mon., 4 may, 2015: countdown to cinco de mayo: give us This Day our Daily Curse

    

SPANISH:  ¡Pobre Mexico! ¡Tan lejos de Dios y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos!  §

SPANISH:  Pax Porfiana...  §§

SPANISH:  Pan o palo...  §§§

§)  “Poor Mexico!  So far from God and so close to the United States!”  —  attrib. to Porfirio Diaz,  who had participated in the routing of the French at Veracruz, & who served as “President” of Mexico from 1876 to 1911  (with a brief periods, 1876, & again 1880  —  1884,  when fuck-puppets Juan Méndez & Manuel González respectively served as interim presidents) ; Diaz’s presidency was marked by a surface stability  (modernization & economic growth)  made possible by political repression,  graft & corruption,  & by selling off everything to foreign corporations,  esp. mining & agri-business concerns.  In 1911 Diaz was kicked out on his arse during the Mexican Revolution;  he slithered off to expile in Spain.  After the Mexican revolution many industries were nationalized ;

§§)  “Porfiana Peace...”  —  a period in Mexican history (1876—1911)  marked by Porfirio Diaz’ rule,  where a surface stability, modernization & economic growth was made possible by political repression & by selling off everything to foreign corporations,  esp. mining & agri-business concerns.  In 1911 the shit hit the fan with the Mexican Revolution & Diaz slithered off to exile in Spain  ;

 §§§)  “Bread or the stick...”  —  Porfirio Diaz’ strategy of offering problematic politicians or generals two options:  cushy & obscenely-salaried sinecures,  or a blindfold & a last cigarette & a firing squad.  (Diaz is said to have commented that a dog with a bone would neither bite or bark.) 

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