[Marxism] Re: Mexico

[Ian MacDonald <macdon35@xxxxxxxx>]

Hi Anthony,

I think that, at most, we can talk about a political revolution in Mexico. The
organization and consciousness which would be required for more does not
currently exist. At the same time, the political is wrapped up with the social.
The demand for effective suffrage provides the unity for a whole series of
struggles against neoliberalism, which, until now, have been unable to form
lasting alliances or build broadly in the population. The mobilizations have
also raised hopes of other emancipations, particularly of women, gays and
lesbians, and from religious obscurantism, which has been enjoying a comeback
here as elsewhere. (I'm told people are leaving the churches, at least here in
the DF. One woman told me yesterday in disgust how her church showed a video
which argued that Lopez O would destroy the Mexican family).
I see three levels in this movement: an overarching demand for democracy, 2)
immediately below that the fury built up over decades of neoliberalism, 3)
emancipation from oppression in everyday life.
The analysis of the street, which is surprisingly uniform, is the following: All
of Mexico's problems - lack of democracy, economic growth that doesn't benefit
the poor, horrible, poor paying jobs, the universal corruption of the country's
institutions, and massive emigration to the North - are all due to the fact that
the rich control the government, and use this control to enrich themselves
instead of investing productively in the economy.
Simply put, people are angry for two reasons: fraud, and the criminal
distribution of wealth - 50 Million in extreme poverty while Mexico has the
fourth largest number of billionaires in the world. This combination of
political and economic demands, for democracy and against neoliberalism, is
very powerful (esp. when you mix in some revolutionary nationalism). Organizers
say that the country has not seen a movement like this since the expropriation
of petroleum in the 1930s.
And the discipline of the movement is very impressive, even if it is very
heterogeneous in many respects. Yesterday, Lopez Obrador presented his argument
that the state is just waiting for an excuse to repress the movement, and that
it should not fall into this trap by marching to confront the militarized cops
in San Lazaro. He asked the assembly to chose and there was almost unanimous
consensus that the movement should stay in the Zocalo - after all, this is
where the new power is being built. The important thing was to stay calm and
build for the National Democratic Convention Sept 16. Very few - usual suspects
and media - went to the fences, where thousands of riot police stood waiting,
all dressed up and no one to repress.
I'm babbling now and will leave it there. If the answer is somewhat
contradictory, it's because I'm still thinking this through - and the situation
is, after all, open and full of contradictions.
Cheers,
Ian



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