Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Lazin Olga,
combinations, and with no single allegiance necessarily prevailing over all others,
determined their political conduct…” (O. Lazin, 2) These are composed of ethnic,
regional, ideological, class, and clientelist factors. The disposition of power is executed
by the elite who remain intertwined at the political core of the government. Rarely do
officers denounce in public the repressive and offensive actions they had to perform in
practice. This creates a cycle of never ending corruption and manipulation of the
powerless civilians and its pattern is still prevalent today. According to Elitelore, there is
two strata in a population of elite, “(1) a lower stratus, the non-elite, with whose possible
influence on government we are not just here concerned; then (2) a higher stratus, the
elite which is divided into two: (a) a governing elite; (b) a non-governing elite.”
(Elitelore, 15) To specify, its exact function and purpose, it is crucial to evaluate its
source as well as its effect on society. The seemingly inevitable predominance of elitists
has been ascribed to coming from the mass media, particularly articles and films,
perpetrated by the masses, and manifested in a solution less manner enabling the highest
opinions.
There are many textual sources which account for the fragile stability of society
as a result of Mexico’s government and elite. There are numerous documents, books,
articles, and newspapers, which reflect on this inadequacy in the functioning government.
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In an article entitled 19 Mexico Police Face Charges in Death of Youth, nineteen
members of an elite Mexico City police force were arraigned in connection with the
executions of three youths after a barrio shout out. Grieving relatives were shouting out
“assassins” as the officers were brought into the court room to hear the charges against
them, which included murder in the case of one officer and abuse of authority for the rest.
Catching these rogue police as a travesty of justice, highlights Mexico’s struggle to clean
up crime with a police force that itself uses criminal methods. In October of 1997 when
this article was published, a statement was made by the Human Rights Commission
demanding that police respect the law. The police forces in Mexico are very backward
published by BBC Monitoring America, discusses the necessity to put an end to the
illegitimate political system. A similar article, entitled Elections in Mexico, speaks about
high ranking politicians in Mexico find it literally necessary to “corrupt” the democratic
institutions embedded in Mexico’s Constitution to make sure that these could not function
as spaces for the expression and defense of the citizenry. Thus, it is obvious that the
institutions and pacts among the elites are important, but a deeper democracy requires
that a governing class be accountable for its actions, which is not the case in Mexico.
There are five fundamental concepts of elitelore. The first of which being the idea
of lore that connotates in itself an “accumulated, wisdom, legend, and tradition.” (Wilkie,
61-63) The second concept is that leaders operate with information systems which are
usually incomplete. Also, when elites justify their problems, it is not necessarily to tell
lies or act in bad faith to rally followers, but instead they may deceive themselves.
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Understanding elite, means in essence, that we must look to a major element of its
culture, which is myths and lore. One of the last underlying concepts of elitelore is that
leaders may not act merely out of self profit or malice, but they identify the success of
their cause with their own political success. Hence, it seems that “leaders are more
interested in constructs which they have built to justify their lives,” in order to not shatter
From filmic examples, audiences have been witness to the many atrocities against
the Mexican people. These crimes have been parallel to themes of corruption and power
hungry elitists. One of the earliest films seen in class Senorita Extraviada portrays the
Juarez incidences with the police force and elite covering them up internally. Women,
like Norma Aguilar, are shown in the film, being sold for 15 pesos to men who can easily
kill them with no one finding out. This is unlike any orderly society. It should be noted
that “elitelore often involves a climate of opinion which is transmitted verbally through
self-selected groups which share the same attitudes toward value or lifestyles. In this
manner, elite group attitudes may be reflected in the writings of elite individuals which in
turn will further strengthen group self identity.” (Wilkie, 51.) The elitelore that arises out
think they are the constituents of elite lore. By doing what they’re doing and by
assembling casts of thousands in cities like Quajaca, they are seen to be a strategic level
of elites. To organize these things is not an easy task, and it is a burden of leadership,
sometimes amounting to elite lore. Film makers are also transmitters of energy. The vibe
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they release surrounding the theme and content of their film/documentary entails an
important segway of elite lore. Michelle Wilkie, a guest speaker I interviewed, spoke
about her experience with elites and the energy they release as spiritual leaders, passing it
down onto their followers, as well as the submissive energy of their devout believers. It
affects the relationship between two classes of people, the leading and the governed,
themes are regurgitated such as how corruption has been eroding society and that the
rebellious and cosmopolitan Hispanic and Anglo Saxon. He is the son of a diplomat, who
realized he was not a gringo, but rather a true Mexican. He has written twelve novels,
served as an ambassador, and has even been a professor at Harvard. His story is an
interesting one, as he ridicules the Catholic Church for repressing sexuality, and straying
from the bourgeoisie diplomatic. Ultimately, his work, in the shadow of great powers,
shows that the goals of the revolution were not being met, warranting criticism for its
failures, and even an attraction to the idea of a new revolution. Artemio Cruz, for
example, begins by defending his people and country and ends by betraying his cause. He
used his newspaper to crush political dissent and expand his growing empire. In doing so,
he became an elitist and crossed over that fine line. According to Fuentes, the 20th century
is the passport of violence, and nobody is capable of the virtues of morality anymore. A
piece of this puzzle is the elite at the international level. The fact that the U.S. controls,
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occupies, and lives with Nicaragua, a petty independent country the size of NY State,
shows the domination of U.S. marines over Nicaragua. Thus, displaying how elite lore
has spread themselves on a wide scale, and amassed power to govern at all levels and all
costs.
Cinemalore displays many questions in the realm of the elite. In a film by Costa
Gavras, “State of Siege,” raises many issues. It was said in the movie, that “police have a
duty to maintain order.” But a question that arises is which order- democracy or
the film, a diplomat is being held prisoner, but is asked questions and is not harmed. The
diplomat is not treated with torture, because the revolutionaries who kidnapped him have
a problem with their government for practicing unlawful torture. They aim to get
information without violence, which is their method. The police, however, incite
intimidation and violence, by acting like they’re protecting the civilians against terrorists
but are actually using them in other ways. The National Liberation Movement captures
and kidnaps members of the government to attain information without harming them. By
doing so, they set in motion a mechanism for revolution. They wanted a better institution
for all of Latin America. They are called “terrorists” but they represent a minority. They
planned on exchanging prisoners with the government who arrested and tortured innocent
civilians. In an effort to get a government response, they say they will execute a
political and pure rhetoric. To divulge a deeper understanding, a mediocre boxer becomes
wonder that he should resign and let the new President decide which prisoners they
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would exchange. It is no coincidence, nor is it a surprise, that it illustrates a lack of
government or the inability of the government to govern. Hence, it lacks true democracy.
Furthermore, it poses the problem that the strategic elite all interact with one
another, with different ideological leanings. There are lots of predators at play and the
police are totally involved. The police have an impurity, and have been revealed to
society and the public through organizations like Voices without an Echo. In an effort to
stop injustices, it is clear that it still continues on, through organized crime in
underground cliques.
According to Wilkie’s evolving view of Lore from the Reader, folklore is the
enduring lore, including local and rural, which gives groups historically rooted life,
international mass based culture. It spread since WWI by radio and film, since WWII by
television, and after the cold war by internet. Some faddish lore, including celebrity lore,
create their own agenda. Their objective is apparent. Mexico’s elite is resolute on staying
in power, and obstructing any level of threat posed by revolutionaries, the people, and
what is called the counter-elite. Porfirio Diaz’s Mexico is a good example of this system.
politics were shot through with fraud, graft, and nepotism” as well as “political and
contracts would be awarded according to criteria other than the purely economic.”
(Knight, 19-20) This imbalance is a structural flaw of Mexican society that has been
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permitted to continue from the very start. In comparison, we see these sorts of things
today, where the danger and costliness of lives is implicit. Just this week, Fox News and
other prominent national television channels show the drug trafficking and kidnapping
going on in Mexico today, at this very moment. The apparent danger, where kids or even
women cannot roam the streets alone, is a tragedy rooted in this region of the world. The
broadcast also had the Attorney General of Mexico speak in an interview saying they are
doing all they can to organize the government. The Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet
Napolitano, was also saying that Mexico indefinitely needs to clean up its police force
and government, to rid itself of the corruption at its core. All this evidence corroborates
the truth about elitelore, and that it exists in the highest level of power in the governments
of the world. This flaw is assuredly not only inherent to Mexico, but this is rather the
focus of our interest. Mexico, being at the southern border of the United States, has built
relations to effectively remove these ill intentioned folk from power, and re-organize and
re-mantle itself, to also get rid of the highly culpable drug cartels. The drug trafficking
has not only been permitted but reinforced by a group of people in power, be it a minority
or a majority, with little to show for stopping this negligent behavior. Narcotics and
prostitution are heavily prevalent as well. It is not only the cause of thousands of deaths
and kidnappings, but also holds a great responsibility in causing the diminishing
The elite have managed to remain supreme by collaborating with one another and
forming a breach from within. Because Mexico is a poor country, its desire for wealth
and power is driven to extremes. The elite serve as an impediment to society. In the
movie, Three Amigos, a prominent theme is the effort to try to subvert the thieve/criminal
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elite from attacking the innocent civilians. This is a platform the movie encourages,
which falls under cinemalore, but in reality there are very few if not rare cases of this
actually occurring and succeeding. They manage to control a majority by self protecting a
minority. Even in the film Magnificent Seven, the elite are those that are elected into
power, or are some that just take it for themselves, imposing their superiority. An
interesting fact about Latin American leaders is that they rarely ever write personal or
political autobiographies, leaving little record behind to understand the government, how
the elite is run or handled. Elite manifests itself in nonstop campaigns and propaganda to
ensure a sustaining standing. By manipulating, and accepting bribes, they show the
corrupt nature of the very highest branch of society that is within the governmental
segment.
The lore that comes with elite is initiated and perpetuated on its own. A perfect
example of the inconclusive and inaccurate nature of the elite arrives at one question:
how does one write the autobiography of another? This is illustrated as “Martin Luis
Guzman claims to tell the Memorias de Pancho Villa (1938-1940).” (Elitelore, 36) Does
this not insinuate the exact abilities and purpose of the elite- to drive and make something
out to be what it really is not? Also, “Former President Portes Gil has written an
Revolution with quotes and comments from other people in an effort to retell the history
over the following variables: viewpoint and full comprehension of events which leads to
an incapable intellectual sect in the elite that claims to be fully comprehensive of events
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that have been viewed in a different light. Yet, this is simply a minor instance of elitelore
Two very ironic stories published in the New York Times and the Los Angeles
Times, can relate to the issue of elite, and are directly applicable to this topic. In an
article, Brain Enhancement Wrong, Right, by Benedict Carey, student elites are discussed.
Students are using supplements, vitamins and drugs like adderall, for brain enhancement,
to succeed over other students in the realm of academia. The story covers the use of
medication drugs which lead to misuse and abuse, emphasizing that the ethics are not so
clear. The situation highlights a potentially deep impact on society because people look to
the world of academia and the scope of intellectual leaders would serve as an example to
others. In another article written by Patrick Goldstein entitled, Critics, know thy audience,
displays the idea that critics are dinosaurs, even though they used to be the ultimate
democratization of opinion. (Elitelore, 2) For example, it is said that movie studious have
robbed critics of their credibility when it comes to films. The media’s perpetual authority
also plays a role, and is responsible for undermining critics as well. In this situation, the
media functions as part of the elite, which has control over society and its counterparts.
This demonstrates how wide scale and at the same time, how minor, elite can seem, but
The elite sector of government has hindered society wholeheartedly and with
malicious intent. “Elitelore is involved with self- deception, deception which often allows
leaders to believe that their political struggle is not useless or merely for self- gain.”
(Elitelore, 42) Mexico’s elite have become a symbol and embodiment of the values of a
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society wherein it controls the functions and fundamental foundations of it from within.
enveloped by the cultural attitudes and weaknesses of its people, which eventually
surpass any notion of ethics and proper values. Its result is damaging, doing little good
Ultimately, a new kind of terror has been imposed. There is a lack of justice,
mismanagement and lack of care towards the civilian population and the non-elite. I
believe there should be heavy emphasis on this rotten system which has enabled the elite
to stage itself and maintain power, while the counter elite makes many sacrifices and
suffers many losses. It is a struggle of the individual vs. larger power class. Even the
people who remain the minority in power. Simultaneously, elitelore makes the claim that
they will fix the situation of the people of Mexico by staying in power, which does not in
effect solve the problem. Leaders may come in with one idea of reform and bettering
Mexico, in their head, and leave with a completely shifted destructive behavior towards
the entire establishment of democracy. By saying they “will do it when I have time,” it is
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Bibliographies:
Kraul, Chris. "19 Mexico Police Face Charges in Deaths of Youths :[Home
Edition]. " Los Angeles Times.1997. ProQuest. 8 Feb. 2009 <http://www.proquest.com/>
Lazin, Dr. Olga. Elitelore and its Subdivisions: Folklore, Popularlore, Celebritylore, &
Cinemalore. California. Latin American Center Publications, 1973.
Tagle, Silvia. “Elections in Mexico: What's the Use?” NACLA Report on the Americas.
New York: 2008.
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