Nazis, the Bells and Vicente Fox gets a Hummer… some updates

Sergio Robles (the scholar, not the former catcher for the Baltimore Orioles) was kind enough to comment on an article I’d posted last June about Mexican fascism, and its influence on today’s PAN. He is, of course, correct that PAN has democratic roots in addition to its fascist ones — but my contention is that PAN is more open to fascist groups and has ties to foreign reactionaries (like Jesse Helms). He is also correct several members of PAS joined PRD. However, PAS was never a major party (or even a major minor party) and its fascism was more economic than social.

I don’t think I said that PRD was a party in 1988, and if I gave that impression, it was sloppy writing on my part. Although I might disagree about a few particular interpretations, I’m a fan of his very learned, well-reasoned essays on current events, published on Mexico desde fuera  — and appreciate him giving me an excuse to recommend this site for a viewpoint very different from my own.

I can’t vouch for it (and have no way of knowing), but PRD Communications Director Gerardo Fernández Noroña is claiming the battle of the bells was organized by a breakaway group that had nothing or little to do with Lopez Obrador. The group’s focus has been on fighting transgenetic seed and protecting Mexican oil resources. Jesusa Rodriguez, the actress and political activist, complained that the Cathedral invaders were damaging the credibility of this movement, and called for their expulsion. Fernández Noroña also suggested they were agentes provacateurs.

Vicente Fox, “a common sinner” as he said in a letter to PAN, is denying he ever illegally enriched himself — but says nothing about his wife, Marta Saguhun (who incidentally, I lumped with the PANistas from the far right). He is correct, apparently, that he isn’t tooling around in government Hummers. The government doesn’t own them — they LEASE them from GM. So there!