Mexico Trucker Online

Some would have you believe that the “hot button” issue in the trucking community today is allowing Mexican trucks access to the United States past the current 20 mile border inclusion zone. The trucking oriented radio talk shows have made it their number one priority for the past year. Other talk shows with no connection to the trucking community have picked up on the subject. Extremists from the far right have jumped on the bandwagon and of course, the organizations who claim they are advocates representing the public good with concerns for highway safety have jumped in with both feet running.

But what is the motivation behind these individuals and talk shows that moves this agenda of intentional misinformation and in some case, monumental lies?

The radio talk shows aside, for the most part, let’s look for the common denominator amongst the groups and individuals jumping on the bandwagon, and that seems to be money. Each website maintained by these individuals and public interest groups all solicit donations to support their cause. And what better group to solicit and pander to than the Mexenophobics in our society.

The trucking related talk shows of course, don’t solicit donations but pad their pockets in other ways. Promoting professional organizations who are their sponsors etc. One in particular has seen membership grow by more than 10,000 in the past year, in large part, because of the Mexenophobia.

Mexenophobia

But there is that word again, “Mexenophobia”. It is a word I made up which I think is appropriate to describe the hysteric ninnies ranting against anything Mexican or Latino.

Here’s an explanation. Xenophobia is a fear or contempt of foreigners or strangers. It comes from the Greek words ????? (xenos), meaning “foreigner,” “stranger,” and ????? (phobos), meaning “fear.” The term is typically used to describe fear or dislike of foreigners or in general of people different from one’s self. As with all phobias, a xenophobic person is aware of the fear, and therefore has to believe at some level that the target is in fact a foreigner. This arguably separates xenophobia from racism and ordinary prejudice in that someone of a different race does not necessarily have to be of a different nationality. In various contexts, the terms “xenophobia” and “racism” seem to be used interchangably, though they have wholly different meanings.

For xenophobia there are two main objects of the phobia. The first is a population group present within a society, which is not considered part of that society. Often they are recent immigrants, legal or illegal, but xenophobia may be directed against a group which has been present for centuries. This form of xenophobia can elicit or facilitate hostile and violent reactions, such as mass expulsion of immigrants, or in the worst case, genocide..

The second form of xenophobia is primarily cultural, and the objects of the phobia are cultural elements which are considered alien. All cultures are subject to external influences, but cultural xenophobia is often narrowly directed, for instance at foreign loan words in a national language. It rarely leads to aggression against [individual] persons, but can result in political campaigns for cultural or linguistic purification. Isolationism, a general aversion of foreign affairs, is not accurately described as xenophobia. And since the focus is solely on Mexicans and those of Mexican heritage, I coined the word, “Mexenophobia”

Exploring the Issue of the Demonstration Project

I try to remember when this became such a hot issue. It seems one week I’m rolling down the highway listening to the arguments for and against the “black boxes” or EOBR’s and mandatory speed limiters and the next night the cry goes out “The Mexican trucks are coming to take our jobs” Mary Peters of the FMCSA has announced the Mexican Truck Pilot Program.

Suddenly, EOBR’s, Mandatory speed limiters on trucks, Hours of Service rules are all forgotten. Everything you hear from that point on is the Mexican truck issue. Even the war in Iraq is forgotten and President Bush’s approval rating which has remained in the low 20’s is forgotten. Could this be the reason for the smokescreen of opposition to the Mexican Truck Program? Something to consider perhaps?

Everybody is in on the action. Old enemies are new allies. OOIDA and CRASH, as well as Public Citizen and other watchdog groups. Suddenly Todd Spencer of OOIDA and Joan Claybrook, old adversaries, are acting as new lovers united in a common cause. Even the Teamsters Union and Jimmy Hoffa is siding with groups and organizations that they have always been at odds with.

The campaign of intentional misinformation has begun and the air heads, red necks, protectionists, isolationists and conspiracy theorists come out of the woodwork. OOIDA and others mount a “Call to Action” to flood Capital Hill with phone calls, e-mails and faxes. Everybody is suddenly an expert on Mexican trucks, Mexicans and Mexico.

And so it continues, heating up with each day that passes. The callers to the overnight trucking talk shows recount personal experiences of driving a truck in Mexico and of traveling unimproved dirt roads for hundreds of miles. They recount experiences with the Federales and of having to pay bribes of thousands of dollars to keep from getting their rigs confiscated. And people believe this trash because they want to believe it. Despite the fact that American trucks have not been allowed to freely operate in Mexico for more than 35 years. They let their prejudices overrule common sense and logic.

The hosts of these talk shows do nothing to discourage this type of misinformation and subtly encourage it. Suggestions these Mexican trucks will arrive with 3 or 4 drivers in the truck and return to Mexico with one. Accusations that the FMCSA is trying to shove this Pilot Program on the public with no notice.

All of this with no basis of fact, simply anecdotal evidence of things from 20 years past, if in fact it happened at all. But it has the desired effect. The FMCSA was forced to open a 30 day comment period. But guess what people. We were given notice 5 years ago and asked to make comments then. What has changed?