Mexico

INTRODUCTION1

DISCUSSION2

Economic Problems of Mexico2

Mexican Culture and Politics - Interdependent and Complementing Each Other3

Drug Dealing in Mexico4

SOLUTIONS7

CONCLUSION8

REFERENCES10

Mexico

Introduction

According to the estimates provided by the United Nations, the population of Mexico is more than 110 million people, which makes Mexico the 11th most populous country in the world and the most populous in the list of Spanish speaking countries. Mexico has a rich and vibrant history, which has shaped the current outlook of the Mexican culture. Cultivation of crops on Mexican lands, as early as the 5000 BC, allowed the Olmecs, Mayans and Aztecs to build their civilizations in Mexico (Walker, 1996). It was in the late 15th century that the Spanish conquerors arrived in the Caribbean and set their eyes on the coast of Mexico. As Spanish colonists conquered Mexico, they did not only strip the indigenous population of their basic rights, but it also created deep economic divisions and disparities that still reverberate today. The colonial control lasted for over three centuries, and during this era, Mexico was the richest colony of Spain due its agricultural production. It was in the year 1821 when Mexico was able to gain independence from Spain (Nesvig, 2007).

Except for the late 20th century, when Mexico enjoyed significant economic growth due to neoliberal policies and NAFTA, Mexican history is full of power struggles, political instability, widespread poverty, corruption, economic uncertainty, injustice, rise of drug cartels and drug mafia and several other issues. Even worse, the economic development which Mexico has enjoyed in the recent past has in turn destroyed the agricultural sector, increased income disparities and has given rise of crony capitalism within the country (Walker, 1996).

The political instability, lawlessness, poverty, economic uncertainty, growing influence of drug cartels and corruption; all of these factors have a unique relationship with the Mexican culture as they have their roots in cultural dimensions and at the same time, they shape the Mexican culture and its outlook for the future. This paper is an attempt to explore and analyze the various dimensions of ways in which the Mexican culture impacts its political dynamics, and the social problem of drug dealing within Mexico. Furthermore, the paper would also make a brief attempt at presenting solutions for tackling with the social issue.

Discussion

Economic Problems of Mexico

A recent report completed by the World Bank highlights the fact that Mexico has immense potential for economic growth; however, some structural issues are holding back the country from realizing its economic potential. First, Mexico education sector, especially the public sector, which has the responsibility to educate the majority of the children within the country, needs immediate revamping and allocation of more funds. Children from poor and middle income households receive substandard education from these children, which in turn, hampers their ability to get better paying jobs and this cycle throws from in a downward spiral of poverty. This is the precise cause of increasing income disparity within Mexico. Second, tax evasion is rampant within the country, currently estimated to be 40 percent of the tax ...