Claims I dare not make at home
Mexico…is a dynamic, one trillion dollar economy and along with Canada, our largest trading partner. Its per capita income is $10,000, which puts it at the upper tier of middle income countries, not far behind Russia’s per capita income of $11,000. Compared with Russia, however, Mexico has a much better developed infrastructure of highways, ports, railroads, telecommunications, and social services that give it a poverty rate of 18% rather than 40%, as well as a male life expectancy of 73 years rather than 61 years (U.S. figures are 12% and 75 years, respectively). Unlike Russia, moreover, Mexico is a functioning democracy with open and competitive elections, a separation of powers, and a well-defined party system.
Here is much more, mostly on Mexican immigration, and thanks to Will Wilkinson for the pointer. I cannot, however, agree with all of the claims and rhetoric in the article. I would not, for instance, have denied that Mexico is "impoverished." Even this non-egalitarian feels compelled to point out that Mexico has one of the least equal income distributions in the world…