http://xroads.virginia.edu/~ma02/rodriguez/rivera/communist.html

http://www.cipamericas.org/archives/1100

Political extremes in Mexico

Never paying attention to history or politics, the mind becomes more impressionable to a writers views and opinions.  Attention, wanting to sit on the writers every word and believe the weight behind each consecutive word.  Studying and writing the history of a country always involves a poorly hidden game of national pride by the writer: America highlights its high points failing to mention the devastation its caused becoming a world power, Germany fails to mention there was a holocaust and Latin America is innocent an blames everybody else for its issues, wait that’s every country.  Luckily, the reader can take all perspectives and formulate his or her own conclusion, ready to be scrutinized by the masses.  Here is a summary and my take on, chapter nine, ”Reaction” in John Charles Chasteens’, “Born in Blood in Fire”.

Now, Communist Russia(USSR) helped the Marxist movement head the Cuban Revolution to victory in the 1940’s.  This is happening during the cold war and the Leaders of the free world, AKA the United States, fear the spread of communism south of its boarder and then into western culture.  Marxist movements followed in step with the Cuban Revolution, pushing communism guerilla warfare throughout Latin America.  The United States and Russia are at a standstill but Marxist supporters believe they have the support of the USSR.  Latin America, with its history of weak government is at a state of possible communist takeover.

Here’s where it gets interesting.  Supporters of Marxism were: poor, below middle class and the majority; Supporters of US influences (not necessarily democracy) were: rich, in favor of US corporations, and the minority.  It’s interesting because Latin America had never been able to make its own decisions in its entire history.  It had always been the majority of Latin Americans against a powerful more organized minority (Spain/Portugal, Europe, United States, drug lords)and this fact wouldn’t change.  US intervention to defend Democracy left Latin America in a continued divide with no true identity.  “Red Tide” or communism could very well have worked in Latin America, but US aid kept the fight between Latin American militaries and Marxism in favor of Latin government military.  Militaries took over control over most Latin governments, so they weren’t democratic, but they weren’t communists and the free world could deal with that.  Outside influence as such, continued to prevent Latin America from developing its own identity.  The drug cartel turmoil that plagues half of Latin America today was brought on by outside influence.  Central governments were never able to be in consensus and develop a strong governmental backbone, hence why the drug cartels are running the show in Mexico. Sorry Mexico, but not too much because I do enjoy a free America.

On a back to reality side note, The United States is based on popular sovereignty and the ability of Americans to make decisions without Federal interference.  Our parties are virtually split, Democratic Obama supports the middle class to poor majority, Republican’s support middle class to Rich minority.  Sound familiar (If not read the third paragraph)? Obama wants to implement all these government programs such as the Health care bill that do not give you a so called decision.  Remember this bill has us in our current government shut down.  Understand he is imposing a very strong central government that limits you in some of your freedoms.  These government programs do help the majority but its leaving popular sovereignty and just pays the lower class but doesn’t fix anything, it gives people in the programs a reason to stay in the program and do nothing to fix their situations.  Republicans are not any better basically helping out businesses, which is great but the rich just get richer.  There needs to be a middle ground, which can never seem to be found.  My thought process is: Democrats seem be heading in a communist direction, Republicans in a colonial direction, that of Iberian Influence on Latin America and we should be somewhere in the middle, where the people aren’t lazy or greedy and politicians don’t have their own political agendas.