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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
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Location: Bahia Asuncion
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Some more avatars for ya
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BajaGringo
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Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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Is that Larry King? What did he do; bore somebody to death???
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaGringo
Is that Larry King? What did he do; bore somebody to death???
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He was arrested for interviewing himself. Softballs flying all around the room. It was gruesome.
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Osprey
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Sometimes they do take it back
Shade for Encino
One of the sugar Haciendas, just north of Cuernavaca, claimed and took control of several hectares of land and part of a tiny pueblo. A rag-tag band
of Indians and Mexicans attacked the Hacienda in retaliation and killed two people they found outside the walls. The dead were Indians who worked for
the Hacienda. No Gachupines, Spaniards, were encountered or harmed. It was enough. Within the next two weeks the incident was reported to the
office of the Vice Royalty in Cuernavaca and a troop of Rurales, mounted soldiers, was dispatched to put the matter right.
Encino, the captain's small, dark horse, was in a froth. The captain had pushed his mount and his men at a pace too fast for the weather. He hoped
he could bring this messy business to a close and return to the barracks that same night. Perhaps his horse longed to return to the cool mountains of
Northern Spain; leave forever this prickly oven.
Captain Juan Diego Villa Real was proud of his men; they routed the peasants from the fields and foothills in short order and now had eleven
dirty-faced men in white, waiting in the heat to meet their maker. Their hands were bound behind them, the soldiers had taken their shoes; the ponies
had trampled their sombreros in the dust. The scene was strangely quiet and serene, the huge green Laurel trees that lined the entrance to the
Hacienda were lit up by the bright and noisy flying lemons, Colandria, Orioles, that always brought smiles to the faces of the children of the
Hacendados.
As one man was being led to the wall before the rifle squad, he passed a little too close to the Captain's horse. The horse reared and pranced
nervously at the sound of the man's voice. The Captain yelled at his soldiers, who by now were laughing and smiling at the remark. "¿Como dice?"
"What did he say?" "Con su permiso, Capitan". "With your permission". The eleven men died quickly and the troop returned to the cool comfort of the
compound in the city before the sun had disappeared behind the Sierra Madres. The corpses were left by the wall, where they fell; wives and others
from the pueblo would recover them that night.
Less than a month later one of the men his soldiers had not seen or captured on that dusty day at the Hacienda, put a bullet above and behind the
Captain's right ear, taking off one whole side of his head. As the Captain fell from the saddle his horse bolted. Encino did not run long in the
killing heat.
The blood on the ground at the Hacienda was crimson wet on September 20, 1849. It might have been spilled months, years or decades, before or after,
anywhere in Mexico. The core of continents and civilizations change slowly. The people do not change.
Things that caused the spilling of this particular blood, a thick, heady mixture of Indians, Spaniards and Mexicans, are simple and enduring. Abused
by isolation in lands torn by drought and tempests, the people learn to accept. Accept famine, disease, death and conquest while looking to the sky
and hoping only for rain and forgiveness from their gods. Used to apologies and humbled by a fate they could not see nor predict, their adaptations
did not require losing a tail or growing new feathers -- it required a unique sense of balance -- keeping your eyes on the ground while, from time to
time, holding your head high. Eventually this posture earned polite contemporaries in the Americas the complement; "Cortes como uno Mexicano", "As
courteous as a Mexican".
As the hard but arable space diminished; more stomachs, less trigo, wheat, the more humility would be needed. Endurance became another name for
life. Conditions spawned parades of charlatans, thieves, and patriots who shamed a timid populace to rage and riot -- "how could you let them take
your lands?" "Kill the Gachupines". Etc. Etc. The longer the people had endured the taking of their lands and their pride, the harder they fought to
regain it.
Today a new arrival to this spiky finger of land, Baja California, when meeting, for the first time, a Chollero, a local Mexican, might expect a
summer greeting of "hola, mucho calor", "Hello, it's very hot". Extended conversations, friendly exchanges of pleasantries, gossip will surely
include apologies for the food, the weather, the travel conditions, the heat, polvo, dust, the lack of fish, the high prices of everything, the
government and the local police. He or she will undoubtedly say that things, unhappily, are not as nice, sweet, simple, as they were in the past.
They may lower their eyes, show a faint smile to hide this customary lie.
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CaboRon
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Great Story !
Just another reason we need a story thread ...
CaboRon
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Iflyfish
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Well said Osprey. History is the best predictor of future behavior.
Iflyfish
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DENNIS
Platinum Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Iflyfish
History is the best predictor of future behavior.
Iflyfish |
I agree with that, Rick, if only if we take the time to learn from it. So often we don't.
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BajaGringo
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Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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Do they still even require history to graduate from high school today? Based on conversations I have had with some of the latest grads I doubt it...
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Iflyfish
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I know that Civics are no longer taught, too much time focused on teaching to the test, three Rs....
Iflyfish
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Skipjack Joe
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Overcompensation
Remember 'History of Western Civilization'? They now teach World History in middle school. Which I think is correct.
But here's what's strange: a full quarter was devoted to Islam. I now know the names of Muhammed's wife and his uncle. And his descendants and how the
split occured leading to the Sikhs and chiites. And the flight from Medina. This, while a lot less is taught on the cultures of India, China, and
Japan, not to mention Byzantium, which lasted 1200 years.
My conclusion is that our Iraq war has greatly influenced California's board of education, which must feel that our young minds now need to know more
about Islam. At the expense of other great historical events. Personally I think that's wrong.
[Edited on 1-17-2009 by Skipjack Joe]
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Bajahowodd
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Don't know exactly how much the curriculum concerns Islam. But, just remember that some of our greatest mistakes in recent decades in the Middle East
is our profound lack of knowledge of their religon and culture. Seem to recall that is was Muslims that conquered much of Europe some time back.
Barcelona, anyone?
[Edited on 1-17-2009 by Bajahowodd]
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Sharksbaja
Elite Nomad
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Ouch. Who needs a religious war when WMD is a good enough excuse.
Yep, teaching to test has cost a generation much necessary knowledge.
They pulled our son out of 14 classes this year to go do testing cause he's good at it. Makes the school look good. That's like 14 absences.
Have you ever missed 14 days of chem, algebra 2 and advanced english? Good luck ctching up!
It was another living hell. Now they just cut that program so it was all for not. So rediculous. The focus should be on themselves(policy makers) for
forgetting how to get kids to learn basic subjects.
DON\'T SQUINT! Give yer eyes a break!
Try holding down [control] key and toggle the [+ and -] keys
Viva Mulege!
Nomads\' Sunsets
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Dave
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No
| Quote: | Originally posted by Bajahowodd
some of our greatest mistakes is our recent decades in the Middle East is our profound lack of knowledge of their religon and culture.
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It was our profound concern to be politically correct. The mosque a haven for Muslim extremists and their weapons. The madrassa a breeding ground for
radicals. We should have destroyed both. Killed their clerics.
We were weak-willled. It has cost us dearly.
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Bajahowodd
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Wow. A prime example of my point. How can you talk about mosques? They are Islamic houses of worship. Like Catholic churches in Mexico. Sure. If the
Narco gangtsters decided to use a Catholic church as a cover, then, we have quid pro quo. Otherwise, you have your head in a place where the sun don't
shine.
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Packoderm
Super Nomad
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Registered: 11-7-2002
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When will the people of Mexico take back their country?
They're not going to do it. It's not going to happen. Not under any no how. I'll buy a Pacifico for each of the next 100 people who respond to this
thread saying the people will stand up - and it does actually happen.
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Bajahowodd
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Sorry. Historically, it's not in their culture. PRI had an oligarcy for so long. We can't keep trying to view Mexico through our lens. There is a long
history there. In fact, I would suggest that one of the reasons, so many of us love the Mexican people is rooted in the fact that they are not likely
to rise up and revolt. Live and let live. And frankly, how can we condemn the Mexican people when we elected Bush twice?
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Iflyfish
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3747
Registered: 10-17-2006
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Rising up in revolt under the Aztecs would cost you your life and enslave your entire family. Rise up against the conquestadores or the priests and
it's a blessing before execution. They added the step of the blessing. Same dynamic, just with the sanction of the church. People learn to adapt and
the people of Mexico have. It goes way further than the 75 years of PRI.
For an interesting perspective on this I would suggest the novel Aztec. You will find it in any good used book store. It's a fascinating read for
those interested in pre Columbian history.
Iflyfish
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
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And how does this relate to post-Columbian times? Nostalgia?
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Packoderm
Super Nomad
Posts: 2116
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Iflyfish
Rising up in revolt under the Aztecs would cost you your life and enslave your entire family. Rise up against the conquestadores or the priests and
it's a blessing before execution. They added the step of the blessing. Same dynamic, just with the sanction of the church. People learn to adapt and
the people of Mexico have. It goes way further than the 75 years of PRI.
For an interesting perspective on this I would suggest the novel Aztec. You will find it in any good used book store. It's a fascinating read for
those interested in pre Columbian history.
Iflyfish |
I'll look for it in the library tomorrow. I have a little time off, and I've been reading a bit. Thanks.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
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There have been many dynasties that have dominated the world historically. The common thread among them was that they eventually faded. Greeks,
Romans, Turks, Christians, Muslims. The common thread is hubris. So, we're the last standing power? ...
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