raising the standard of living from nothing to next to nothing is not much progress.
actually it has DECREASED in the last ten years ... but you knew that .. right brainiac??
"Mexico’s average household income peaked at $4,169 per year in 2008. Over the last ten years, there has been a sharp decline in yearly income per household in Mexico. In 2016, Mexican households were averaging a mere $2,718 per year. In order to afford the bare minimum costs of living in Mexico, one would need to be making at least $3,193 a year."
https://borgenproject.org/top-10-fac...ons-in-mexico/
Originally Posted by The_Waco_Kid
This is true but deceptive. Adjusted for purchasing power and after taxes, average Mexican household income is $14,000 per year:
http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/topics/income/
As to the trend, the Mexican peso went from about 10.5 to 19.3 from 2008 to present, while the consumer price index "only" went up by about 55%. If you adjust for inflation, the exchange rate, and the declining size of Mexican families, I bet you'd end up with income being pretty flat. Which still sucks. Part of the problem is corruption and drug cartels. Right now you've got a socialist federal government in power, which is bad for the peso and business confidence.
This is a good reason not to go too hard on Mexico. We want a more prosperous southern neighbor, and not just out of the humanitarian concerns described in your link. If Mexicans make more money they'll be more likely to stay in Mexico, and they'll buy more from us. I think it was LustyLad who brought up the importance of our exports. Having Mexico as a partner can be a great advantage, with lower value work being done there and the higher value added work done in the USA. That makes for a competitive advantage when producing for world markets, as well as for what we consume ourselves. Japan has the same thing going with Southeast Asia.