"The day had to come, and as such it did"

"Spanfeller is a twat" (theaspiringengineer)
12/01/2018 at 10:00 • Filed to: None

Don’t pay much attention, it’s a safety image

“The day had to come, and as such it did”

Is what I typed on Facebook moments after !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! was sworn in six years ago.

Back then I didn’t really know what I was doing I just knew I didn’t like Peña Nieto, and people didn’t notice what I had written (why it was related to Peña Nieto) but I think that I finally get it now.

Mexico has had a tough history and we’re peaking. We truly are. Our economy is the strongest, our population lives the longest, and our institutions are the strongest they’ve been. Which all culminated with the best elections we had in our history. I cannot stress enough that to the eyes of many, seeing a third party win, and then have the incumbents accept it immediately and accommodate the peaceful transfer, felt like something they would never see here.

Yes, we have a lot of issues and I try not to hide them. But it’s besides the point today.

So, for seventy years the Federal government had zero parties change power, and then all of the sudden in the last 20 years we’ve seen parties swap position now three times. It certainly beats zero, does it not?

But it’s different with Obrador because he has been a thorny motherfucker in the political world for the last twenty odd years. We knew one day he’d find a way to the Presidency. One public post, tens of millions of dollars, hundreds of lawsuits, a derailed impeachment, three parties, three campaigns and twelve years later... here we are.

It had to come, and as such, the day did.

But who is going to be sworn in is still an issue: Populism thrives on the weakness of institutions... How can a populist bow to strengthen the institutions of government? Institutions that investigated him, that stopped him, or gave him the right of way?

What I’m wary of is that it seems that in this peak of ours, we’re not celebrating the institutional achievements that lead us to a fringe politician winning the highest office in the land, or a three year old party having a new control of two branches of government, but celebrating (or mourning) “him.”

I mean, he broke the law multiple times as mayor and he’s done it multiple times again as President Elect... he just doesn’t care because he knows that what matters in this nation is Perception. Which is why Nieto won in 2012. How did an adulterer from the most corrupt party win in a conservative country with trust issues? Well, he won because he was handsome and he sounded nice.

So. Today I’m happy for the strength that brought us here, but I’m scared that our confidence might debilitate us back to square one.

Back to government of men, and not of institutions. Not that we ever were the latter, but at least, for a few months, we approached it.

So I guess that I’m going to drive somewhere this weekend. I want to go somewhere far from this celebration of personal achievement that will overwhelm the city. Hopefully I get it together. If not I’ll pour one out and wait for it to end.

DISCUSSION (6)

Just Jeepin' > Spanfeller is a twat
12/01/2018 at 10:26

How did an adulterer from the most corrupt party win in a conservative country with trust issues?

Trust me, we feel your pain. This line in particular made me cringe in empathy.

Our institutions are much more robust, but it’s not yet clear whether they’ll survive this administration.

EngineerWithTools > Spanfeller is a twat
12/01/2018 at 10:46

S trong institutions and the peaceful transfer of power are milestones on the road to mature, competent and decent government, I think. I’ve rarely looked at Mexican politics, but should read more.

I think you’re exactly right to be concerned about populism. I’ve started to realize that “institutions” do serve useful purposes (if often - or always - imperfectly) and help hold governments and peoples together. Institutions have long memories and are concerned with their own long term viability, beyond the career of even the longest serving individual politician. A populist is, almost by definition, focused on whatever gets the biggest crowd, causes the most emotion (for or against) today . While I know I’m generalizing, populists don’t give a single hoot about what happens to the party, government or county after they’re gone.

Once in a while populism wrecks an institution that needs to be wrecked, but I wonder if that’s more luck than anything else. Chesterton’s fence and all...

Anyway, here’s hoping Mexico’s institutions weather the current global populist resurgence and continue to mature. Here’s hoping the same for ours here in the U.S.

Maxima Speed > Spanfeller is a twat
12/01/2018 at 10:47

Is t hat dude actually doing a nazi salute or is something else going on?

Spanfeller is a twat > Maxima Speed
12/01/2018 at 12:11

He’s doing the pledge. (we don’t have an oath)

Also, that was back in 2006 ; he was really angry he lost the election so he hosted another inaugural.... proclaiming himself Mexico’s “legit" President.

Spanfeller is a twat > Just Jeepin'
12/01/2018 at 12:12

I must add that, it was the case of Peña Nieto.

Well... I think that your electoral institutions had a particularly harsh test during these midterms and it’s been proven that they are still resilient...

Spanfeller is a twat > EngineerWithTools
12/01/2018 at 12:13

Once in a while populism wrecks an institution that needs to be wrecked, but I wonder if that’s more luck than anything else. Chesterton’s fence and all...

I think that’s so true....