Dr.

Lazin Olga,

The Mind Boggling Paraphernalia of Elitelore

Many people in Mexico have many allegiances. “Mexicans, it may be suggested,

displayed five kinds of primary allegiance which, taken together, in various

combinations, and with no single allegiance necessarily prevailing over all others,

determined their political conduct…” (O. Lazin, 2) These are composed of ethnic,

regional, ideological, class, and clientelist factors. The disposition of power is executed

by the elite who remain intertwined at the political core of the government. Rarely do

officers denounce in public the repressive and offensive actions they had to perform in

practice. This creates a cycle of never ending corruption and manipulation of the

powerless civilians and its pattern is still prevalent today. According to Elitelore, there is

two strata in a population of elite, “(1) a lower stratus, the non-elite, with whose possible

influence on government we are not just here concerned; then (2) a higher stratus, the

elite which is divided into two: (a) a governing elite; (b) a non-governing elite.”

(Elitelore, 15) To specify, its exact function and purpose, it is crucial to evaluate its

source as well as its effect on society. The seemingly inevitable predominance of elitists

has been ascribed to coming from the mass media, particularly articles and films,

perpetrated by the masses, and manifested in a solution less manner enabling the highest

power of leadership to push their platform of corruption and manipulate peoples’

opinions.

There are many textual sources which account for the fragile stability of society

as a result of Mexico’s government and elite. There are numerous documents, books,

articles, and newspapers, which reflect on this inadequacy in the functioning government.

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In an article entitled 19 Mexico Police Face Charges in Death of Youth, nineteen

members of an elite Mexico City police force were arraigned in connection with the

executions of three youths after a barrio shout out. Grieving relatives were shouting out

“assassins” as the officers were brought into the court room to hear the charges against

them, which included murder in the case of one officer and abuse of authority for the rest.

Catching these rogue police as a travesty of justice, highlights Mexico’s struggle to clean

up crime with a police force that itself uses criminal methods. In October of 1997 when

this article was published, a statement was made by the Human Rights Commission

demanding that police respect the law. The police forces in Mexico are very backward

and unprofessional. Even the Foreign Relations Secretary of Mexico in an article

published by BBC Monitoring America, discusses the necessity to put an end to the

illegitimate political system. A similar article, entitled Elections in Mexico, speaks about

Mexico’s authoritarianism which is disguised as political democracy. It discusses how the

high ranking politicians in Mexico find it literally necessary to “corrupt” the democratic

institutions embedded in Mexico’s Constitution to make sure that these could not function

as spaces for the expression and defense of the citizenry. Thus, it is obvious that the

institutions and pacts among the elites are important, but a deeper democracy requires

that a governing class be accountable for its actions, which is not the case in Mexico.

There are five fundamental concepts of elitelore. The first of which being the idea

of lore that connotates in itself an “accumulated, wisdom, legend, and tradition.” (Wilkie,

61-63) The second concept is that leaders operate with information systems which are

usually incomplete. Also, when elites justify their problems, it is not necessarily to tell

lies or act in bad faith to rally followers, but instead they may deceive themselves.

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Understanding elite, means in essence, that we must look to a major element of its

culture, which is myths and lore. One of the last underlying concepts of elitelore is that

leaders may not act merely out of self profit or malice, but they identify the success of

their cause with their own political success. Hence, it seems that “leaders are more

interested in constructs which they have built to justify their lives,” in order to not shatter

their own image. (Lazin, Wilkie, 41)

From filmic examples, audiences have been witness to the many atrocities against

the Mexican people. These crimes have been parallel to themes of corruption and power

hungry elitists. One of the earliest films seen in class Senorita Extraviada portrays the

Juarez incidences with the police force and elite covering them up internally. Women,

like Norma Aguilar, are shown in the film, being sold for 15 pesos to men who can easily

kill them with no one finding out. This is unlike any orderly society. It should be noted

that “elitelore often involves a climate of opinion which is transmitted verbally through

self-selected groups which share the same attitudes toward value or lifestyles. In this

manner, elite group attitudes may be reflected in the writings of elite individuals which in

turn will further strengthen group self identity.” (Wilkie, 51.) The elitelore that arises out

of such mediums of information and communication is truthful and analytical of the

misdeeds and mishaps of the power hungry elite.

In addition, filmic lore is said to be perpetuated by film makers. Some like to

think they are the constituents of elite lore. By doing what they’re doing and by

assembling casts of thousands in cities like Quajaca, they are seen to be a strategic level

of elites. To organize these things is not an easy task, and it is a burden of leadership,

sometimes amounting to elite lore. Film makers are also transmitters of energy. The vibe

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they release surrounding the theme and content of their film/documentary entails an

important segway of elite lore. Michelle Wilkie, a guest speaker I interviewed, spoke

about her experience with elites and the energy they release as spiritual leaders, passing it

down onto their followers, as well as the submissive energy of their devout believers. It

affects the relationship between two classes of people, the leading and the governed,

making it anything but symbiotic or mutual. Therefore, energy is a key component to

elite lore as well.

One of my favorite documentaries is all encompassing to the issue of elites, even

at an international level. In “Crossing Borders: The Journey of Carlos Fuentes,” several

themes are regurgitated such as how corruption has been eroding society and that the

government masks Mexico’s failure to pass it off as success. Carlos Fuentes is a

rebellious and cosmopolitan Hispanic and Anglo Saxon. He is the son of a diplomat, who

realized he was not a gringo, but rather a true Mexican. He has written twelve novels,

served as an ambassador, and has even been a professor at Harvard. His story is an

interesting one, as he ridicules the Catholic Church for repressing sexuality, and straying

from the bourgeoisie diplomatic. Ultimately, his work, in the shadow of great powers,

shows that the goals of the revolution were not being met, warranting criticism for its

failures, and even an attraction to the idea of a new revolution. Artemio Cruz, for

example, begins by defending his people and country and ends by betraying his cause. He

used his newspaper to crush political dissent and expand his growing empire. In doing so,

he became an elitist and crossed over that fine line. According to Fuentes, the 20th century

is the passport of violence, and nobody is capable of the virtues of morality anymore. A

piece of this puzzle is the elite at the international level. The fact that the U.S. controls,

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occupies, and lives with Nicaragua, a petty independent country the size of NY State,

shows the domination of U.S. marines over Nicaragua. Thus, displaying how elite lore

has spread themselves on a wide scale, and amassed power to govern at all levels and all

costs.

Cinemalore displays many questions in the realm of the elite. In a film by Costa

Gavras, “State of Siege,” raises many issues. It was said in the movie, that “police have a

duty to maintain order.” But a question that arises is which order- democracy or

dictatorship? There are implied contradictions of methods and interrogation practice. In

the film, a diplomat is being held prisoner, but is asked questions and is not harmed. The

diplomat is not treated with torture, because the revolutionaries who kidnapped him have

a problem with their government for practicing unlawful torture. They aim to get

information without violence, which is their method. The police, however, incite

intimidation and violence, by acting like they’re protecting the civilians against terrorists

but are actually using them in other ways. The National Liberation Movement captures

and kidnaps members of the government to attain information without harming them. By

doing so, they set in motion a mechanism for revolution. They wanted a better institution

for all of Latin America. They are called “terrorists” but they represent a minority. They

planned on exchanging prisoners with the government who arrested and tortured innocent

civilians. In an effort to get a government response, they say they will execute a

government official- Stanton- on a broadcast. This demonstrates that the problem is

political and pure rhetoric. To divulge a deeper understanding, a mediocre boxer becomes

a mediocre member in Parliament who then becomes a mediocre President. It is no

wonder that he should resign and let the new President decide which prisoners they

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would exchange. It is no coincidence, nor is it a surprise, that it illustrates a lack of

government or the inability of the government to govern. Hence, it lacks true democracy.

Furthermore, it poses the problem that the strategic elite all interact with one

another, with different ideological leanings. There are lots of predators at play and the

police are totally involved. The police have an impurity, and have been revealed to

society and the public through organizations like Voices without an Echo. In an effort to

stop injustices, it is clear that it still continues on, through organized crime in

underground cliques.

According to Wilkie’s evolving view of Lore from the Reader, folklore is the

enduring lore, including local and rural, which gives groups historically rooted life,

meaning, and self identification. Popularlore or “Faddish” lore is a national and

international mass based culture. It spread since WWI by radio and film, since WWII by

television, and after the cold war by internet. Some faddish lore, including celebrity lore,

survives as part of historical heritage, thus blending into folklore.

The combination of the different stratas of elite, make an array of possibilities to

create their own agenda. Their objective is apparent. Mexico’s elite is resolute on staying

in power, and obstructing any level of threat posed by revolutionaries, the people, and

what is called the counter-elite. Porfirio Diaz’s Mexico is a good example of this system.

It was an artificial democracy, as it neglected constitutional requirements. “Mexican

politics were shot through with fraud, graft, and nepotism” as well as “political and

judicial decisions influenced by considerations of personal gain, that concessions and

contracts would be awarded according to criteria other than the purely economic.”

(Knight, 19-20) This imbalance is a structural flaw of Mexican society that has been

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permitted to continue from the very start. In comparison, we see these sorts of things

today, where the danger and costliness of lives is implicit. Just this week, Fox News and

other prominent national television channels show the drug trafficking and kidnapping

going on in Mexico today, at this very moment. The apparent danger, where kids or even

women cannot roam the streets alone, is a tragedy rooted in this region of the world. The

broadcast also had the Attorney General of Mexico speak in an interview saying they are

doing all they can to organize the government. The Secretary of Homeland Security, Janet

Napolitano, was also saying that Mexico indefinitely needs to clean up its police force

and government, to rid itself of the corruption at its core. All this evidence corroborates

the truth about elitelore, and that it exists in the highest level of power in the governments

of the world. This flaw is assuredly not only inherent to Mexico, but this is rather the

focus of our interest. Mexico, being at the southern border of the United States, has built

relations to effectively remove these ill intentioned folk from power, and re-organize and

re-mantle itself, to also get rid of the highly culpable drug cartels. The drug trafficking

has not only been permitted but reinforced by a group of people in power, be it a minority

or a majority, with little to show for stopping this negligent behavior. Narcotics and

prostitution are heavily prevalent as well. It is not only the cause of thousands of deaths

and kidnappings, but also holds a great responsibility in causing the diminishing

credibility of Mexico’s government.

The elite have managed to remain supreme by collaborating with one another and

forming a breach from within. Because Mexico is a poor country, its desire for wealth

and power is driven to extremes. The elite serve as an impediment to society. In the

movie, Three Amigos, a prominent theme is the effort to try to subvert the thieve/criminal

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elite from attacking the innocent civilians. This is a platform the movie encourages,

which falls under cinemalore, but in reality there are very few if not rare cases of this

actually occurring and succeeding. They manage to control a majority by self protecting a

minority. Even in the film Magnificent Seven, the elite are those that are elected into

power, or are some that just take it for themselves, imposing their superiority. An

interesting fact about Latin American leaders is that they rarely ever write personal or

political autobiographies, leaving little record behind to understand the government, how

the elite is run or handled. Elite manifests itself in nonstop campaigns and propaganda to

ensure a sustaining standing. By manipulating, and accepting bribes, they show the

corrupt nature of the very highest branch of society that is within the governmental

segment.

The lore that comes with elite is initiated and perpetuated on its own. A perfect

example of the inconclusive and inaccurate nature of the elite arrives at one question:

how does one write the autobiography of another? This is illustrated as “Martin Luis

Guzman claims to tell the Memorias de Pancho Villa (1938-1940).” (Elitelore, 36) Does

this not insinuate the exact abilities and purpose of the elite- to drive and make something

out to be what it really is not? Also, “Former President Portes Gil has written an

Autobiografia de la Revolucion Mexicana(1969),” mixing his interpretation of the

Revolution with quotes and comments from other people in an effort to retell the history

of Mexico in the twentieth century. (Elitelore, 35)This demonstrates a lack of control

over the following variables: viewpoint and full comprehension of events which leads to

an incapable intellectual sect in the elite that claims to be fully comprehensive of events

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that have been viewed in a different light. Yet, this is simply a minor instance of elitelore

which perpetuates society.

Two very ironic stories published in the New York Times and the Los Angeles

Times, can relate to the issue of elite, and are directly applicable to this topic. In an

article, Brain Enhancement Wrong, Right, by Benedict Carey, student elites are discussed.

Students are using supplements, vitamins and drugs like adderall, for brain enhancement,

to succeed over other students in the realm of academia. The story covers the use of

medication drugs which lead to misuse and abuse, emphasizing that the ethics are not so

clear. The situation highlights a potentially deep impact on society because people look to

the world of academia and the scope of intellectual leaders would serve as an example to

others. In another article written by Patrick Goldstein entitled, Critics, know thy audience,

displays the idea that critics are dinosaurs, even though they used to be the ultimate

interpreters of intellectual discourse. Critics are being downsized because of the

democratization of opinion. (Elitelore, 2) For example, it is said that movie studious have

robbed critics of their credibility when it comes to films. The media’s perpetual authority

also plays a role, and is responsible for undermining critics as well. In this situation, the

media functions as part of the elite, which has control over society and its counterparts.

This demonstrates how wide scale and at the same time, how minor, elite can seem, but

their impact is far greater than plain sight.

The elite sector of government has hindered society wholeheartedly and with

malicious intent. “Elitelore is involved with self- deception, deception which often allows

leaders to believe that their political struggle is not useless or merely for self- gain.”

(Elitelore, 42) Mexico’s elite have become a symbol and embodiment of the values of a

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society wherein it controls the functions and fundamental foundations of it from within.

Elitists manage to stay in power by maintaining and practicing an ideology that is

enveloped by the cultural attitudes and weaknesses of its people, which eventually

surpass any notion of ethics and proper values. Its result is damaging, doing little good

for Latin American society.

Ultimately, a new kind of terror has been imposed. There is a lack of justice,

mismanagement and lack of care towards the civilian population and the non-elite. I

believe there should be heavy emphasis on this rotten system which has enabled the elite

to stage itself and maintain power, while the counter elite makes many sacrifices and

suffers many losses. It is a struggle of the individual vs. larger power class. Even the

collective accumulation of all suffering individuals/victims becomes an abundance of

people who remain the minority in power. Simultaneously, elitelore makes the claim that

they will fix the situation of the people of Mexico by staying in power, which does not in

effect solve the problem. Leaders may come in with one idea of reform and bettering

Mexico, in their head, and leave with a completely shifted destructive behavior towards

the entire establishment of democracy. By saying they “will do it when I have time,” it is

evident that leadership changes the person.

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Bibliographies:

Kraul, Chris. "19 Mexico Police Face Charges in Deaths of Youths :[Home
Edition]. " Los Angeles Times.1997. ProQuest. 8 Feb. 2009 <[Link]

Lazin, Dr. Olga. Elitelore and its Subdivisions: Folklore, Popularlore, Celebritylore, &
Cinemalore. California. Latin American Center Publications, 1973.

“Mexico needs new republic.” BBC Monitoring Americas: London, 2008.

Tagle, Silvia. “Elections in Mexico: What's the Use?” NACLA Report on the Americas.
New York: 2008.

The Mexican Revolution Volume 1 Porfirians, Liberals, and Peasants

Alan Knight Cambridge University Press: Lincoln and London, 1986.

Olga Lazin, and Wilkie, James. 4/1/09, CO-authors, book CLAROBSCUROS DE LA

GLOBALIZACION, [Link]. California: Latin American Center
Publications,1973.

Wilkie, James. Elitelore. California: Latin American Center Publications, 1973.

Dear olazin,

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