This week the Mexican Consulate to Sacramento California proclaimed, "We have become a middle class country!"
Oh if only President Obama could say the same.
See, for Mexico to bootstrap its way to middle class status, lots of things had to change from only a few years ago. Finance markets had to open up. People needed to access education, and ultimately people needed to be able to work.
And work they are south of the border.
Sporting a brand new unemployment rate of just under 5%, the current Mexican economy is humming, people are buying homes and people are working. In fact, the small business community of Mexico is creating jobs and a need for workers so fast that from only California nearly 300,000 illegals have repatriated themselves to Mexico, just to do those jobs "that Americans never would."
Another soaring economic factor for Mexico is that the most lucrative jobs are in the construction business. Homes, production facilities, and factories are all working to spur on the next generation of Mexican entrepreneurial success.
Put that side by side with American construction trends since President Obama came to office and the contrast is stunning.
Do you realize that America has the worst economy on our continent?
White House officials will get unbelievably angry when this is pointed out, but 5% unemployment was what this nation enjoyed under President Bush. So what did President Bush know, and what do Mexico and Canada now know that President Obama doesn't know?
Most likely it's got something to do with the idea that small businesses are the engine to a growing economy. And while Mexico is building things and growing things, inner city Obama voters are sitting on their tukas (or in the collective "tukai") groaning about how much the government "ain't doin' for me!"
Stimulating failed businesses, insisting on "fixing" health care with entitlement "benefits" that no one likes, and talking up green energy while ignoring the plethora of energy resources we have at the reach of our fingers roughly sums up the Obama term. The plan of action so misguided that even now he's taken aback that he must yet try to solve the problem of adding on to the nation's credit card.
All the while he obfuscates and instructs his budget director to do the same, so that he may scare social security recipients of the benefits they paid into. (You do know don't you that the tax intake from July 2011 will be in excess of $200,000,000,000 and it would only take $20,000,000,000 to meet the social security needs?)
I know that in the midst of all the arguments about how the government can't even consider not sending out it's 80,000,000 checks this next week its hard to grasp pictures of two nations most Americans normally see as inferior--actually doing better than us--but reality dictates a closer look be had.
Canada was in almost an identical economic free fall in 2009. We "stimulated" our economy by propping up companies making horrible products and falsely thinking we solved the problem. Obama promised 8% unemployment--worst case--if we passed the stimulus. Canada chose not to, and the rate at which their nation has rebounded has outpaced America on all levels.
Meanwhile to our south, Mexico is seeing the greatest economic middle class expansion in it's history, and their unemployment levels are roughly HALF what ours in America are.
Still think President Obama is improving our image on the international stage?
Mexico has been an infinitely more disorganized, poorly led, poorly secured, and poorly resourced nation for most of its existence in modern times. I mean the words of the Consulate to Sacramento say it all--they're throwing parties that they've become a "middle class nation."
Meanwhile America is on exactly the opposite trend.
How long does this last? About as long as President Obama is left in office, I'm guessing.
One final thought, America's solution might just be one of Mexico's neighbors. Governor Perry in Texas has created half of all the new jobs in the entire nation in the past three years, should he ever decide to take a stab at it, (being President) his proximity to Mexico might just end up being... an asset.
Of course by then President Obama will be sitting in his urban living room collecting his unemployment checks like most of the rest of the people his policies have so miserably failed. The ones he's failed most being just blocks away from his Chicago address.
Just imagine the campaign spots, (Music fade, minor key dramatic)(Big throaty announcer:) "Who would've ever guessed that Mex-i-co would surpass the United States in job creation, just two and half years into his administration? No... He... Can't! Vote for anyone other than Obama in 2012, and take back your con-ti-nent!" (Music swell.)