Going from the relative stability from the last chapter to chapter 5, what I would like to address in this posting was the growing power of the middle class and its relations with the various countries and nation states and the growing concerns for workers rights. Like how in Mexico, a revolution stated because of the failed transition to a democracy from the dictatorship of Díaz and how the Argentina middle class aided with a raise of racial politics within the country. Finally, will conclude with a discussion on the struggle for workers rights in countries like Peru and Argentina.
First, Mexico and how the middle class sparked the revolution of that country. At the first glimpse of it, Mexico was stable and able without any powerful struggles within itself. However, with the middle class and it political wants leaning toward democracy, it was no wonder that when Díaz come back into government in a rigged election, the middle class erupted and revolt. Although it is unfair to say that the middle class lead to the revolution (I would argue that Díaz’s failure to stay out of government was the main cause) it did however lead to an explosive results. This uproar from a class of people lead to other uprisings ranging from the indigenous people revolting against the government to Catholic peasants fighting to defend their preferred practice of faith against the hands of the government. It is amazing how a failed promise can lead to such a dissolution. This moment alone makes all of Díaz’s success in the country all seem worthless or destroyed.
The second country I would like to talk about is Argentina and the power that the middle class had in that country and its relations to worker rights. It is interesting to see how the middle with the aid of the Church and the elites in the country help give rise to wave of anti-immigration and far-right politics that dominated the country for a long period of time. It is an interesting contrast to Mexico, when one country’s middle class lead to the destruction and revolt of a dictatorial leadership and anti-equality in its government, Argentina’s seemed to the opposite with supporting those two concepts mentioned above.
Finally, ending with Peru and its revolt for worker rights and a small note on Mariátegui essay. Peru is interesting because of its hotbed for political activity and its push for worker’s rights. Mariátegui for example represents a Marxist element present at the time and writing about the future for a Communist world that overthrows the corrupt capitalist society present at that time. Although rather then present the revolution coming out of the worker class proletarian overcoming capitalism, it will be the Indian in the country side that will do this. This is the theme of the peasant overcoming the capitalist world seems to be very Proto-Maoist and a forerunner to the communist military forces that will raise in Peru’s country side in the 20th century.