Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Killing The Hydra

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It is a sad truism that the enemies of America rely on our collective impatience. We like fast food, sound bytes, and are willing to support only short wars. At least, that’s the conventional wisdom, which is popular enough to have become policy for many vicious demagogues. I have written before on the fact that the United States has fought long fights before, and more than once has settled matters by obliterating the regime they fought. But it should also be understood that the death of a tyrannic order is often a slow process, and takes more than one stroke.

Fascism, for instance, continued to exist long after the end of World War 2, and still has its devotees even today. So it should surprise no one that Communism is still doing the best it can to overthrow the world. And don’t laugh, it could still happen. Just as the distinctions between the Soviets and Chinese Communists demonstrated, Communism takes a variety of forms, suited to the conditions of its terrain and culture. Accordingly, the Communist movement in Central and South America is still making strides, even where it seems to be dormant or in retreat. Nowhere is this more evident than Mexico. In the rush to consider Mexico a friend of the United States, many people forget that Mexico fought a revolution to free itself from Spain, and not a revolution of ideals nearly so much as a simple rebellion to destroy the existing order; even today the strongest political party is called the Institutional Revolutionary Party, which is a member of the “Socialist International”. Vicente Fox, the present President of Mexico, rose through the ranks of the National Action Party and represents effectively the conservative and reform wing of Mexican politics, but he is fighting against a system dominated with PRI veterans and a thoroughly corrupt culture. In addition to political pressure, Fox is fighting a bloody insurgency in the rural parts of Mexico from the Zapatistas,
further diluting his power to address the threat. It's not say he sees eye to eye with the U.S> Government, but he is actually better than his predecessors, which means he is targeted by the Left.

The ‘Reconquistas’ have let their mask slip a bit during their marches, showing pictures of Communists like Che Guevara and chanting slogans reminiscent of Ho Chi Minh. It’s important to understand what’s going on here. A lot of people have no interest in Communism; it really is a simple case that they want a better life for their family and themselves. Unfortunately, as is the historical model, the Communists latch on to large groups and use them for their own purposes, and while many of the marchers on Monday may not have understood the significance of marching on May 1, the significance of such manipulation needs to be recognized.

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