h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I didn't write this article. And i'm not claiming to have. I found it, languishing, over at http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/guide/A364718 and decided to tart is up a bit to make it 'user freindly'. I found it really informative - not because it told me anything new, but because it gave a first hand account of the events i have read so much about, and the experience of a system i admire by someone who is not a professional political analyst.

I will endevor to add the source footnotes for the offical comuniques cited, as the authour obvously intended to.

It looked sort of like a school paper to me.

I met an Irish-Mexican while I was going to school in California. This article makes this all sound warm and fuzzy. That's not the impression he gave me of the organization or the situation.

It's my understanding that this is an uprising among Indians, and Mexicans resent it because they thing the Indians already have a special rights.

Of course, that and what little I've seen of this in the press is all I know about it.

It's odd that you should get that impression, because, from what i've read (i have never been to Mexico), the only reason the Government didn't wipe these guys from the face of the earth was because of a massive opposition by the genral (urban) population of Mexico.

I would imagine that this apparent support arose because of a reluctance to return to the infighting and Low Intensity War that was waged by 'contras' in the 1970's which largely brought misery to everyone. At the time of the uprising (1994) no-one knew anything about the group, and they may as well for all intents and purposes have been another Marxist-Leninist orientated group like the FSLN (Sandanistas) in Nicaragua.

However my impression from the reports in the press, and from the books i've read on the situation, is that the Mexican people have alligned them selves with the EZLN frequently since, and their struggle has been used as a putch for increased freedoms and rights across Mexico. In particular the reception the Zapatista march / tour of this time last year recieved when they arrived in the various towns they visited enroute, and when they finally arrived in Mexico City, indicates to me at least a significant popular support.

I met the guy in early 1994. He was sort of my political opponent in student politics. He tried to block my appointment because I said that I didn't care if people drank at school events. He got the SADD chapter all up in arms.

He was an odd bird. He was against the communists, but he was on welfare. We got on alright after that. I was the token conservative (well on the border between conservative and libertarian).

So he's American? I was guessing he was part of the Irish Mexico Group. An organisation with imports Fair Trade products into the UK and publishes a newsletter on human rights oin the area which includes a page on Chiapas. I guess i got the wrong end of his stick.

Being on welfare doesn't make you a communist, it makes you poor (in a lot of cases).

I accompanied my best friend (a staunch right winger) to the welfare office this week, it's the first time hes ever claimed anything, he was so ashamed. That 'ethic' which says people don't have the right to be supported by those arround them - i find it an anathema. In my oppinion it's his duty to claim what he needs, we must all give and all take in society. He feels he's let himself down for 'relying on the state', while he has been helping others all his working life through his contributions. It's partially a pride thing of course. It makes me proud to think that i live somewhere where i can call upon such a system if and when i need it, and indeed that anyone can, no matter where they are from, or what they have paid.

I don't think that's the left wing side of me - i think its because i was brought up within the socialist syatem, and we were taught to share, that is better to be stronger together and that we are all valuble in some way.

He was full blooded Irish, but he was born and raised in Mexico.

I have never accepted welfare or unemployment (which is technincally insurance so I guess I should have taken that). As a matter of fact, I turned in my stipend for being a Senator at the college. I didn't think it was right for us to vote ourselves money out of the student fund.

I'd be very happy to accept lower taxes against lower benefits. If worse came to worse, I have family that could help me out of a tight spot. Actually, I'm kind of upset about the tax burden we do bear in this country. Nationally, we don't get a lot for as much as we put in. I live in alow tax state, and they are able to provide a lot of fun things. We have a great state park system.

I think a lot rides on what you say about not getting what you put in. The entire idea of socialism is that society is order to its maximum efficiency, that by contributing a little together we can reap bigger rewards. It's a great theory. It's just appauling how much is wasted on beaurcracy, poor government and bad management however. My ex works in the UK Cabinet Office, and she estimated the other day that only 1 in 40 jobs going over her desk were political - - all the rest were government (ie matters that involving the running of the government rather than the running of the country). That's more frightening than even i would have guessed.

"The government is best that governs least" eh?

Hello..I've never really peer-reviewed before, so I hope I'm not offensive in my critiquing..

The Zapatista movement as a topic is intense from every angle, and I think an article on it deserves to be fleshed out and made to reflect its humanity and complexity. Their self-government model is important, but perhaps that should be a segment rather than the thrust of the article. Maybe there could be sections that involve the history, the ejido system, some discussion on Zapata and Villa, the strong female involvement, the person Marcos and the idea of the 'subcomandante,' corporate vs. humanitarian responses to the issue, the issue as being a 'cause' to people like dude from Rage Against the Machine...there is *such* a story here, and I do agree that it comes off as a term paper analysis or something..

My favorite site currently is madre.org, and perhaps that would be a valuable resource on the issue from the human rights perspective, especially as it relates to the women and children of the region and international humanitarian interest.

It's a great start to peer reviewing, but it would be better to post it in the Peer Review thread for this article. If you follow this link [F48874?thread=207045], it'll take you to the right thread.