoining countries in the world that are more distinct than Guyana, Suriname, French Guiana and Brazil. None speak the same language, nor Spanish either.
Dude, pick any country in Latin America and there are so many factions who are vehemently opposed to eachother, fighting eachother. Nobody is capable of getting along within a single country. There's no way a "Unified Latin America" will ever happen.
Most of LA is already integrated, in South America no one needs a passport to cross borders an ID is all it's needed, except the Guianas area. Mexico nor most of Central American countries do not require SA countries a passport. There iare alreaady many commercial pacts free trade not only of goods but of people. Andean free trade pact, Mercosur and many in others.
Most of LA is already integrated, in South America no one needs a passport to cross borders an ID is all it's needed, except the Guianas area. Mexico nor most of Central American countries do not require SA countries a passport. There iare alreaady many commercial pacts free trade not only of goods but of people. Andean free trade pact, Mercosur and many in others.
Yet when I tell this to people in Colombia thinking of overstaying their their US tourist visas, they just look at me with a blank stare as if they´d never heard this before and that I must not know what I´m talking about.
Unite on what basis? Latino is a deceptive term. You have whites, blacks, mestizos, Aztecs, Incas, Taino, etc living in what is referred to as Latin America. Argentina is 60% white with little black population, Chile is roughly the same, Uruguay is 85% white and Brazil while Portuguese based is 50% white. No reason for Argentina, Chile and Uruguay to be linked with the countries up north that are 40% white like Columbia and Venezuela or Mexico (20-25%). They exist with different circumstances, culture and people.
Latin American countries are too large (except CA ones). If anything, they could balkanize even further. Too many regional differences within each country.
Quote:
Originally Posted by aab7855
Yet when I tell this to people in Colombia thinking of overstaying their their US tourist visas, they just look at me with a blank stare as if they´d never heard this before and that I must not know what I´m talking about.
None of these countries have "good paying jobs" (not for the average joe), also, USA has a waaay much larger economy. USA wages are 5-10 times higher than these of any of the countries you listed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by john620
Unite on what basis? Latino is a deceptive term. You have whites, blacks, mestizos, Aztecs, Incas, Taino, etc living in what is referred to as Latin America. Argentina is 60% white with little black population, Chile is roughly the same, Uruguay is 85% white and Brazil while Portuguese based is 50% white. No reason for Argentina, Chile and Uruguay to be linked with the countries up north that are 40% white like Columbia and Venezuela or Mexico (20-25%). They exist with different circumstances, culture and people.
None of these countries have "good paying jobs" (not for the average joe), also, USA has a waaay much larger economy. USA wages are 5-10 times higher than these of any of the countries you listed.
The point is would you rather practice your proffesion legally and safely in a neighboring country, or live illegaly in the USA? The US has higher wages than most countries, but illegals don't get payed very well.
None of these countries have "good paying jobs" (not for the average joe), also, USA has a waaay much larger economy. USA wages are 5-10 times higher than these of any of the countries you listed.
Or do like the Central Americans do and cram 12 people in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house...
I know Colombians who have done well in Panamá and Ecuador because it´s dollarized, the wages are much higher than Colombia, and the cost of living is either comparable or even better (price of transportation and gasoline in Ecuador is way better, for example).
Most Colombians in Chile have made a name for themselves as laborers, but I know professionals (secretaries, graphic designers, etc.) who have done quite well there.
With today´s political climate and cost of living, I wouldn´t risk living in the shadows in the States, but that´s just me.
The answer is simple. The obscenely rich and vicious oligarchies who rule their countries with iron fists might lose control of their wealth and power. In other words, they are content with the status quo. Their greed perpetuates the typical third world paradox of private affluence and public squalor. Centuries of ruthless oppression has produced a system where 95% of the population live like rats and the other 5% live like kings. A large number of these mafia-like regimes were created by the US as client states who allowed the US to rape and pillage its natural resources in exchange for a commission that made them comically rich. And the brutal oligarchs threw in ruthless oppression of popular resistance free of charge to sweeten the pot. The last thing they are concerned about is the well-being of the general population. Forming a federation of countries might upset the apple cart.
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