How Mexico (and the rest of the world) views the U.S. budget crisis

The top news in The New York Times today comes from international desk writer Damien Cave, who offers us a human perspective about what Mexicans think about the shenanigans in our nation’s capitol:  It’s not good for the U.S. and it’s not good for the rest of the world.  We hear the voices of regular people from Russia, Greece, and Egypt — countries that have been in economic default.  The people pay the price and world opinion matters.

The Mexican peso is closely tied to the U.S. dollar and Mexican employment and economic well-being depends upon U.S. stability.  There is concern about the gravity of the situation in the halls of Congress and what this means for the U.S. as a world leader.  At the moment we are not in high regard!

I’m sharing this story with you as I wait in Chicago for my flight to Mexico City, sipping Moroccan mint tea and thinking about the impact of our budget crisis on the people in Mexico, who are deeply intertwined with our country.  This is not only about the United States.  It is our responsibility as citizens of the world to fix what’s wrong with congressmen and congresswomen who are obstructionists to the workings of government and playing havoc with our future.