Mexican Jitters

I love the history of Mexico. From the earliest Mayan times to the 1910 Revolution in Mexico it's history has fascinated me and remains a gripping story. Even today, Mexico is still making headlines via it's gruesome drug war against certain cartels which are vying to control the drug trafficking routes to the United States (El Norte). Millions of Mexican immigrants in the past 30 years have entered that country, especially when the Mexican Peso collapsed in 1982. Though the Mexican economy is now a trillion dollar economy like the United State's other neighbour Canada, it has 70 million more people to feed and thousands of immigrants are still streaming into the United States for work. The United Mexican States is still a country in trouble especially on the eve of the country's bicentennial of independance.

100 years ago, on it's centennial of independance from Spain, the country launched itself into a 10 year revolution which decimated the country - literally. Porifio Diaz, the dictator of the nation held an election so fradulent that his challenger Francisco Madero only garnered a few votes across the country. Riots, rebel armies eventually sprang up and Diaz went into exile. Madero and the generals who assumed the title of President after him were assasinated all the while battles were raging across the country and the US had sent in troops to find Pancho Villa - another rebel leader. Finally, Alvaro Obregon - a general who defeated Pancho Villa at the Battle of Celaya despite losing an arm at that battle became President after the deaths of 900,000+ Mexicans.

100 years before that, Napoleon's invasion of Spain sent shockwaves across the New World and of course it's biggest colony - Mexico was shortly affected. The first leader of the revolution (a priest!) was defeated in battle and was captured before he reached the US border. Jose Maria Morales, Vicente Guerrero (both of significant African descent) and Agustin de Iturbide ( a Basque) became powerful leaders with the latter becoming Mexico's first Emperor. Eventually after eleven years of war Guadeloupe Victoria became Mexico's first President.

Now, let's fast forward to today. The Zapatista guerrillas are still active, Cartels rule Northern Mexico, the GPD contracted more than five percent during the global recession, La Santa Muerte is becoming a national religion. If political independance and land reform were important for the first two major upheavals of Mexican history what would be the third one? Legalization of narcotics? Or maybe Globalization? Since 1994, the United Mexican States have become more and more interconnected with the rest of North America econonically, politically and legally. The marginlization of many Mexicans and the augmentation of those who're able to manipulate the system (gun runners and drug dealers) are changing Mexican society. American society as well with a significant portion of the population (30%) being Hispanic of predominately Mexican descent in 40 years time.

No matter what calamity might occur in Mexico this year, the US should note that whatever happens to Mexico will always affect the United States. Most often negatively as well. This is one issue that will unite Mexicans and Americans to pray for a peaceful, non-revolutionary year.

You Can Only Sink So Low

The country of Haiti has never had good luck. When the Spanish arrived, diseases and slavery had killed most of the indigenous Taino and Carib peoples. Then they brought over African slaves to cultivate sugar cane and toil on it's tropical soil. When they revolted against their white and mixed race masters a third of their population was killed and the French forced them to pay damages for the loss of lives and property - the property being the newly emancipated slave population of Haiti and then on top of all that they were blockaded and nations like Britain and the US refused to trade with them because they were a Black Republic.

More than 2 centuries later, it's much the same. A 2004 rebellion toppled Aristide and put in Rene Preval and criminal gangs gained controlled the streets of Port Au Prince and UN troops had effective control of the nation - flash forward 6 years and a devastating earthquake levels Port Au Prince and kills hundreds of thousands of Haitians. Now, a new tragedy is unfolding. No, it's not the coming hurricane or flood season. It's not the threat of diseases like dysentary or cholera. No, it's much worse. It's political hip hop.

Political hip hop had humble beginnings. In the late 1980s and early 90s groups like Public Enemy pushed an Afro-centric popular brand of hip hop with great hooks and production quality to the masses of Black people. It inspired a Million Man March and colourful dashikis in places like New York and Philadelphia. Then, like most trends in hip hop it faded away due to the influence of Gangsta Rap, Club Rap and finally Pop Rap. It made a vicious return in 2007-8 when Black people like DMX discovered that a person named Barack Obama actually existed. Terrible musicians like Will.I.Am and Young Jeezy made songs like "My President Is Black" among others to help Obama win over millions of Black youth from the sinister forces of Hillary Clinton (now Sec. of State).

This political hip hop didn't go away though. The Haitian earthquake made R & B and Hip Hop artists more active. Hell, even BET had a Haitian charity and the worse of the lot was and still is Wyclef Jean. He organized a charity called Yele Haiti which was extremely corrupt and diverted funds from the relief effort. This 38 year old clown got some popular artists together to record songs to help the millions of Haitians suffering. Strange ideas started to infiltrate his mind there after. It's almost like an HP Lovecraft novel where the Ancient Ones decide to conquer the Earth by inserting dreams of grandeur into the minds of Lil Wayne, Jay Z and Kanye West. Sadly, these ideas coalesced into a planthat he too, may join the proud pantheon of Haitian leaders like Papa and Baby Doc Duvalier, Aristide, Dessalines and other dead people.

The sad fact about all of this is that, he might actually win. If he does, it'll just confirm how uneducated and Third World the Haitian people are. Haitians better move on masse to the Domincian Republic and Cuba while they can still flee. Marxist Lennism and racism from the Dominicans is probably better than whatever Wyclef can magic up. Banana republics will be better than anything that Zombie Republic will create while under the control of Wyclef. Toussaint L'Ouverture is rolling in his grave. It'd be akin in his day to a road-side lute player in 1810 becoming President of a destitute nation because he can beg really well and garner sympathy.

The worst part about all of this, is that the media isn't even condemning this opportunistic move by Wyclef Jean. ARGH! It makes no sense - there hasn't been any criticism! It'd be sad if the most reasonable arguments against him running come from Fox News. It'll be like saying it doesn't take much intelligence or experience to create jobs for 9 or so million people living in that impoverished Carribbean island which a GDP lower than that of Nigeria. What has he done that required much leadership? Leaving the Fugees? Starting a corrupt charity in the aftermath of a terrible natural calamity?

God Haiti, you can only sink so low. It'd be better if your half of Hispaniola just sank into the sea.