Once again, a version of Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2- this time covered by Pillar, not George W. Bush, and put to a video compiled from the movie Saving Private Ryan.
Let us remember the spilled blood that keeps us alive today.
Since informing you of "the Day the Mexicans saved the World", I have started at least five posts, and abandoned all of them, running off to plan set lists, write term papers, read Spenser, and work on a Broken December remix of Kanye West's Heartless.
Yeah, you heard me.
Anyway, I thought of posting my Term Paper...then I discovered that, nincompoop that I was, I forgot to save the final draft of my Word Document...so although I printed out a full copy, I have no full eloctronic document. But rest assured, it was barely worth reading anyway...in place thereof, then, I give you a piece by the venerable Anthony Esolen, a translator of Dante who I discuss in my paper...so, although this piece is about marraige rather than Dante, it is also, timely enough, about marraige and Edmund Spenser, and given Professor Esolen'swork on Dante, I think it's a suitable substitution to my inferior paper. Here it be:
THE DAY THE MEXICANS SAVED THE WORLD The story begins in 1861 Annus Domini, with Mexico in debt to the governments of Spain, Britain, and France. In a situation modern Mexicans (and anyone else) may sympathize with, Mexico found itself unable to meet interest payments ( pox on all usury!!!*). The following events would make a great Capital One commercial:
The Spanish, British, and French armies invade Mexico to seize the port city of Veracruz and exact tribute from Mexican ships; but since they were already there, the French decided to invade Mexico, conquer it, and then proceed to invade the United States and give support to the Confederacy in the Civil War (A situation Newt Geingrich has explored in alternate history novels).
Think of the wretched state the world would be in without the United States of America. . .without even the Confederate States of America, but more than likely a French puppet government! Oh, who shall save us now?
The Spanish and British, being less tyranical than the French, withdrew, but France still seemed more than capable of taking over the fledgling state of Mexico, outnumbering all defending forces with it's famous army, undefeated champions of the world for fifty years running!
On the fifth of May, the French passed through a small city of Puebla on their way to the capital. For some strange reason, the French General assumed he would be met with open arms, and that the people of the city would fight against the insignificant defending forces. Unfortunately for him and fortunately for the world, he was wrong!
The French tried their proven "Unprotected-bayonet-charge-over-open-land-without-firing-a-shot" strategy, which, when matched against the Mexican "Keep-shooting-until-they're-all-dead" strategy, was somewhat less than productive. Let's just say, the Mexicans won.
And so, the Mexicans defeated the French, and although they were briefly able to hold Mexico as a colony, soon, the U.S. sent miliatary aid, and the French presence in Mexico was, uhhmm, removed.
And so, while it may be that the U.S. could have survived a French Invasion, it is perhaps not improper for us to see the providence of God at work in this David and Goliath story.
And besides, if, on St. Patrick's day, the Irish can claim to have preserved civilisation by spreading Christianity to the British isles, then on this Cinco de Mayo, this fifth of May, we Mexicans can certainly claim to have done no less than save the world.
And now. . .
MARIACHIS!!!!!
*The President of Mexico actually just told the European nations that he had annuled the debt himself. . .the creditors were not amused.
I wake up in the morning and marvel at the world around me that is both home and foreign land at once. I wonder at the infinite goodness of God, his sovereign truth and terrible beauty. This blog is the effort of one person to try to make sense of the world that so astounds him, to incarnate ideas and suspend in time the image of the invisible. Enjoy seperating the profound from the ridiculous.
Under the severity of His Mercy,
-Jonathan Adriel Diaz
