Migrating to Reality

At México desde fuera, some interesting discussion of Emigration and Economy in Mexico, against the background of the forthcoming presidential elections. The blog considers that the militarization of the U.S.- Mexico border could have some positive aspects, as it may force an appraisal of economic realities which are at present hidden: a significant tightening of controls on illegal migration could prove to be a test of how far the United States can manage without cheap manual labour. It might also have a pacifying effect on Mexico's northern border, which might cease to be the favourite transit-point of the Colombian and Mexican Mafias for the trafficking of drugs:

I suppose that a similar honour will now be transferred to the border with Canada, which causes me an immense joy. Perhaps Tijuana and Mexicali, the same as Nuevo Laredo and Juárez, will be able to recover something of the tranquillity they once had.

Concerning the elections, the blog takes the unorthodox view that a victory for López would not be the disaster predicted by many commentators, as it would enable the formation of a PRI-PRD majority in the Mexican parliament which might render the country governable once again, instead of "six more years of divided government which are not going to take us anywhere."