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An excerpt of an interesting article in The Seattle Times, regarding Mexico's growing middle class and how that country is no longer a poor country, but rather a middle class society:
Quote:
A wary but tenacious middle class is fast becoming the majority in Mexico, breaking down the rich-poor divide in a demographic transformation that has far-reaching implications here and in the United States.
Although many Mexicans and their neighbors to the north still imagine a country of downtrodden masses dominated by a wealthy elite, the swelling ranks of the middle class are crowding new Wal-Marts, driving Nissan sedans and maxing out their Banamex credit cards.
"As hard as it is for many of us to accept, Mexico is now a middle-class country, which means we don't have any excuse anymore. We have to start acting like a middle-class country," said Luis de la Calle, an economist, former undersecretary of trade in the Mexican government and the co-author of a new report called "Mexico: A Middle Class Society, Poor No More, Developed Not Yet."
Is this really news? There are still certainly the concerns about crime to get past, but only the racist or those who just don't care about Mexico think of it as impoverished and low income.
Is this really news? There are still certainly the concerns about crime to get past, but only the racist or those who just don't care about Mexico think of it as impoverished and low income.
Yes, it is news, and it is an interesting article.
Concerns about crime? We Americans have enough Americans committing crimes in the U.S. I don't see any reliable information that any foreigners are committing the majority of crime...
Well, there seems to be enough racists to conjure up falsehoods...
Started to buy a box of candy canes for the tree yesterday, until I noticed that although "made with pride" by an American family owned candy company since 1906, they are now made in - Mexico.
Apparently American workers are no longer capable of processing candy canes.
The hair color I used from Clairol for years is now made in Mexico too I noticed recently. Not that they have dropped the price or anything.
I'm not surprised their middle class is booming like China's is. They have many of the jobs that used to be ours.
Started to buy a box of candy canes for the tree yesterday, until I noticed that although "made with pride" by an American family owned candy company since 1906, they are now made in - Mexico.
Apparently American workers are no longer capable of processing candy canes.
The hair color I used from Clairol for years is now made in Mexico too I noticed recently. Not that they have dropped the price or anything.
I'm not surprised their middle class is booming like China's is. They have many of the jobs that used to be ours.
It's all part of living in a capitalistic society. Like it or not. It's what this country was built on and we, the citizens (the poor & middle income level people), have been asleep at the wheel and let those who worship capitalism run amuck. That is why less than 1% of Americans own more than 90% of true wealth in this country. Corporate greedmeisters will ALWAYS look for a cheaper way to produce their widgets (or candy canes, or hair color, etc.) and want to pay their laborers as little as possible to do it. They do not give a flying fart about what's happening to the middle class in the US. They only care about profits and keeping their shareholders happy. Capitalism, in the long term, enriches only a very few. America's hay-day has come and gone. I don't see it ever getting any better because we've all become too complacent and let the corporations take over and politicians do what they want. Everyone has their head glued to a computer, smart phone, the tv, or video game. In the meantime, Mexicans, east Indians, Chinese, and many others from developing countries have been working their arses off. It's no wonder other people from countries like this are now rising to the middle income ranks.
Expect to see more and more of this kind of thing and be happy that we've had our hay-day--- it's someone else's turn now. I only hope they don't fall asleep at the wheel like we have. And they should be careful what they wish for. Nothing lasts forever...
Maybe so in big cities, and in that respect Mexico is no different from any other developing country in the world, very few of which are stagnant or actually retrograde. But in the Mexican countryside and smaller cities and towns, the middle class has little visibility. Certainly too little to be called "booming". Prices of global consumer goods in Mexico are still high, and there are not all that many people who can afford the pretense of a middle-class lifestyle.
Quote:
Originally Posted by montanamom
Started to buy a box of candy canes for the tree yesterday, until I noticed that although "made with pride" by an American family owned candy company since 1906, they are now made in - Mexico.
Apparently American workers are no longer capable of processing candy canes.
Do you have any idea how many Americans have jobs producing goods that are exported to Mexico, and bought by their rising middle-class workers?
Maybe so in big cities, and in that respect Mexico is no different from any other developing country in the world, very few of which are stagnant or actually retrograde. But in the Mexican countryside and smaller cities and towns, the middle class has little visibility. Certainly too little to be called "booming". Prices of global consumer goods in Mexico are still high, and there are not all that many people who can afford the pretense of a middle-class lifestyle.
Do you have any idea how many Americans have jobs producing goods that are exported to Mexico, and bought by their rising middle-class workers?
I've actually been surprised to see many smaller cities booming with a strong middle class, in addition to the larger cities. One in particular is Chilpancingo. Every year or so we drive from DF to Acapulco and pass it along the way. Since we only see it every year, or occasionally every other year, we can appreciate the changes in that specific time frame. There are huge blocks of residential housing filling in the hillside, like your typical rows of identical townhouses. I assume these are middle class dwellings because my husband's aunt owns one, and she's a dentist.... anyway, it's definitely describable as a boom. I first noticed it about three to five years ago, at a time when we were hearing of all the horrible cartel murders. I commented, "isn't that strange? In the US we hear all these terrible stories of Mexico and yet you look around, and it's actually, dare we say it??? Thriving!?" I couldn't explain it, at the time I was suspicious that it WAS due to the drug trade... who knows, really. We also noticed a change in Huatusco in Veracruz. Dude, everyone had a cell phone when I did not.
Yes, it's true, the global stuff is insanely expensive (which is why I have a whole extra suitcase going to Mexico with me tomorrow - we filled everyone's electronics wishlist), but in many categories there are still alternate products on the market, albeit sometimes lower in quality or not as shiny. Also don't discount the offset of other products, such as food.... and probably most importantly, the price of services. Jez, I just paid $200 (after insurance!) to have two of my son's tiny and extremely loose baby teeth removed... $200 for 25 minutes (after insurance!). In Mexico.. that would have cost what, $30?? ... seriously WT-???
I also don't think many Americans can keep up with the pretense of the middle-class either
I've actually been surprised to see many smaller cities booming with a strong middle class, in addition to the larger cities. One in particular is Chilpancingo. Every year or so we drive from DF to Acapulco and pass it along the way. Since we only see it every year, or occasionally every other year, we can appreciate the changes in that specific time frame. There are huge blocks of residential housing filling in the hillside, like your typical rows of identical townhouses. I assume these are middle class dwellings because my husband's aunt owns one, and she's a dentist.... anyway, it's definitely describable as a boom. I first noticed it about three to five years ago, at a time when we were hearing of all the horrible cartel murders. I commented, "isn't that strange? In the US we hear all these terrible stories of Mexico and yet you look around, and it's actually, dare we say it??? Thriving!?" I couldn't explain it, at the time I was suspicious that it WAS due to the drug trade... who knows, really. We also noticed a change in Huatusco in Veracruz. Dude, everyone had a cell phone when I did not.
Yes, it's true, the global stuff is insanely expensive (which is why I have a whole extra suitcase going to Mexico with me tomorrow - we filled everyone's electronics wishlist), but in many categories there are still alternate products on the market, albeit sometimes lower in quality or not as shiny. Also don't discount the offset of other products, such as food.... and probably most importantly, the price of services. Jez, I just paid $200 (after insurance!) to have two of my son's tiny and extremely loose baby teeth removed... $200 for 25 minutes (after insurance!). In Mexico.. that would have cost what, $30?? ... seriously WT-???
I also don't think many Americans can keep up with the pretense of the middle-class either
Those homes are very likely built by the government and what they "charge" for them depends on one's wages. So in theory they are always going to be affordable. They are decent enough for those who live in them, but they aren't in most cases comparable to what most Americans live in as they tend to have very small rooms and a kitchen only a Manhattan dweller could relate to.
More than 50% of the nation lives in poverty. Below the line Mexicans define as poverty. That's pretty low. The middle class in Mexico is a narrow band of the population spectrum. I wouldn't describe its ranks as "booming."
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