Donald Trump Was Right To Call Out Mexicans, but…

…he called out the wrong Mexicans.

Donald Trump, famous real estate developer and television star is seeking the Republican Presidential nomination for 2016. He created quite a stir when he recently said in his campaign announcement that Mexicans entering America illegally were “drug dealers and rapists.” Trump is absolutely wrong and is blaming the victims — the Mexican nationals who are entering America illegally are more aptly described as economic refugees. If Republican candidates want to address the illegal immigration crisis in America, they would do well to focus on the Mexican emigration problem.

Let’s face it, Mexican government officials are corrupt, ineffective, and self-serving. The economic system is almost fascist with “private-public partnerships,” quasi-nationalized industries, and sweetheart deals designed to line the pockets of political cronies who award politicians with handsome bribes. The labor participation rate for Mexico’s citizens is only sixty-two percent, yet they live in a country which has the 15th largest economy in the world and is rich in natural resources. Close to 90 percent of Mexico’s GDP comes from exports — that should create opportunities for wealth creation for all.

Drug cartels operate with impunity, often in partnership with local and federal officials. The Mexican tax code treats capital gains the same as ordinary income, inhibiting rather than encouraging  capital accumulation. Their monetary policy has been an abysmal failure; the peso is at it all-time low since the currency collapse in the early 90s.

The Mexican government, instead of protecting property rights, enforcing the rule of law, and encouraging capital investment, has destroyed its currency, let criminals run rampant, and tried to centrally plan its economy. Mexico really isn’t much different than the Soviet Union during the Cold War (without the huge military).

Republican politicians would do well to stop blaming the victims of Mexican emigration and start confronting Mexico’s corrupt apparatchiks (like we did in the ’80s with the Communist regimes).  Americans deserve a safe, secure, and modern border; that much is true. But its economic refugees aren’t going to stop coming to America until something changes in Mexico.

The Donald was right to say that Mexicans are drug dealers and rapists but failed to recognize that they are in government palaces in Mexico City, not the immigrant camps in National City.