Ana is one of an estimated 500,000 Mexicans who legally cross the border into the U.S. every week day…
— from ‘Nerves frayed in Canada and Mexico over U.S. trade relations’ by Sam Gruet and Megan Lawton, on BBC.com, October 22, 2024.
For some reason, the BBC likes to publish articles about U.S. politics.
Maybe it’s more exciting than British politics?
Some might say, it’s really none of their business. But ‘business’ nowadays has a way of crossing the border, legally or illegally. Crossing the ocean, even.
When I was growing up, “BBC” meant “British Broadcasting Corporation” and I guess, technically, that’s still the name, but they seem to call themselves, simply, “BBC” everywhere on their website. Maybe it’s embarrassing to admit you’re ‘British’ these days? I mean, after the Brexit vote.
The photo above is the BBC production studios in Glasglow, Scotland. Nominally, Scotland is part of Great Britain, in much the same way that Texas is nominally part of the U.S. But considered independent by most of its inhabitants.
BBC also maintains production studios in New York City, in midtown Manhattan near Times Square, and in Los Angeles, on Santa Monica Boulevard near the McDonald’s.
I occasionally listen to the ‘BBC World Service’ radio broadcast shared on KSUT, if I happen to be driving somewhere with the radio on, at midnight. They share news about countries I’ve never even heard of. Ditto, the stories on BBC.com. Apparently, important things happen all around the globe, on a daily basis, and we never hear about it unless we happen to have the radio on, at midnight. Mostly, political stuff. Insurrections. That kind of thing.
The recent article that got me thinking about the BBC was written by business journalists Sam Gruet and Megan Lawton, who might be British, or maybe not. They write like American journalists, but they described a line of cars waiting to cross the U.S./Mexico border as a “Monday morning queue of cars.” So I’m betting they’re British.
Apparently, 500,000 Mexican workers cross the border legally every morning, to work in American homes and businesses. They can work here legally, but prefer to live in Mexico. And who can blame them? Have you seen the price of lettuce in the U.S.?
The article also mentions how Canadians are feeling about the November election. Worried. Like the Mexicans. Not as worried as we are, but still, worried.
The economic trade between the U.S. and Mexico totals about $810 billion a year, and Canada is close behind, at about $780 billion. That’s a lot of trade. Our trade with China is only about $580 billion. Those numbers surprised me, because I thought China was in first place.
Donald Trump has made claims that, if elected, he would increase tariffs with Canada and Mexico to 20%. And with China, to 60%.
This would increase the price of nearly everything I buy, unless it was made or grown in the U.S. Which is the general idea. If only we made and grew the stuff I want to buy. But we don’t.
Yes, the Tesla Model 3 is still made in the U.S. (for the time being) but I will probably never be able to afford one.
We do indeed grow our own lettuce. But the price!
If I were Canadian or Mexican, and some reporters from the BBC wanted to interview me, I would be putting in a plug for Kamala Harris. She seems to want to retain Joe Biden’s general economic policies, without big new tariffs on our neighbors. My parents raised me to stay on good terms with the neighbors, because you never know when you might want to borrow the lawn mower, or a cup of sugar.
Have you seen the price of a new lawn mower?