|
Have any of you ever seen the old Marlon
Brando film, "Viva Zapata"? It's been on TV here many times, but I don't
know about elsewhere? In case you're not familiar with it, it was
more or less based on the life of Emiliano Zapata, a Mexican peasant that had a
very large role in that country's last full scale revolution.
The one which overthrew the long-time regime of
their President Portfirio Diaz, in the early years of the 20th
century. And the internal conflicts that followed, as that
country descended into a decade long armed conflict over who'd succeed
him.
Early in the movie, a delegation of badly
oppressed peasants from an impoverished region in southern Mexico, of whom
Zapata is one, travel to Mexico City and are pleading their
case for land reform before Diaz.
And Diaz, in a fatherly way, is
receiving their complaints with a seemingly sympathetic
ear. And is smoothly exercising that singular
ability those in office seem to acquire of vaguely, but convincingly,
promising to do 'something' while knowing full well he's going to do
'nothing'.
Zapata isn't quite convinced of Diaz's sincerity,
however, and being a little more forward than his companions, he
obviously irritates "el Presidente" when he isn't satisfied with
platitudes and wants a more definite commitment of some actual action.
Diaz curtly asks him his name, and writes it down,
in a manner that indicates he knows a trouble-maker when he sees
one.
And the easiest way to deal with that is to remove
the trouble-maker himself, not what's troubling him.
Well, nothing the peasants wanted is done,
conditions worsen, and the revolution finally breaks out, and Diaz is
deposed.
The 'political' leader of the revolution is
installed as President, is ill prepared to actually govern, and is
subsequently murdered by one of his generals. Who
takes his job, but doesn't last long either.
At one point, Zapata himself assumes the
Presidency, and shortly thereafter he's visted by a delegation of poor peasants
pressing the same case his delegation once pressed for with Diaz.
And he responds just as Diaz did, initially with
platitudes, until one of this group's number also indicates his dis-satisfaction
with what he's being told. Zapata asks him his name, in the same tone of
voice Diaz once used with him. But then, as he goes to write it
down, catches himself, and realizes that he's turned into the same font of
oppression he fought so long against. He chucks the Presidency, and goes
home, back to what he knows.
Now what does all this have to do with the
advancement of Social Credit, you might ask? Well, just this. It's
very easy to lose sight of what you're fighting to achieve unless you're
constantly reminded of it. It is said, with great truth, that "power
corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely", and the "will-to-power"
of those in government is highly addictive once attained.
What is best? A 'sanction' against the
governments we have, to make them, whoever they may be composed of in personnel,
do what WE specifically want done? Or perhaps, more initially
important, DON'T want done? Or the attainment of office
ourselves? Where we might just find it easier to
remove the trouble-maker than correcting his troubles.
Regards,
Joe | 
"Viva Zapata?"
Reply to this message
