Mexico Approaches the Combustion Point by John Ross

[Annces]

AMLO as demi-god is one motif of this religious pageant being played out at what was once the heart of the Aztec theocracy, the island of Tenochtitlan. The ruins of the twin temples of the fierce Aztec war god Huitzilopochtli and Tlahuac, the god of the rain, are adjacent to the National Palace against which AMLO's stage is set. Lopez Obrador sleeps each night in a tent close by. Many hearts were ripped out smoking on these old stones and fed to such hungry gods before the Crusaders showed up bearing the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

AMLO is accused by right-wing "intellectuals" of entertaining a Messiah complex. Indeed, he is up there every day on the big screen, his craggy features, salt and pepper hair, raspy voice and defiantly jutted jaw bearing more of a passable resemblance to a younger George C. Scott rather than The Crucified One. AMLO's devotees come every evening at seven, shoehorned between the big tents that fill the Zocalo, rain or shine. Last Monday, I stood with a few thousand diehards in a biblical downpour, thunder and lightening shattering the heavens above. "Llueve y llueve y el pueblo no se mueve" they chanted joyously, "it rains and rains and the people do not move."

The evolution of these incantations is fascinating. At first, the standard slogan of "Voto Por Voto, Casilla por Casilla!" was automatically invoked whenever Lopez Obrador stepped to the microphone. "You are not alone!" and "Presidente!" had their moment. "Fraude!" is still popular but in these last days, "No Pasaran!" -- they shall not pass, the cry of the defenders of Madrid as Franco's fascist hordes banged on the doors of Madrid, 1936 -- has flourished. In this context, "No Pasaran!" means "we will not let Felipe Calderon pass to the presidency."

AMLO, who holds out little hope that the TRIFE will decide in his favor, devotes more time now to organizing the resistance to the imposition of Calderon upon the Aztec nation. Article 39 of the Mexican constitution, he reminds partisans, grants the people the right to change their government if that government does not represent them. To this end, he is summoning a million delegates up to the Zocalo for a National Democratic Convention on Mexican
Independence Day September 16, a date usually reserved for a major military parade.

http://www.counterpunch.org/ross08232006.html

[BeFree]

1. Green with envy

I am. Envious that the people of Mexico can unite against the thieves.

If only my country had a similar courage.

[Greyhound]

2. And the difference? LEADERSHIP! Obrador is right there with them.

Where are our leaders?

What did they say and do when our country was stolen?

How will they fix this, assuming they win this November?

[Nay]

3. Exactly, greyhound. We have no leaders willing to step out in front

and lead. NO one to lead the rally in Washington in person. For days, weeks, months. Each of us individually can show up, and have no impact. Shit, we showed up in the hundreds of thousands several times and had no impact.

[Greyhound]

4. Thank you. Nail, meet hammer. I don't know who to despise more

The spineless, pandering, politiwhores, our their ruminant advocates. :grr:

All across the country, there were hundreds of thousands of people in the streets, braving the elements, to voice their objections following the coup in 2000, and where was the leadership?

They knew that if there was no support from the politiwhores they could safely ignore The People. I actually shed a tear for the final gasp of America, when the Representatives, one after another, literally begged for a single fucking Senator to stand up for democracy and reject the "vote".

And Gore standing there, going right along with them.

[Acadia Blue]

5. If Gore had stood with us, we would have peacefully taken to the

streets. But he just let go. And Kerry had the gall to say later while he was just starting to run that we had to "move on." F them for helping the bloodless coup.

[truth2power]

11. Kerry is not a leader...

He's irrelevant as far as I'm concerned.

I believe in DEMOCRACY. That is not necessarily the same as believing in the Democratic Party as it's currently constituted.

[Greyhound]

6. Kick to try to generate at least some interest in what people that

value Democracy do when their legacy is stolen. Why does the DU community have no interest in this? :kick:

[Annces]

7. I wonder that too

It seems like we are so insular in our concern or knowledge of other countries. We are not at war with them, so I guess that takes them off the radar. Also no genocide going on. I have an interest in Canada and Mexico. It will be nice when we don't have borders. I did live close to Mexico for a while, so I feel some kinship.

And I think US is complicit in the fraudulent elections. Corporations have a big interest in keeping the corporate people in charge of the government, Fox to Calderone.

[Annces]

8. update

We Came to Defend Democracy
Mexico Piquetero
By CLAUDIO ALBERTANI

Mexico City.

The revolt against the July 2nd electoral fraud in favor of Felipe Calderon, the right wing candidate, is expanding. After three weeks, the occupation of Mexico City's historic center shows no sign of fatigue, to the contrary, the movement is growing like an unstoppable avalanche. In the past few days, actions of peaceful civil resistance have multiplied in the Northern part of Mexico, traditionally a stronghold of the right. On the 11th of August, in Ciudad Juarez, farmers on horses took over the bridge that connects Mexico with the US, blocking for several hours hundreds of trucks crossing the border from both sides.

The list of upcoming mobilizations is impressive: a huge demonstration against the inaugural declaration of the president-elect; on September 1st, date of the presentation of the last report to the nation from president Fox, a protest at the site of Parliament; on the 15th, Mexican Independence day, an attempt to prevent him from pronouncing the traditional "shout"; and, on the 16th, a National Democratic Convention bringing together representatives of grassroots organizations from the all over the country.

http://www.counterpunch.org/albertani08252006.html

[Greyhound]

9. Thanks, maybe we can keep this up front long enough for others to

take notice of what the people can do. :kick:

[hogwyld]

10. I hope the brave people take back their country

Hopefully, the flames of democracy will spread to the U.S. as well, and we throw off the Orwellian chains of tyranny.

[Selatius]

12. It's like the Orange Revolution in the Ukraine again.

This time; it's in the streets of Mexico.