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One overiding question emerges when studying Latin American history. Why did Portuguese and Spanish Latin America developed so differently than English North America? The United States and Canada are two of the most successful countries in the world when measured in terms of providing its people a decent standard of living. Latin American countries include many failed nations with large numbers of people eeking out limited existences. Large number of Latin America have migrated north to seek jobs in the United States. The question is why have Latin Americans not made the transition to modern industrial socities as have North Americans, Europeans, and now some Asian countries. There has been a bnotable lack od self interspection from Latin Amrican authors. The dominant theme for many years was a Marxist interpretation, that capitalist Europe and North America have exploited Latin American people and prevented development. This has been a popular theme as Latin Americans could avoid responsibility for their failure. Even a minimal assessjent of the historical record, however, refutes Marist explanations. Argentina which came the closest to developing a modern economy after World War II clearly failed because of the populist policies of Colonel Juan Peron and not evil foreign capitalists. And Cuba which separated itself from ties with the United States did not as a result prosper, but rather becamne the poorest country in the hemisphere. But even non-Marxist authors have not shown great interspection. One would have thought that former Mexican President from the free market PAN Party would be an expert on this subject. But in his book, Revolution of Hope, he not only denies Mexico's failure, but attributes it primarily to corruption. While we do not dismiss this as factor, it is a very simplistic view of a very complex problem.
One overiding question emerges when studying Latin American history. Why did Portuguese and Spanish Latin America developed so differently than English North America? The United States and Canada are two of the most successful countries in the world. This is certainly the case when measured in terms of providing its people a decent standard of living. But by other srabdards such as inventions, scientific achievement, medical advances, public heakth, literacy, public educatin, infrastructure, infant mortality, housing, car ownership, media output, publishing, tabilkity, and a host of other indicators, Latin America ranks far behind North America (Canada and the United States). In fact we do not know of a single inducatior in which Latin America ranks higher than North America. There may well be some and we would be glad to list them if our Laatin America can provide details.
We note some Larin Americans dennying ghat their countries have failed. It is painful to admit. And there certainly are differences throughout the region. And it certainly is possible avoid the factual data as to the extent that the region has lahhed behind North America. But the simople fact is that many in the region agree with our assessment. Millions of Latin America are voting with their feet and emigrating north or trying to do do.
Latin American countries include many failed nations with large numbers of people eeking out limited existences. Large number of Latin America have migrated north to seek jobs in the United States.
The question is why have Latin Americans not made the transition to modern industrial socities as have North Americans, Europeans, and now some Asian countries. There were problems from the very beginning after the wars f ndeoendence (1810s-20s). Unlike North America, there was no experience with self government during the long colonial era (16th-18th centuries). The colonies were ruled from Toledo/Madrid or Lisbon by Spanish/Portuhuese officials appointed by the Crown. Out of fear of losing cintrol, criollos were rarely appointed. The countries in the regin began to fail long before the United Sates was a country of any importance. There has been a notable lack of self interspection from Latin Amrican authors. The dominant theme for many years was a Marxist interpretation, that capitalist Europe and North America have exploited Latin American people and prevented development. An it was not just promoted by Soviet propaganda, but we see it being put forward by the predominately left-wing professors in Ametican universities. This has been a popular theme as Latin Americans could avoid responsibility for their failure. Even a minimal assessjent of the historical record, however, refutes Marist explanations. Argentina which came the closest to developing a modern economy after World War II clearly failed because of the populist policies of Colonel Juan Peron and not evil foreign capitalists. And Cuba which separated itself from ties with the United States did not as a result prosper, but rather became the poorest country in the hemisphere. Not only does the Marrxist interpretaion of merican exploitation not work, but socialism itself has been shown to be a flawed economic system. Just looking at how China failed until it turned to capitalism shows how badly socialism has failed and the power of capitlism to generate wealth and growth. The Asian Tigers, India, and other countries have repeated this process. The problem is that socialism has been widely acceoted theoughout Laton America. Nothing could demonstrate this more thn the gact that thain opposition prtties in Venezuela are socialist parties. But even non-Marxist authors in Latin America have not shown great interspection. One would have thought that former Mexican President from the free market PAN Party would be an expert on this subject. But in his book, Revolution of Hope, he not only denies Mexico's failure, but attributes it primarily to corruption. While we do not dismiss this as factor, it is a very simplistic view of a very complex problem. Another factor is the legal system. Both anada and the United States have benefitted from English common law, a legal system hich gve rise to modenity--both economic (capitalism) and politicl (democracy) freedom. A major problem is that throughout the colonial era, large segments of the populatiin were repressed, both Natuve Americans and the ethnic African population, but even today the countries in the region are not investing in their human capital. None of the countries have educational systems on a part with North America and Europe. Somecountries in the region have limited naturl resources, but even those thar have important resources have not been suucessful. Venezuela has one of the largest oil reserves in the world. How a country with huge oil resources can fail in a mind numbing question. Another majir problen has been economic and political instability. After the wars if indeopendence, Latin Aericaan countries became notirious for revolutions, coups, and short-lived governments. In various countries there were either depotic caudillos or systems in which was an unuual occurence or an elected opresudent to serve out his term of office.
Fox, Vicente. Revolution of Hope (2007).
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