Most likely this thread's question pertains to the most monetary wealth, which is arguable in terms of assets, holdings, cash,influence, power etc.
Not sure who is today and at this very minute or by what measure exactly, but in very recent days Carlos Slim has been named the wealthiest man in the
world.
Bueno, that could very well apply to his immediate family and possibly be the answer sought after in this thread. He is a Mexican citizen that resides
in Mexico and his business affairs have to do with Mexican enterprises. Not since the days before Cortez reappropriated all that gold from the
indigenous people have Mexican or pre-Mexican people been thought of as particularly "rich," though in todays world Mexico has around the eleven or
twelfth largest economy in the world. Nothing to sneeze at, really.
Not all measures of "richness" center on monetary values, there are many ways to measure richness so that question would need to be clarified somewhat
in order to find an accurate answer. I'll go ahead and say the Mexican family is among the richest in the world, seems a fairly safe assertion given
Sr. Slim's apparent wealth.
I have heard from several sources that the Mexican people are the
second happiest people in the world, though I have never been able to
determine who may be considered the first ranking happiest. I asked a couple of American friends if they would make that claim for their countrymen
but they have unanimously declined the title. Happiness is a form of richness and likely what would head many persons' wish lists over purely monetary
holdings. Pesos and happiness don't equate but often do go hand-in-hand so a wish for happiness would likely include a little pocket money as well.
The Mexican people have a lot of fiestas, they work hard and play hard, and also have a great deal of personal liberty.
Personal liberty alone would not guarantee happiness, as in a man stranded alone on an island would have a great deal of liberty and solitude but
little social opportunity. But where there is a social structure, and infrastructure, and adequate food and shelter to go around liberties are a great
commodity, even becoming more of a premium as those structures further develop. Overall in Mexico we don't have a lot of government interference and
laws are not applied, scrutinized, and carried out to the letter but mostly are just suggestions for daily living and mostly applied when there is a
disagreement that cannot otherwise be resolved. We tolerate a lot of individualness and expect the same consideration in return, and it mostly works
out that way.
Lately, especially, there has been a lot of bad press and some horrifying incidents that cast dark shadows over Mexico's happiness. The Drug War
activities are taking a toll. Bueno, this is an area where personal liberties have been infringed upon and an artificial system of black marketeering
has arisen to fullfil the demand left unrequited where these liberties have been deprived. This is all too predictable an outcome for such bad policy,
and shame on the Mexican government for caving-in to the demands and interferrence the US has made in this regard. That foreign power seems to be
doing everything it can to frustrate the situation and our leaders probably snatch-up every opportunity to monetarily gain by this
artificially-created illicit market. It is just bad, bad policy that sometime soon I hope see come to the end of its days. It is a black mark with
just too highly predictable an outcome as has been demonstrated, but we are not alone in this as it has become a global policy screw-over that is bad
for everyone, and especially for an otherwise free people. Put that aside since it is not uniquely a Mexican but a global concern.
The richest? I don't know. Mexico's claim is only for the
second happiest people and Sr. Slims's billions
are not making into everyone's pockets, the reverse actually. Since Mexico is one big
mostly happy family I will put us in the running but
expect no more than the silver medal. I too would like to know who and by what standards the Richest Family in the World is. I do hope they can enjoy
their riqueza.
edit on 23-7-2011 by Erongaricuaro because: (no reason given)