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By Mary Sanchez
Pobre Mexico! Tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos.
Poor Mexico! So far from God and so near the United States. The words are attributed to Mexican President Porfirio Diaz, who governed for a 35-year period ending in 1911.
The angst-ridden quote feels pertinent today. Our countries are entwined in ways that don't always redound to the moral credit of either party.
Consider the unfolding bribery scandal surrounding
More shockingly, the company may have covered up an internal investigation into the bribes. The Times retraced the steps of
That law is important to remember, as many apologists for
This is no small scandal.
Since 1991,
But in Mexico, a country with a far less developed economy and extensive poverty, the impact was compounded. Within a relatively short period of time,
That clout has allowed
Teotihuacan is the remains of a 2,000-year-old civilization with deep archeological and spiritual significance. Climbing the intricate stonework of the pyramids -- one to the sun and another to the moon -- offers a surreal glimpse of Mexico's pre-Columbian past.
Was
Mexico's reputation as a corrupt nation is well earned. Cash can only be passed if there is an outstretched palm. Still, how would Americans feel if they knew that bribes to their aldermen, mayors and zoning commissioners were responsible for the behemoth box store they didn't want in their neighborhood? Would they hold
This is not a brand of capitalism the U.S. needs to export. It's cheating. It's corrupting another country's economy by taking unfair, unethical advantage.
The U.S. and Mexico are poised to begin a new chapter in their long relationship. After decades of legal and illegal immigration from Mexico, the flow has slowed to a standstill. The Mexican economy has a budding middle class, many of them people who initially welcomed the convenience and pricing that
The question, going forward, for both Mexicans and Americans is to what extent we can trust our governments to remain free of the corrupting influence of rich corporations. Americans, especially, need to understand that our corporations do not operate abroad to do God's work; they're there to make a profit. And the manner in which they do so reflects on us all.
If the charges against Wal-mart prove accurate, the punishment must fit the crime.
Copyright © Tribune Media Services
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World - Wal-Mart de Mexico: The Mexican Job | Global Viewpoint