What do the following socio-economic problems have in common?
1. Illegal immigrants from Mexico seeking work in the U.S. and/or escape from drug wars in Mexico
2. The expense of Border Control to U.S. Taxpayers
3. The Baby Boomer bubble of humanity hitting Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid at the same time
4. The rapidly escalating cost of Health Care for the elderly
5. The high cost of caring for Alzheimer's and other age-related diseases and other terminal illnesses
6. Death with Dignity options illegal in most states in the U.S. (and the fate of Jack Kevorkian, who tried to change this.)
7. Increasing murders and violence related to the Mexican Drug Cartel
***
Now, imagine that some of the heads of the Mexican Drug Cartels used their wealth and power to start and run some exotic retirement centers in Mexico. Mexico offers beautiful beaches, palm trees, historical Mayan ruins, a plethora of citizens seeking work, most of these spiritually dedicated and family oriented, many respectful and caring of the elderly. Mexico also offers a very low cost of living.
Such centers could also offer to teach Spanish to English speaking U.S. residents. Leaning a new language is supposed to be great for brain health, and preventing dementia and Alzheimer's.
The problem with most U.S. based retirement centers is that they a) cost a fortune (usually depleting the life-savings of residents, many of whom would prefer to leave some inheritance to their surviving family members); and b) they keep Alzheimer's and very, very old and/or infirm people alive muh longer than nature intended.
Instead of waging war against their own people, Mexican Drug War Lords could go "main stream" by opening legitimate and affordable retirement centers for U.S. aging residents, who are seeking an affordable, pleasant environment to live out their final years. Such centers could provide a tremendous number of jobs for Mexican residents, many of whom are those attempting to enter the U.S. illegally to find jobs caring for elderly, landscaping, and doing property maintenance.
In addition to easy access to medical marijuana for the elderly (instead of anti-depressants so common in U.S. retirement centers), such centers could also offer, upon written consent, nurse administered "death with dignity" injections (cocaine or heroin, which could be introduced in small doses over days or weeks) as an alternative to the prolonged, expensive bed-ridden stays which seems to be the only option currently available in the U.S.
For an extra fee, such centers could offer to ship bodies or ashes of loved ones back to their relatives in the U.S. for burials and/or memorial services.
Wouldn't it be interesting to see if such retirement centers attracted a mass exodus from the U.S. of the current population of Mexican "illegals."
We all know how well the "War on Drugs" is going, and how much it is costing U.S. Taxpayers.
And everyone is hollaring about the rising cost of health care, along with Obamacare...not to mention the uproar over immigration reform.
The problem with Jack Kevorkian is that he was trying to change a country that "has lost all common sense." Perhaps one of the wealthy drug Cartel leaders might use his power and wealth, and like the post-prohibition Joe Kennedy, go mainstream. And possibly offer what could be a great solution for his country and fellow citizens. Not to mention a much needed alternative to those facing the growing expense of growing old in the U.S.
And, considering the job market in the U.S., if such retirement centers caught on in Mexico, the Mexican government might have to build "the fence" to stem the tide of the U.S. unemployed seeking jobs. And THAT would save U.S. Taxpayers a lot of money!
Interesting idea. Really all you need is one War Lord to get things started. Is it like looking for the hooker with the heart of gold? They're in every story. War lords with a social conscience, not so much...
Posted by: Judy Mintz | May 10, 2013 at 02:17 PM