The Old Man And The Frac

Perhaps Mexico's most orthodox historians, and people in general, never occurs to them, even for a minute, have never entertained the idea of ​​Porfirio Diaz was once young. No sir, was born 85 years as he died ... and always, absolutely always was old, white hair and mustache and wearing a military uniform full of medals, so much so that not even Porfirio could stand and .

Similarly, Benito Juarez was all his life in a bad mood, always was serious, he never moved a hair, or during the war of reform, James Bond style ... and indeed the style of the famous secret agent, lifetime Tuxedos dressed, always black, never wrinkled. So went to bed and woke up and, like the opera. More importantly, since he was a humble shepherd until the last of his days, was all the time everywhere, telling everyone who crossed his path: "respect for the rights of others is peace."

So put in writing and it seems to mock the absurd, and yet they are historical stereotypes that have always sold well in texts, in the murals and the prints of the stationery. All to maintain the myth for each.

Juarez is said to be the humble shepherd boy who became president, which is true, the story of Juarez, right or wrong to drop anyone, as the history of personal achievement is unsurpassed, beat all the stops, and was indeed indigenous Zapotec to be exact.

It is therefore correct display and, with his face Zapotec. But surely laugh, his love letters to his wife show that he was a man full of feelings, and although he showed his austerity in dress, black pants, white shirt and a coat, also dressed in gala and colors .

But the image of Juarez mural depicts a hero of Greek type, uncorrupted, unmovable, always perfect ... which is impossible, since he was a human being and not a demigod ... but that's our version of history, good eternally good. Always stern and who only thinks of his country, always with the same clothes because it was austere, always with the courage of defending itself against the enemy. But Juarez also wrong, he also spent miseries and also had moments of excessive arrogance

But more importantly, Juarez was a man read and illustrated, it was perfectly capable of having more than one sentence. That that "both among individuals and among nations, respect for the rights of others is peace," specifically said only once, after the defeat of the French and the execution of Maximilian ... and as a learned man who was I was paraphrasing Kant, in his book Perpetual Peace.

Of all the thinking and acting Juarez, Mexican historians are left with his being humble shepherd and his phrase eternal marble idol did, and it evokes all the time ... when another of his phrases was, "future, not past is what Mexico needs, "it would be like saying" stop recall and solve their problems.

On the other hand, Diaz was also the indigenous president of Mexico, and was also Zapotec of Oaxaca ... but in our version of the story like "poor us" where all the rich are evil and all good poor, coupled with our sad reality where almost all indigenous people are poor, the result is that Indians are good, as also are those who we conquered 500 years without doing them justice.

So if all Indians are good, and Porfirio Diaz is a villain, tyrannical dictator, Manichean evil in our history, where the wicked are evil and do nothing good ever ... it turns out that Diaz can not be indigenous, and therefore always appears 85 years, features and all white hair grayed. So, 85 years and white hair went to Mexico City in 1847 to try to join some strength against the U.S. invasion and fought in ancient empire of Maximilian, and the octogenarian defeated the French on April 2 1867.

If promoviéramos images of Porfirio Diaz in his 37 years, on horseback, without much decoration, young, strong and winner of the French, would clear two things: he is a hero who defeated the invaders ... and their features are undeniably indigenous people. Two things we can not say someone who has been as bad history.

But Diaz was indigenous and became president, like Juarez, no democracy in the middle, but never say that about Juarez. He was a volunteer at 17 years against the U.S. invasion, the Liberal party was like Juarez, the Reform war fought by his side, Don Benito escorted to the border for safekeeping in the French intervention and fought in 30 battles victorious against the armies of the Empire of Maximilian, to finally deliver the capital of the restored republic President Juarez.

In conclusion, neither Juarez was always grumpy, dressed in tails and repeating the phrase Kant, nor Diaz was always the octogenarian dictator with whom it is intended to represent a decadent regime. Both were human beings doing the lights and shadows the context of the time required.

But the problem goes beyond discussing how to represent two characters, the bottom line is what matters, is the fact that such is the history of Mexico, as archetypes of Juarez and Diaz is set in stone as the first and very old and archaic as the second.

Immovable as the archetype of Juarez: never moved, not analyzed or questioned, there is no criticism, is carved in stone the official version and no place to revisions, to varying interpretations ... is the myth that history is subjective and consists of facts in the case of Mexico are often not known but are set by decree.

Archaic, old and worn like Diaz has already been done for decades the official version, is a biblical-style dogma, revealed and unquestionable. They repeat the same myths, feed the people of the same lies are repeated the same versions but do not make sense.

Juarez and Diaz, or the cartoons that the official story makes them, represent the major issues in our history, or rather, the way our history is taught, as a cheap soap opera, good and evil, black and white, patriots and unpatriotic, allies and traitors. There are no nuances and therefore no possibility of analysis, is a story of heroes and traitors from which nothing can be learned for the future as they continue teaching this way. Benito Juarez and Porfirio Diaz are just one example.