Pubdate: Sun, 08 May 2016
Source: Los Angeles Times (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Los Angeles Times
Contact:  http://www.latimes.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/248
Author: Alexandra Zavis

ALARMED BY TRUMP'S PLANS

Ex-Mexican President Says Both Sides of the Border Should Be Scared

Former Mexican President Vicente Fox isn't the guy you would expect 
to see sporting a bright pink Donald Trump brand tie.

Fox has had plenty to say about the Republican Party's presumptive 
presidential nominee - and none of it is complimentary. But then he 
has a point he wants to make:

"Look at the back, hidden here," he says, pointing to the 
manufacturer's label. "'Made in China.' So he's really protecting 
workers in the United States, protecting jobs in the United States."

Fox, a rancher and former Coca-Cola executive who served as Mexico's 
leader from 2000 to 2006, has long identified with the Republican 
Party. But in this election, he supports the candidacy of a Democrat: 
Hillary Clinton.

"What choice do I have?" he told the Los Angeles Times on Friday.

Like many Mexicans, he sees in Trump's aggressive rhetoric an 
alarming xenophobia that could prove disastrous to relations between 
the countries and harm both their economies. He and other prominent 
Mexican figures, including former President Felipe Calderon, have 
been making a concerted effort in recent weeks to promote the 
benefits of migration and free trade.

In an interview with The Times, Fox took issue with Trump's 
often-repeated assertion that the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement 
is a bad deal, offered up alternatives to deporting an estimated 11 
million migrants in the U.S. illegally and said he hoped that 
California would legalize the recreational use of marijuana, a 
proposal that appears headed for the Nov. 8 ballot.

Here are excerpts from the conversation. They have been edited for clarity.

The problem with building walls

You cannot enclose the United States between four walls. You cannot 
isolate yourself from the rest of the world. And you cannot get away 
from the responsibility that this nation has to the world. Those who 
cede leadership leave empty spaces that somebody else is going to 
fill. And in this case it's China.

On border security

We work every day on making that border safe. Every day there are 
meetings with security agencies on this side, with the FBI, with the 
DEA, with everybody.

Then you say, what's wrong with you Mexicans? You kill each other 
every day. There is violence, crime, drugs in Mexico. Are you 
drinking too much tequila?

Let's just take marijuana. California produces much more marijuana 
than Mexico, and much better marijuana in quality than Mexico. What's 
the problem? The problem is we are in between the mammoth U.S. 
markets and the producers of drugs in the south, the Colombias, the 
Venezuelas, the Ecuadors and the Bolivias. We are trapped.

What's the solution? The solution is here. It's in the United States. 
Why should we go to a war when that can be done right here in San 
Diego, right here in Arizona? That market is worth $55 billion. Who 
gets the money? The cartels. What do they do with it? Hire kids in 
Mexico, pay them three times minimum wage, when industry is paying 
two times minimum wage. Now who gets them the weapons? The guns are 
bought here with that $55 billion.

Then we get "El Chapo" [drug lord Joaquin Guzman] escaped from 
prison. [They say] "Mexicans, they don't know how to run a prison." 
When Chapo comes with $1 million to the guy that is taking care of 
him. He comes with maybe $5 million to the CEO of the jail. And maybe 
he comes with $5 million to the governor and to the criminal 
authorities. It's very difficult to combat the power of those cartels 
and their financial capacity. The argument for legalizing drugs - 
yes, even cocaine

Legalizing is one way out. Fortunately, the United States is moving 
[in that direction]. I'm just waiting for California to take the step 
that Washington state, that Colorado did.

President Nixon launched the war against drugs 50 years ago. And what 
happened? More drug consumption, more violations of human rights, 
more killings, more violence.

That is why I think we must move from prohibition into regulation, 
like we did with cigarettes. In Mexico, it's working wonderfully. I 
mean the decrease in use of cigarettes is incredible, because on the 
packet it says, look, you are going to have cancer.

We should do that with drugs. We human beings respond to logic, to 
information, to convincing, not the stick.

What to do about migrants who are in the country illegally

If [Trump] throws out 11 million, first, it is almost impossible to 
do. But No. 2, the quality of life in the United State will go. Who 
is going to cook? Who is going to nurse? Who is going to garden? Who 
is going to clean the streets?

The solution is sitting there in Congress. I wish Trump, and if not, 
I wish Hillary will read that bill.

Solution No. 1: Those who are undocumented are going to get a 
temporary permit to work and to be in the United States as long as 
the guy who is hiring them keeps contracting them.

And No. 2, anybody who does not have a clean record, anybody that has 
a criminal background, out. Send them to Mexico, send them to Cuba, 
send them to Guantanamo, whatever. We are willing to accept that. 
That solves the problem of the undocumented. Why the North Atlantic 
Free Trade Agreement is a good deal

NAFTA has been a total success. It has brought back competitiveness 
to the U.S. economy that was totally lost. Ford Motor Co., Chrysler, 
General Motors could not compete with Volkswagen, with Mazda, with 
Toyota, with BMW, with Mercedes, and were broke because they were 
paying [workers] $80 an hour. Solution: NAFTA. Solution: Mexico and Canada.

Now not only U.S. cars, all cars of the world are being manufactured 
yes, in Canada, yes, in Mexico. That's why today GM, Ford, Chrysler 
not only survived bankruptcy, but today they successfully compete 
with the other automobile companies.

So why should we eliminate NAFTA, which by the way, this guy cannot 
eliminate if it is not with Congress' approval.

What we see here is economic ignorance. Imagine if he imposes 40% 
taxation on cars coming from Mexico, from Canada and from elsewhere. 
U.S. consumers are going to pay for that. So when you buy your 
Vochito, your Volkswagen, instead of $20,000, now you will have to pay $28,000.

President Hoover went the same route, and what happened? Depression, 
the largest, profoundest ever.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom