Real Life in Mexico

Thanks for the update, nimh.

Hmmm, perhaps reality TV can serve a social functionl. I think candidates for political office in D.F. and everywhere their constituents live in poverty should spend time living as they do. I've done it (more or less), and I assure you that it's the only way to (at least partially) gauge their reality.

I spent a large portion of my life in real poverty. I know exactly how those people feel.

I know you know, Edgar. And I know JL is acquainted.

Wish some people making policy here in the US had a clue.

But then - it is hard to get from long time serious poverty to a position of policy making.

Saw on the TV news what "Vil Brother" was about.
The TV anchor was stupid enough to mock the union leader's words.
The anchor's attitude was like: "of course he should have known there is this kind of poverty!".

False. In the late 70s I used to do a lot of political work among the poor in the northwestern state of Sinaloa. We were quite used to seeing deep poverty.
One of our party cadres was so poor, he and his family brought tears to our eyes. We knew there was poverty, but not THAT poverty. We decided to buy him a bike "so he could do party work".

This "live like the people so you can serve them" is pure Maoist theory, by the way. I hope you know that.

....

Mexico is a country sometimes Kafkian (reading at osso's signature above this post).
On yesterday's news: some Huasteco indians crashed in the San Luis Potosí state legislature, to "cleanse" a local left wing reppresentative. Their vocal goal: to rid him of his inborn corruption.

We could use some Huasteco Indians in Washington, DC.

I must correct my earlier statement. I have lived "among" the rural poor of Mexico for limited amounts of time (from three months to a year in my capacity as a "rural sociologist"), but I always had money in my pocket, warm clothes and a car to remove me from the situation whenever I wished. The rural poor I knew had neither the money nor the freedom to leave their situation. So I should say that I witnessed but did not live in (their) poverty. My youth was far from affluent, but I don't think it was as bad as Edgar's. Good, I got that off my chest.

JL, we never doubted your veracity.

Thanks, EB.