Last month, Culture Briefs featured an excerpt of an article by economist Steve H. Hanke about "the broom of Titoism" -- that is, a method by which bad governments compensate for failed economies by exporting surplus workers.
A senior fellow at the Cato Institute, Mr. Hanke says Titoism has been the Mexican government's de facto policy for years:
Rather than modernize the economy, Mexico's politicos have used Titoism's safety valve: when incapable of fostering productive jobs, export the labor force. Last year, almost 30 percent of Mexico's labor force was working in the United States, and these workers sent home an estimated $23 billion in remittances. ...Mexico [is] actively using the broom of Titoism ... destabilizing neighboring countries, provoking frictions and even unnecessary conflicts.
Mr. Hanke's analysis came to mind when I heard a radio commentary by former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson -- click here for MP3 audio file -- who has some friendly advice for Mexican President Felipe Calderon:
Since we all agree that improving Mexico's economy will help with the illegal immigration problem, you might want to consider your own left-of-center policies. For example, nationalized industries are not known for enhancing economic growth. ...What does it say about the leadership of a country when that country's economy and politics are dependent upon the exportation of its own citizens?
At HotAir, blogger AllahPundit says of the Thompson commentary, "In no slaughterhouse, in no butcher shop, shall there be found meat as red as this."
Cato is a libertarian think tank, Mr. Thompson is a conservative politician, and AllahPundit ... well, he's a mystery man. But this is one of those "fusionist" moments when libertarian economics indicates a solution to a problem that troubles conservatives like Sher Zieve, who complains that Mexico "is now running U.S. immigration policy."
So long as the U.S. continues what Mr. Thompson calls "our open borders policy," the Mexican government has less incentive to reform its corrupt economy, and Mexico will continue to use what Mr. Hanke calls "Titoism" to export its work force.
AllahPundit calls that "red meat." Mr. Thompson calls it just "a little plain talk."
-- Robert Stacy McCain, assistant national editor, The Washington Times
