Class politics in Mexico
I would guess that anyone teaching about Mexican politics is familiar with the news about Obrador and the tight race for the presidency. What may be worth noting in this New York Times article is the description of socio-economic cleavages in Mexico.
Mexico's Populist Tilts at a Privileged Elite
...With less than three weeks before the July 2 election, Mr. López Obrador, a leftist former Mexico City mayor, is locked in a dead heat with Felipe Calderón, the conservative candidate from President Vicente Fox's National Action Party... Mr. López Obrador... has vowed to end what he calls "the privileges" of a powerful oligarchy that has dominated politics here for centuries...
About half of Mexicans still live below the poverty line — earning less than $4 per family member each day — and one in five earns too little to buy enough food for a healthful diet, according to the World Bank. More than 45 percent of the nation's wealth is held by the elite 10 percent... The gap between rich and poor has closed only slightly since the free trade agreement with the United States took effect more than a decade ago.
Tax evasion is rampant. The last official study, conducted in 2002, estimated about 40 percent of businesses and 70 percent of professionals and small business owners either cheat on their taxes or pay none at all. The poor do not pay income tax, but are hit with a 15 percent sales tax every time they buy clothes or other durable goods...
posted by Ken Wedding @ 8:06 AM
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