Mexican Workers Protest U.S. Influence

[struggle4progress]

MEXICO CITY (AP) - A demonstration by thousands of Mexican workers Friday to promote union solidarity turned into a protest against America's vast influence on the nation's economy, with many protesters saying they will take part in a boycott of all things "gringo" next week. Waving signs saying "Don't Buy Gringo Products. Long live the Boycott," about 3,000 workers with Mexico's state-owned electrical utility blocked traffic on a major highway and then marched 3 kilometers (2 miles) to a colonial plaza in the city's center.

The proposed boycott - known as the "Nothing Gringo" campaign - is timed to coincide with Monday's "Day Without Immigrants" protest in the United States aimed at pushing forward a proposal for immigration reform including legalization for many of the estimated 11 million undocumented migrants.

In Mexico, the boycott has also turned into a rallying cry for groups opposed to U.S. economic influence south of the American border. <snip>

http://www.wjla.com/news/stories/0406/323382.html

[DS1]

1. It would be so ironic if Mexican workers unionized and forced the

US corporations to the table.

[Sinti]

2. It would also rock. Of course, they'll just go elsewhere.

Labor is a commodity, they get it wherever it's cheapest. It could cost them, though, the Machiladoras couldn't have been cheap to build.

[struggle4progress]

3. That's what the "free trade" agreements accomplished: mobility of ..

.. capital without responsibility ... <edit: sp>

[DBoon]

4. our slogan should be "You can run but you can't hide"

I love the old Marxist idea of international workers' solidarity

[Sinti]

5. I worry about what the eventual outcome of this massive greed will be

I can't imagine it being pretty. They continue to take more and more, while giving less and less. The guys who own the means of production (including to some extent regular stockholders), and their top managers are taking such a huge slice, people are eventually going to get hungry, even in those "Third-World," downtrodden countries they use for their labor force.

I used to think they could get away with paying so little, because the same goods we buy here were so much cheaper there. Not so, apparently where we buy a bottle of shampoo, they buy a squirt, and the big multinationals charge roughly the same price. It may be a little less, but not much.

This ruse of increasing scarcity, while the richest have much more than they ever did, has a limit. There are many more workers than there are "owners." I worry about a Java-style uprising.

Wouldn't it be beautiful if the workers could get together and just refuse to take their garbage anymore, and if the military enforcers of this hegemony put down their guns and said, F-U, we're not your security drones, we're not killing anymore people so you shove your brand of capitalism down their throats and make more money.

[Llewlladdwr]

6. Hmmm....

Sorry guys, but I think "hecho en Mexico" just became a reason for me NOT to buy an item.

[struggle4progress]

7. It IS important to oppose exploitation of workers by the multinationals

[Llewlladdwr]

9. This is true.

However, there are so many issues besides exploitation of the workers going on here. Were it not for the fact that there's a huge debate involving illegal immigration (mostly from Mexico) going on and that this is timed to coincide with a boycott in the US then I could likely get behind it. Considering the circumstances though, not at this time.

Edit: Spelling

[Mel]

8. don't buy it people of Mexico

the corporations are not your friends they want to enslave you right along with the rest of the people of the world.

<snip>The American Chamber of Commerce in Mexico has said boycott organizers risk a backlash and are foolishly targeting some of their best allies, since U.S. corporations have actively lobbied the U.S. Congress for immigration reform including legalization for many of the estimated 11 million undocumented migrants.

Mexicans' refusal to "buy American" on May 1 could further polarize the debate and make reform supporters seem anti-American at the very moment that lobbyists are trying to persuade lawmakers in Washington to pass a bill that would benefit migrants. </snip>

Workers around the world, we must all come together!

[kineneb]

10. US CoC is a corporate tool

if they think something is good, then in reality it is really bad. They don't give a damn about the average person.