Legs of the Mexican Revolution by Angel Castillo

I'll leave this one a bit more open than the others since you'll all be focusing on various readings that you've chosen as we complete Module 7: Would you argue that the Mexican Revolution "has legs" (i.e., still has meaning and power in Mexican politics, culture, and social relations)? Why or why not?

From what I've learned about modern Mexico, I would say yes in some areas and no in others, the Mexican Revolution does have legs. The modern Mexican issues have become less focused on class disparity itself and more the way class disparity has been brought about. The Mexican government cannot fix the blatant disregard for rule of law because they have lost political and political credibility [1]. A Mayor and his employees taking part in the murder of students with the help narcos certainly does little to bolster the faith the Mexican people have in their governments ability to protect their interests. The revolution did have corrupt people in it, seeking only to grab power, so that kind of dynamic is still around.

When we look at a relation ship like Mexico under Cardenas, the last president to uphold revolutionary values [2], and the way he treated foreign industries in his country and compare them to how President Lopez and his relationship to Donald Trump we can make a few comparisons there. Though Mexico want's it's independence from businessmen from the north their actions could have disastrous impacts on Mexico's economy, Cardenas learned this the hard way when he expelled oil businesses from Mexico and I believe that is something Lopez is trying to avoid, by getting into a struggle with Trump and the United States [3]. I think in this way we see how relations have been impacted to this day in Mexico.

I believe that the Mexican people feel a strong connection to their heritage with Mexico's revolution and would like to return to the kind of strong government leadership they saw those few years after the revolution. We see it in their art and the way the heroes of the revolution are honored to this day. In this way I believe that the Revolution has more legs with the Mexican people than the Mexican government itself.


References
[1] Krauze, E. (2014, December 10). What Mexico's President Must Do. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/11/opinion/enrique-krauze-what-mexicos-president-must-do.html?_r=0

[2] Gonzales, Michael J. The Mexican Revolution 1910-1940. University of New Mexico Press. 2002.

[3] Trump vs. Lopez Obrador: Two very different leaders face off over tariffs. https://www.latimes.com/world/mexico-americas/la-fg-mexico-amlo-trump-20190605-story.html

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