Tuesday, May 5, 2015

tues., 5 may, 2015: ¡es el cinco de mayo! ¡cinco de mayo! ¡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...  §§§
SPANISH:  La revolución es el opio de los intelectuales...  §§§§

§)  “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 exile 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.) ;
  §§§§)  “Revolution is the opium of the intellectuals...”  —  Popular Post-May ’68 French Situationist graffito that sprayed its way across European & US & Latin American & Japanese campuses,  & found its way into Lindsay Anderson’s O LUCKY MAN!

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from curse + berate in 69+ languages, from Soft Skull Press

http://softskull.com/?p=271
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