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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.
Also make sure to hit that playlist on your screen if you want to continue your questioning
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You’ve been watching Life’s Biggest Questions - my name’s Jack Finch - and remember, there’s
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Take it easy.