Mexican Talk

The presidential elections in Mexico are fast approaching and with them the chance to swap out the current regime with one that may be able to make some headway in the seemingly constant war against drugs, violence and corruption that the country has been facing for decades.  In truth, however, this chance for change may not be motivating Mexico’s voters as much as one might think.  Voters have become increasingly skeptical about the ability of the government to change, no matter what promises political candidates may be making.

Polls have shown extreme dissatisfaction and resignation among Mexico’s citizens.  It is no wonder, considering the levels of chaos that the country has seen in recent years.  No matter what happens, politicians seem to be cut of the same mold as their predecessors - that is, they do nothing.

This is a phenomenon that is seen in many countries around the world.  It is the nature of politics to become an ‘old boys’ club, with new members of the government entity being groomed by those of the old and obstacles in the way of being elected removed by those with power and an interest in keeping it.  In America, the Democratic and Republican parties are often seen as one group, bickering amongst themselves over small changes while the bigger ones go unaddressed.  In Mexico, where corruption is so prevalent, the ability to manipulate voting and install pre-chosen individuals into the political ranks is a much greater threat.

So what can the people of Mexico do to stop this endless cycle of corruption?  Will they ever be able to get a government together that will truly attempt to stop the drug cartels from running the country?  Can corrupt politicians be ousted and replaced with people who genuinely care about the well-being of Mexico’s citizens?

It may seem like the only thing to do is to sit back, cast one’s vote and pray for change.  Others are taking an indirect approach and calling international attention to the plight of Mexico’s people.  If enough outside influences bear their weight upon the broken government of Mexico, change may force its way into the system.  All this is wishful thinking, of course, but the problems in Mexico are becoming so serious that they will need to be addressed soon, lest the entire system break down and lead to something more drastic, such as revolution.

Walmart has become so successful that they seem to have migrated to every corner of the globe.  Mexico is one region where the growth of this chain of super-stores has been making a particularly strong showing.  More than 2000 stores have been opened in the last 12 years and 360 are planned to open this year alone.  These numbers might not hold, however, as Walmart has recently come under fire for using bribery as a tool of the trade.

Supposedly millions of dollars have changed hands between Walmart officials and people in the Mexican government.  These bribes were used to obtain permits that were needed to get approval to build at new locations.  Bribery is more common in Mexico than people may think.  It has become so ingrained in the way their bureaucratic system works that it’s almost considered a necessity of doing business in the country.

Though bribery may be a way of life in Mexico, American shareholders don’t seem to agree with this tactic.  Walmart shares have been dropping as a result of the scandal, a trend that is likely to continue.  They may not take as much of a hit as would be expected, however.  Most of the locations that Walmart will be opening in Mexico are under other storefront names.  This will allow the company to avoid public scrutiny to some degree by hiding the connection of the smaller stores to the larger chain.

The Mexican government has said that they will be looking into the allegations against Walmart, but in a country where bribery is commonplace and governmental corruption runs rampant, it’s unlikely that any serious charges will be brought up.  Walmart provides thousands of jobs for the Mexican population and officials are more likely to ignore this problem for the greater benefits that the expansion of the company provides.

With presidential elections coming up, Mexico will hopefully be in a position to change some of these corrupt practices.  Bribery and corruption are stifling the economy of Mexico and making it appear as weak and unstable to the international community.  Walmart may be the instigators of this scandal, but it is the Mexican business system that continues to perpetuate these activities to the detriment of everyone involved.

A video has been circulating in Mexico that is causing no small degree of controversy.  This video, titled “Ninos Incomodos” (Discomforting Kids), depicts children acting out situations that mock many of the problems that have become prevalent in Mexico today.  They take on the roles of corrupt police, businessmen and politicians as well as drug traffickers and other criminals.  The video shows these children robbing people, paying bribes and shooting at each other on the streets of Mexico.  The video ends with a message that politicians in the country need to clean up their act and start implementing real change.

It was put together by private companies and universities and distributed across the Internet as a message to presidential candidates that the people have had enough of what has been going on for decades.  This message has caused quite a stir, polarizing people on the debate over whether it is helpful or harmful.

Those criticizing the video say it is a political attack in violation of electoral laws.  They see it as a fear tactic to support one particular candidate by creating a desire within Mexican citizens to avoid the polls out of apathy and hopelessness.  Some even say that the children depicted in the video are victims of child abuse.  Many are calling for a complete ban of the video.

Defenders of this message say that it is a much needed wake-up call to a political system which has grown corrupt and lazy.  They feel that the video will actually inspire people to vote, as opposed to dissuading them.  Politicians on both sides of the election are jumping on the bandwagon as well, speaking highly of the video and claiming that they are the ones to bring the necessary changes to the country.

The question is, is the video really a political tool or there something to be said here?  Are people finally getting so sick of the conditions that seem to dominate Mexican politics that they are beginning to speak out?

Check out the video for yourself and see what you think:

They are the earliest known civilization to flourish in Central America and some believe they may have been the earliest in the whole of the Americas.  They are the Olmecs and they first came to occupy this historical status sometime around 1400 BCE.  The Gulf Coast of southern Mexico is where they made their home in the beginning of their time, expanding later into Guatemala and further west into what is now Mexico.

San Lorenzo Tenochtitlan is believed to have been their first large, central settlement, though eventually they commanded a whole network of villages and towns.  There are three known cities which acted as regional centers for all these settlements, taking charge of their operations and mobilizing the people to acquire resources for the Olmec rulers.

Olmec society was a stratified system, as were most early civilizations.  Their elite, such as  rulers, priests and artisans, lived in the towns while the rest made their homes in the rural areas, using agriculture to survive.  The elite classes were in control of trade, as well as the manufacturing and distribution of luxuries and art, while the farmers were there to use their labor to support the elite.

The religion of the Olmecs is thought to be a precursor to many of the Aztec and Mayan beliefs used by those civilizations in later centuries.  There is evidence that the Olmecs practiced ritual bloodletting and perhaps even human sacrifice.  Though no artifacts have been found to confirm the sacrificial aspect, the bones of infants have been found among offerings, suggesting that this may have had its place in the Olmec spirituality.

It is known that the Olmecs were fairly advanced in their ability to control water in order to provide for both the cities and farms.  Their skill at city planning shows a further level of advancement and efficiency.  They are also known to have possessed a significant knowledge of astronomy which most likely passed down to others after they had gone.

Unfortunately, much of what is known about the Olmecs is taken from a very limited  selection of remains.  They are famously known for the giant heads they left behind, which anthropologists believe to be representations of their kings.  Also left behind are many other monuments, such as altars and stele, though these are only pieces of a much larger puzzle.

Sometime between 400 to 3000 BCE, the Olmec civilization disappeared.  It is not sure what happened or why, but the prevalence of Olmec elements found in other cultures which formed after them suggests that they may have been absorbed into other civilizations.  Regardless of what happened to the Olmecs, their traditions formed a base from which future civilizations of Mexico would learn and grow, eventually forming great empires such as the Toltecs and Aztecs.