Mexico's new bumper crop: More illegal immigrants?

While U.S. politicians talk about building walls along the border and telling undocumented immigrants to "go home,"  a mass protest Thursday in downtown Mexico City  pointed to one of the main causes of illegal immigration: the erosion of Mexico's rural farm economy in recent decades.

Thousands of Mexican small farmers swept into the capital this week, driving tractors and hauling cows (see video). They were protesting the lifting of trade restrictions on agricultural commodities like corn, rice and oats. The farmers say lifting these restrictions will put them out of work because they won't be able to compete with powerful U.S. agribusinesses, and they're pressuring Mexico's government to renegotiate portions of the North American Free Trade Agreement with the United States and Canada.

As this Times story reported, NAFTA has been at best a mixed blessing for Mexico's workers. "In the treaty's first decade, more than 1 million  [Mexicans] have gained jobs manufacturing goods for export to the United States and Canada ," the Times reported.

"But even more, 1.3 million, have been pushed off unprofitable farms by cheap American grain imports. And NAFTA has yet to improve overall wages, reduce the number of people living in poverty or close the gap between the rich and poor."

Since NAFTA went into effect in January 1994, the story continued, "millions of farmers stuck with corn and sank deeper into poverty." Ever since the government redistribution of land following the Mexican Revolution of 1910-20, small farming has had a large symbolic, as well as economic, significance in Mexico, as the protesters expressed Thursday with the chant,  "Sin maiz, no hay pais!" -- without corn, there is no country!

-- Reed Johnson in Mexico City

Comments

[jvilla]

i am of mexican decent and a proud american.but.... i am not a racist but......... i am not in agreement that 20 million illegals are in this country and most of them with american children are receiving benefits that americans tax payers a are footing the bill. the illegal men are being deported the wife stays here with all 4 to 5 kids and i asked why dont you go with your husband she says no here i get food stamps and medicaid in mexico i get nothing! ok lets do away with automatic citizenship. because as soon as an illegal sets foot on us soil they drop a child because thats their ticket to social services. they bring all their illegal kids and here we educate them give them free lunch and free summere programs, we give them subzidized child care and many more beneftis we lure them in we give illegals government refunds they get money back even if they are working with a false social security how do i know i was married to one. so dont let the government tell you that illegals dont get benefits because they dont qualify because they do they get more benefits than americans.

[Juliana Saenz]

i'm a us. and we all have the right. this people come to work here in the usa to support there familys and needs
so why all this hate. were alll humans. what color of blood to you have.. it's the same color illegal aliens have.

[Jenny]

NAFTA is bad and should be ended or renegotiated. Now Calderon avoids any discussion, and Mexicans who are silent about it, and those who protest it, and those who use it as an excuse for entering the US illegally avoid the fact that American citizens were harmed by it. Those more than a million Mexican's who gained jobs manufacturing goods to export to the US, benefited from jobs stolen from American citizens.

NAFTA has allowed US agricultural products to be imported into Mexico, and now Mexican farmers don't like that. They need to remember that NAFTA was co-written by their government, it's not all on the US.

Instead of crying like babies, Mexicans need to remember that their government promised when NAFTA went through, that it would raise wages, enact reforms to help farmers who were displaced. The claim was that Mexico needed help to raise standards.. yet the Mexican government, corrupt as it has always been, has continued to dance the two step around it's obligations.

NAFTA needs to be reformed. US workers didn't get the reforms they needed to survive the loss of their jobs. Instead of Mexicans acting like responsible citizens in their own country, they have pointed the finger of blame at Americans, they act like immature babies instead of adults who are capable of doing the work to force their government to reform.

Stop making excuses for yourselves, and quit trying to steal more American jobs. Demand that crook you elected, Callderon and tell him that either he raises wages, taxes the wealthy to provide more opportunities for you and your people, or he will be removed from office, ASAP! Be men and women instead of whining brats. Look at your history, your country is the way it is because you are lazy and you wink at corruption.

The American people are taking back their jobs, and will force the government to deny you welfare and other benefits. You have NO civil rights in the US, you are NOT citizens of the US.

You have civil rights in Mexico, go home and exercise them instead of being foolish cattle lead around by corrupt Calderon and the PAN party.

Do you believe equally corrupt Hispanic leaders here will do better for you? They use and exploit you to line their pockets.

[Frank]

Methinks Bettybb needs to take off her tinfoil hat and get out of the basement a little more.

[Margaret Bruce]

Anyone who is voting for McCain or any of the Dems are voting to end America. They are not going to build the fence. And even if they started it tomorrow it would be years before it was enough to be effective. They are lying to us about how much has been done. And they are now taking land from Texans to build the super highway from Mexico to Canada for a North American Union. Please do your research and find out what the North American Union is and what it will do to us. Do not let them take America away by blindly sticking to voting for your party or John McCain.

[Margaret Bruce]

One reason Juan McCain is winning is just to become the nominee. To drain votes away of whatevery Rep seems to be in the lead. He will never be elected Pres. but that is okay with him because what he really wants is a Dem as a Pres. And anyone who beilieves in amnesty has not done his research. It will kill America. There will be open borders. If they had any intention of building it , it would already be done. They will turn America into another Mexico where citizens have no say in goverment decisions. What we want will mean nothing and we will be a third world country. The people who are voting for McCain and any of the Dems are voting away America.

[NoVA mom]

Amen Bettybb!!! Well said! If only the rest of the country could read your post.

[usapatriot]

Romney is the best choice for president. He is the most honest of the candidates running. He can be trusted to do the right thing and is not a Washington insider. He is a fair man with high a intellect and the most extensive education. The republican core wont vote for McCain because he lies and has too much baggage. Hillary and Obama are too divisive and have no real plan for this country except increased socialism. Socialism will only increase the country's financial problems not solve them. Think about it, Romney is the only answer. He has the skills and abilities that no other candidate has and this country desperately needs him in the white house. Romney is the one.

[howard]

The citizens of Mexico are experiencing the same problem we have, the selling out of it citizens by their government. All for the corporate greed and the big money, to hell with the people and what they want.

[Bettybb]

Yup. Nafta is part of it.

What is all this about? The secret formation of a North American Union, so the "elite" can reap huge profits.

Don't believe me?

Read David Brooks of the NYT article in December 2007 furious because as he put it " the elite" had a bipartisan agreement for free trade and nafta that was raking in the money and Lou Dobbs screwed it up. He did not mention that the money goes to the "elite" and ordinary Americans are hung out to dry.

Check Judical Watch and read the Bush government that says that as Americans will resist North American integration. it has to be done in secret, and implemented by "evolution stealth". You can also read the agendas of meetings between USA/Mexico/Canada on infrasture integration and open borders.

Check Jeff Hoards videos (google Jeff Hoards) showing our politicans lying about the existance of the North American Highway which is being built right now.

Why doesn't business, the media, the politicians ever call for more legal immigration? They don't want it. They just want Mexicans to integrate with Americans; ie evolutionary stealth.

Why has Bush just let the Mexican truckers into the USA even though Congress barred it by laws? Evolutionary stealth.

Why has Congress just pass some provisions in the Omnibus bill that has gutted the Fence act to the point it will never be built. Evolutionary Stealth.

Why did Bush pull the National Guard and 1/2 the Border Patrol off the border last August and has not returned them? Evolutionary stealth.

Why are our borders open to the South - but not at the airports etc. Only Mexicans are need to integrate the two countries. Evolutionary stealth.

Why is our government implementing Spanish as a second language in the USA? Evolutionary stealth.

Why has Bush done nothing to force employers to follow the law. Evolutionary steatlth.

Why did Bush pull 1000 ICE agents of illegal alien deportation? He wants to deport the fewest possible. Evolutionary stealth.

People we are in the fight of our lives for our language, culture, and nation.

The other side has all the power and money and they are fighting for the "elite" to gain even greater control of a joint Mexican /Amerian

All we have is the internet and our vote. And with Diebold, I am not even sure of the vote.

If we lose, all that will be left is to lower the flag for the last time in the country we once called America.

The Mexican government in conjunction with La Raza (The Race) and the pro illegal invasion and reconquest supporters are stating a big pr push to get you to throw all your principles away and accept the illegals. They are going to spend 25 million on ad. President Calderon is going to speak to the troops here in the USA. This article is probably part of the PR effort. I wonder who commissioned it?

The only candidates left that can save our country are MItt and Paul. All others are pro amnesty. Check out alipac.us about McCain. It will make you sick.

Exerpts from article at alipac.us John McCain Makes Mexican Con Man Top Aide By Dave Gibson

… John McCain has chosen a Mexican reconquista to fill a top campaign position. McCain has appointed Juan Hernandez as his so-called ‘Hispanic outreach director.’ … He served as the director of the Presidential Office of Mexicans Living Abroad under Vicente Fox….

Hernandez is an ardent supporter of the re-conquest by Mexico of the American Southwest, and hosted lectures on the subject at the Center for U.S.-Mexico Studies in Dallas which he founded in 1995. He once told Congressman Tom Tancredo (R-CO) that the North American Southwest “is not two countries, it’s just a region.”

Here are a few interesting quotes from John McCain’s friend:

“I never knew the border as a limitation; I’d be delighted if all of us could come and go between these two marvelous countries.”

“We have recognized that the Mexican population is 100 million in Mexico and 23 million who live in the United States…We are a united nation.”

Mexican immigrants “are going to keep one foot in Mexico and are not going to assimilate.”

“We are betting that the Mexican population in the United States …will think Mexico first.”
Watch out

There are big bucks in play here, and business wants Mexican and American integration, free trade and play dirty.

Before the vote on the Bush amnesty bill, all the media was touting a poll that they said stated a majority of Americans wanted amnesty. I checked the poll. It said the opposite. Only 24% of Americans supported it. The false report was published time and time again for months. The Rassumussen poll at the same time said only 26% supported it - the press did not cover that poll.

Now I always check the actual polls and see what they say. What to hear my results for the last month? Out of 5 polls cited in the national media for the idea that a majority of Americans want amnesty, three are totally non existant, 1 poll was on a different subject altogether, and one was correctly cited. However, with push polls, and methodology, polls are easily manipulated.

So beware. Check to see if the poll being cited really exists. I have even written the journalist to find out the exact name and date of pollls he cited. No answer.

POLL – MAJORITY FOR DEPORTATIONhttp://www.newswiretoday.com/news/20638/ Check it out for yourself.

Let's be honest about amnesty. Americans are the ones being discriminated against.

Any amnesty is racist.

The illegal supporters themselves say between 80-90 percent are Hispanic.
American immigration law provides quotas to all countries so all Americans have an equal chance to bring in family and race.

Any amnesty or guest worker program would give a huge PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT to Hispanics over all other Americans., in both number of people allowed in, and timing of their arrival.

Our Constitution provides an anti discrimination clause and an equal opportunity clause.

This is Americans civil rights battle of the 21 st century to retain our rights.
Are we going to remain a country of laws"
Are we going to treat all Americans equally, orr give prefernce to Hisapanics?

SAY NO TO AMNESTY DISCRIMINATION IN FAVOR OF HISPANCIS
SAY YES TO CIVIL RIGHTS FOR ALL AMERICANS

What the illegal aliens don't understand is that America is a great nation because of the rule of law (and also because we are the hardest working/most productive but don't tell the illegals that, they think they are).

Third world countries that are total basket cases like Mexico are that way because they don't follow the rule of law.

They have special rules for certain people. Just like the illegals demand for amnesty, preferential treatment for them. Well, you see the result in Latin American coutries. Corruption, crime, no actual economy.

Now La Raza (The Race) wants to curtail freedom of speech.

They want to ban as “hate speech” the ideas that hoards of illegals are invading the US bringing in crime and disease. Twelve million illegals are a hoard, they have imported gangs and the drug cartel, and my son caught TB from an illegal at school. And the “invasion” goal exists; demonstrators marched, that is MEChA’s aim, and Juan Herandez, McCain’s Hispanic outreach person, supports reconquest. He has stated “We are betting that the Mexican population in the United States …will think Mexico first.” La Raza wants to hide the truth. Americans believe that free speech will let the truth be exposed.

It is all part of the PR campaign. They are thinking of starting a Mexican Anti Defamation League. I think La Raza should be put on the hate group list, their motto says it all": For the Race Everything, Outside the Race, Nothing”.

They are going after the Minutemen alleging racism because the Minutemen have been proven effective and the last thing they want is Americans defending itself against the invasion. Of course they NEVER cite an actual instance of racism... I call it the smelly argument, it is rotton and it leaves a bad odor on the person who makes it. I don't even know a Minuteman, but from all I have read, they are appreciated by Americans tired of their property being invaded and destroyed by illegals, and the Border Patrol has no complaints about them. So watch out for the progaganda from the invaders.