A Matter of Perspective - Dos

The city is quiet again after the excitement of El Dia and the flurry of business that came with the sudden influx of tourists. The streets are full of people. The skies are bright and blue.

It has been a full year since the massive governmental crackdown. The anniversary has given people cause to pause, reflect, memorialize and protest.

Many problems remain, but for now, Oaxaca is working hard to recover. In comparison to the other micro/macro systems I continue to observe and study in the hopes of figuring something out, Oaxaca is doing well.

Yes, it boiled over and is suffering through the aftermath, but it is making progress. The other systems I am watching include U.S. politics, my old prep school, the blogosphere, Boston politics, the Virgin Islands, the universe and my gardens. Some have yet to boil over, (i.e. the economy) or are not making the kind of progress they are making here (i.e. Iraq.)

And if one works hard enough, there are plenty of correlations and connections.

Last week’s convergence brought lots of action on the personal, local, national and blog-world levels. There was an article in the Washington Post by Ceci Connolly that generated quite a buzz on many levels. It was a “year later” story and Ms. Connolly, who I am sure likes Oaxaca, gave it the typical MSM “fly-by” treatment, which oft times now, it not representative of the reality on the ground.

I was motivated to write a response.

"To not speak with and, in more depth, about the indigenous populations is a real disservice to the problems that have still not been resolved. These include, social, economic, educational, political issues some of which have hundreds of years of history behind them. After all, the PRI was in power for 70 years. Why no mention of the election that started all the problems? Or the latest election, in which on one voted, because the outcome was predetermined?
Sadly, this story is typical of today's MSM, a glossy superficial view that ignores the reality that is so obvious to so many. As in the States, there are real problems here in Oaxaca, but they have not been addressed yet. In both countries, the rich and powerful factions that are in control and increasingly more repressive, seem surprised that people actually notice and begin to say, "Y basta - enough already." and start to take action. The Village likes the superficial story, but the glossing over of problems will not work in either country, because the problems still exist.
Pick any mainstream story these days, like Musharaff being "democratic" or the weakening dollar or the sub-prime fiasco or the real number of war dead (including Iraqis), the press does not do their jobs and dig in and present the facts. Instead, they spin it just like everyone else. As an ex-pat living in Oaxaca, what do I know compared to a oaxaqueño? Not much! Talking with normal everyday people would have put a decidedly different spin on the story.
Ms. Connolly's inability to see Oaxaca's soul says more about her than about this place. Being blind to it, she missed the real story. How sad. Even sadder, her story will be read by far more than these comments and the comments are much closer to the truth of what is happening in Oaxaca."

At least in Oaxaca, they are not opening fighting and sniping at each other. There was too much damage done last year. Maybe people are just regrouping or maybe they are looking, struggling to find the seemingly impossible solutions.

In too many of the systems, people are not listening, not doing their jobs, and ignoring the obvious. Yes, that still exists here, but tough times force change.

Oaxaca is changing, refining, aging … working hard to get better ...