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My name’s Jack Finch, and today I’ll be
your host as we ask the question - What If
Mexico Becomes A Super Power?
Now - we’re not going to lie, as usual - there’s
a lot to unpack in this video.
The majority of which, has some real, tangible
possible outcomes that may even be playing
out in real time as we speak.
To approach this question - we first need
to understand what it takes to be a superpower.
The term “Superpower” was first applied
after the fallout of World War 2 - and collectively
determined that the British Empire, the United
States and the Soviet Union were the top dogs
of the modern era.
Coined to describe a state that had a dominant
economic, technological and cultural position,
which was characterised, by its extensive
ability to exert influence on a global scale.
Plus, you know - a huge military.
Essentially, it’s a Civ 5 win condition.
Please don’t nuke me Ghandi.
After 1956 and the Suez Canal Crisis - old
Blighty had pretty much lost it’s superpowers
and faded quicker than Allan Quartermaine’s
will to live.
Again, after the Cold War and everything that
came with that, the Soviet Union dissolved
- and in 1991 - the United States of America
remained as the only nation that could maintain
the mantle of Superpower.
But - you know - now there’s China, Germany
and … stuff.
So - let’s imagine, this whole time, Mexico
- the Arguable Underdog of North America - had
been biding it’s time, laying in wait to
reveal to the world it’s true might.
An interesting position to be in.
Mexico has an extensively rich and vibrant
culture, and has been populated in some form
or another for over 13 thousand years.
After being colonized by the Spanish in the
16th century, Mexico began walking the path
to a federal republic - and set out the blueprint
to an innovative, independent society under
the Mexican Constitution of 1917.
Economically speaking, Mexico has the 15th
largest nominal GDP in the world, and the
11th largest by purchasing power.
They’re up there with Russia, Canada, India
and Brazil - and if their young, fresh economy
continues to grow at its current rate - it
wouldn’t be absurd to imagine Mexico rising
up as an economic powerhouse.
Even after the 2008 recession, Mexico’s
economy grew an average of 3.32 percent - per
year - between 2010 and 2014.
Mexico’s economic success is mainly down
to one thing - oil - and they’re the 7th
biggest producer in the world.
In 2009 - a petroleum consultancy giant estimated
that a particular field in Mexico had an estimated
139 /billion/ barrels of oil in place.
That’s huge.
And if Mexico could tap into that potential
- then we’d quickly see them rise up the
ranks of the GDP.
And with a rise in domestic economic dominance
- comes the potential for trade.
NAFTA - the North American Free Trade Agreement.
Mexico constitutes 80% of its exports to the
USA - which makes up about a quarter of Mexico’s
economy.
Most of this is made up with automotive manufacturing
- and the US has recently shifted its imports
away from China - and towards their Southern
neighbours.
Things are looking pretty kushty for Mexico.
There’s one major problem though - and that’s
the world's perception of Mexico, and the
image of the country being riddled with drug
dealers and criminals.
But that’s like viewing the US during 1920’s
Chicago or Atlantic City - and there’s a
bunch of Al Capone’s and Nucky Johnson’s
running amok.
Every country has a severe issue with crime,
and there are currently zero crimeless nations.
Even countries at a similar GDP to Mexico
- like Italy, Spain and even the UK, struggle
to deal with a level of organized crime.
There’s no denying that there are cartels
that have an active presence in Mexican society
- and they’re pretty damn scary.
But historically, we can take a look at another
superpower who had risen up surrounded by
organised crime,
Russia.
After the Bolsheviks and the storming of the
Winter Palace in 1917, the Russian state began
a long relationship with organised crime and
communism.
Vorovskoy Mir - the Thieves World.
Even now, Putin’s Russia appears to be an
economically prosperous place for politicians
and oligarchs alike.
So who’s to say that Mexico wouldn’t take
a similar path?
Maybe it wouldn’t be a hindrance - but a
boon - and give them the economic and cultural
boom needed to step out onto the world’s
stage.
And then things would quickly come crashing
down, and we’d have one - giant - problem
-
two superpowers on the same continent.
Which, really - is what this whole video has
been leading up to.
Because if Mexico powered up and checked the
required boxes needed for super-power-dom
- the majority of which would come from a
dominant economy - then the USA would have
a pretty severe problem.
You see - so far in modern history, there
hasn’t yet been two superpowers that have
existed on the same continent.
I mean, technically Britain and Russia brushed
shoulders briefly - but that was short lived,
and the majority of the modern era saw America
and Russia at opposite ends of the see-saw.
It played out in real time through the Cold
War - with spies, espionage, missile crises
and posturing on either ends of the planet.
There was an entire other continent between
them - you know, minus Alaska.
But right next door?
There’d be imminent war.
That’s if it even got to that point, without
the US engineering a trade war - kind of like
what we’re seeing with Trump’s dangerous
game with China at the minute.
More than likely, without some kind of diplomatic
union - which, let’s face it, is pretty
unlikely with the US.
We’d see a conflict that would likely result
in World War 3.
Who knows - maybe Mexico would win, and we’d
see the green, red and white flag rolling
across the Americas.
Or - even better - they just skip the war
entirely, establish a kick-ass space program
- and we can finally colonise our solar system,
together - forever.
Yeah, that sounds much better.
So there we have it guys, the - sort of - answer,
to What If Mexico Becomes a Super Power.
Let us know whether you agree with our conclusion
in the comment box down below.
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You’ve been watching Life’s Biggest Questions
- my name’s Jack Finch - and remember, there’s
no such thing as a stupid question.
Take it easy.
