video de introducción
http://elenemigocomun.net/videos/introduccion-a-oidho

http://www.oidho.co.nr

But that is exactly what is happening in Oaxaca.

Why is it so difficult to get the English-language media to report that angle on the story?

Rather than constantly reducing it to a cartoonish plot about a “leftist movement” to overthrow the government over “claims” of corruption and human rights violations, which “claims” are never evaluated as to whether they are plausible or not?

They are more than plausible, I find, but only after doing a lot of digging on my own in the Spanish-language media. And there is a great deal that remains to be clarified. I really want to know what has been going on there. I want to see some formal investigations. I want to read the transcripts of the depositions.

My hometown daily has completely let me down on this story. Why do I pay them to subscribe, if they are not going to dig that stuff up for me?

Or worse, if they are going to pass along disinformation from their colleagues in Mexico’s commercial mass media?

Political ideology has nothing to do with this, except insofar as the idea of a liberal democracy, in which various ideas about how to organize the commonwealth are debated, negotiated and balanced out in an orderly, open and transparent way, is an ideological construct.

The question is whether you have a democratic society for those kinds of debates to take place in or not.

In theory, Mexicans have the same constitutional rights as we gringos: Speech, assembly, petitioning the government. Nothing foreign, exotic or hard to understand about that.

In practice, however, you obviously don’t have democracy.

If I were you good people of Oaxaca, I would not put up with it either.

We are talking about a place where DEATH SQUADS under political control operate with impunity, God damn it!

Settling labor disputes with DEATH SQUADS is not good for business.

DEATH SQUADS. DEATH SQUADS. My wife is Brazilian, and we live in São Paulo a lot of the time, so I have some personal insight into what it’s like to live in a city where DEATH SQUADS operate.

The story here is that a labor dispute — a normal, everyday occurence in our more or less still-functioning democracy, routinely settled through negotiation and arbitration — is being settled with DEATH SQUADS.

And your government is not doing a damn thing about it, so far, while our own (U.S.) State Dept. deplores “the tragic need” by your state police to respond to fictitious deadly force from the side of demonstrators.

That was in a statement made at their daily press briefing. I kid you not.

It’s outrageous.

Are we exporting Americans exporting defective product to the rest of the world when our peerless leaders set about “exporting democracy?”

The next time you get a shipment of democracy, make sure you check that all the parts are there. Without fair, transparent elections and government accountability, the thing is not going to work properly.

I voted for a Republican in my city’s last mayoral election (New York), and I STILL say it’s beyond outrageous, what is going on in Oaxaca.

That’s why I support any and all non-violent efforts by the citizens of Oaxaca to achieve recognition of their legitimate constitutional and human rights. I support your right to seek real justice for legitimate grievances, and to legitimately defend yourself against illegal violence.

Wishing you the best, and keeping a sharp eye on the local papers there for developments.

CB
Bklyn, NY

Regards,
Ken Hogue