Most likely a repost via Substack’s Cross-post functionality. Usually there is a header showing that it is a cross-post, but sometimes it does not display (for whatever reason).
Can confirm the courtesy of Mexican drivers, at least where we were on the southwest coast. Our driver pulled over to let the car behind us pass on a rural two-lane highway. Thought it was a nice thing to see.
As for beggars, we saw some in Manzanillo. Not sitting or too conspicuous, but walking around, looking for "opportunities." A man helped our driver back into a spot at the grocery store and expected a small payment in return. A woman accosted us while we were eating at an outdoor table at a restaurant, and our driver quickly gave her a small amount of cash. At the end of the trip, we all gave him our wads of unused pesos for taking care of us.
> How do I reconcile this with my direct observation of the hard-working, respectful, and frankly docile people of the Yucatan?... Mexican crime gangs are like wolves among the sheep: A handful of villains terrorizing a vast, gentle population
My wife and I went on an almost identical trip for our honeymoon. We loved it.
Small fact check: Are there actually any non-socialist revolutionaries in Latin America? As far as I know all of them are one form of socialist or another and have been since WW2.
Why did I get an email about a 2020 post?
Most likely a repost via Substack’s Cross-post functionality. Usually there is a header showing that it is a cross-post, but sometimes it does not display (for whatever reason).
I was so confused for a minute
The USA may as well annex Mexico etc down to Colombia and accept its destiny as a Hispanic Anglo nation.
Blame Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII
Can confirm the courtesy of Mexican drivers, at least where we were on the southwest coast. Our driver pulled over to let the car behind us pass on a rural two-lane highway. Thought it was a nice thing to see.
As for beggars, we saw some in Manzanillo. Not sitting or too conspicuous, but walking around, looking for "opportunities." A man helped our driver back into a spot at the grocery store and expected a small payment in return. A woman accosted us while we were eating at an outdoor table at a restaurant, and our driver quickly gave her a small amount of cash. At the end of the trip, we all gave him our wads of unused pesos for taking care of us.
> How do I reconcile this with my direct observation of the hard-working, respectful, and frankly docile people of the Yucatan?... Mexican crime gangs are like wolves among the sheep: A handful of villains terrorizing a vast, gentle population
Yucatán is among the least violent states in Mexico: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Mexican_states_by_homicides
My wife and I spent 4 and 2 weeks respectively in Puerto Vallarta for medical tourism during Covid, and had similar observations.
Great article.
My wife and I went on an almost identical trip for our honeymoon. We loved it.
Small fact check: Are there actually any non-socialist revolutionaries in Latin America? As far as I know all of them are one form of socialist or another and have been since WW2.
“Our Chichen Itza tour guide insisted that human sacrifice was “voluntary.””
Poverty is voluntary (or at least self-inflicted). Human sacrifice is only voluntary in the movies.
https://youtu.be/9VaSwe1n5Vw?si=DRxD2lIehXhy3Iy6
I'm not sure about this. Far away and LONG AGO. Individual humans have regularities, but SOCIETIES? In those, ANYTHING goes.
Very nicely done.