That is the reason why
a lot of people has been migrating to other countries for decades. Simply put, they have more chances of improving their situation in the outside and not many incentives (if any at all) to return.
Now, while the situation is bad, I'm glad that we still have not degraded to the level of other Latin American countries in certain difficult periods of time (Argentina during their economic crisis, Colombia regarding the situation of the cartels *shuders*). Unfortunately, at times it seems we are heading in that direction.
I think tjchaos summarized our situation perfectly. There is a folks saying here: "When USA has a cold, Mexico has pneumonia". Our economy has become too dependant of USA in a way that has left us very vulnerable. Unfortunately, rather than focus on bringing solutions, it seems that the politics believe that by saturing the media with ads they are resolving the problem.
Worst of all: Rather than invest in infrastructure to improve our industry and use effectively our many natural resources, most of the income that the fisco receives from taxes is spend keeping a large and inefficient bureaucratic and political body that is good for nothing.
Our oil reserves and the high prices of the fuel on the international market has keep us afloat, but none of them are eternal.
The private initiative can't do much. The excess of fiscal, bureaucratic and legal requirements and obstacles, plus other factors (like insecurity) makes undesirable to invest here, at least in the scale and areas that are necessary to improve the situation. Any attempts to reform the necessary laws usually end in massive discussions were the political interests prevail.
Unfortunately, there is little a single person like me can do. People have become so disapointed with the system that most are apathetic when it comes to take civil or political action. The fact that those who work to correct the situation with the government via civil and political action are usually blocked in their attempts by the system itself, corrupted by it or (worse) even killed, doesn't help.
Now, while at times it seems that a full scale revolt might be the only solution, I actually believe (jokes aside) something like that is very unlikely to happen in our modern society. It seems that another (and more serious) crisis will have to hit us first before the political class finally decides to change.
So the only solutions available t an average person like me are to work hard or to leave the country. Sad but true.
(Sorry to bring all of this to the forum, I just needed a place to vent).