News With Nezua | Let Them Drink Sand
THE CRIMINALIZATION OF POVERTY SPREADS. Half a million cannot afford water in Mexico, and Felipe Calderón shuts off their power for being delinquent. Lou Dobbs offers us some more entertainment by telling the world he is “Latinos’ Greatest Friends.” Nezua laughs and invites you to join him.
The criminalization of poverty spreads. Half a million cannot afford water in Mexico, and Felipe Calderón shuts off their power for being delinquent. Lou Dobbs offers us some more entertainment by telling the world he is “Latinos’ Greatest Friends.” Nezua laughs and invites you to join him. Finally, four skinheads attempt to start a race war in Huntington Beach but meet an unexpected conclusion to their evening. What a wild world. Thanks for riding along!
• If you prefer a dark room for viewing, you can catch News With Nezua videos at the XOLAGRAFIK Theater, [they go up Wednesday mornings] and as always, NWN vids can be found [Monday mornings] at La Frontera Times. [Last but not least, on YouTube!]
—————-
Transcript for News With Nezua Video “Let Them Drink Sand” by Nezua
(Transcription by Arban)+/-»
SPOKEN:[NEZUA]
Hola Gente, and welcome to News With Nezua! (Translation from Spanish, “What’s up, people, and welcome to News With Nezua!”
[Flamenco/Latin style music]
SUNG:
“Guerrero!” “Ole!”
[Vibrant Latin music fades into thoughtful Spanish guitar]
TITLE: “Let Them Drink Sand”
Lower Third Graphic: “nezua, theunapologeticmexican.org”
SPOKEN [NEZUA]:
“Pobre Mexico. Tan lejos de Dios, y tan cerca de los Estados Unidos.”
(Translation from Spanish “Poor Mexico, so far from God, and so close to the United States.”)
“We are walled apart in a few spots, but our fates are definitely interwoven together. ”
“Mexico has been hit hard by the economic downturn. Petroleum revenues are down, tourism is down in large part because US right wing commentators incessantly hyped fears of the swine flu, NAFTA has helped result in a negative trade balance between Mexico and the United States, and Felipe Caldarón continues to dump money into his failed drug war which has killed over thirteen thousand people at last count.”
Lower Third Graphic: “UPDATE: Over 15,000 lives claimed behind FeCal’s Drug War so far
“In 2002, a move by Mexico state owned power utility cut subsidies to people using over 125 kilowatt hours a month. The 10 million pesos they were supposed to gain from that was to go into maintenance and distribution of electricity.
“Perhaps that would only set the stage for Felipe Caldarón’s latest move. Mexican president, Felipe Caldarón, not known for his brilliant or nuanced solutions to societal problems has hiked taxes on people already struggling to pay their electric bills and raised the prices of petroleum and electric.
Many people in Mexico have simply responded by boycotting the raised prices, and the Mexican government has responded in turn, by simply cutting off power to towns delinquent on their electric bill.”
“One such town is Ecatepec, where the town owes the Mexican government over 600 million pesos… ”
Lower Third Graphic:
FACT: 619 MN PESOS= US $56.6 MN
“…and therefore has been cut off from the power that feeds their wells. That means that half a million people are without water.
“Now granted to people in the United States, this might seem like something distant; some other government, some other kind of people that they don’t have to think about, or worry about…but I predict many news stories and reports in the coming days where people cannot afford very simple things like water, or shelter, or food, perversely punished by the state wielding laws banning the homeless…
[sad minor scale wispy flute melody]
“…banning loitering, laws like this will begin to shove and shuffle these suffering parts of our society out of the public realm, so we can’t see them or we deal with these people with punitive laws. ”
TEXT ON SCREEN:
TOUGHER ENFORCEMENT for the hungry.
Sound familiar?
[happy, cheesy, 1950's sit com flute music]
TEXT ON SCREEN:
LOUIE pulls a U-IE
SPOKEN [NEZUA]
“Birther champion Lou Dobbs has dropped hints that he may challenge first term incumbent, Democratic Senator Bob Menendez for his New Jersey seat in 2012″
Lower Third Graphic:
FACT: SEN ROBERT MENENDEZ IS THE SON OF IMMIGRANTS
“When asked if he was considering the presidency, the deluded megalomaniac replied in the affirmative, and then on Tuesday, Louis Dobbs sat for a rather hallucinatory interview on TeleMundo, where he declared himself ‘Latinos’ Greatest Friend‘.”
Lower Third Graphic: LOU DOBBS: “LATINOS’ GREATEST FRIEND??”
SOUND OF: Buoyant laughter, someone shouts, “¡WHAT!?!?!”
“Prompting a rash of similar statements from various public figures.”
[more cheesy 1950's sit com music]
[ON SCREEN IMAGES OF WELL KNOWN Villains e.g. Wolf and Little Red Riding Hood, Wolf says "I'm your best friend" to Little Red Riding Hood, Godzilla declaring"Don't run I am your greatest friend" all in comic book style ]
SPOKEN [NEZUA]
“Mr. Dobbs now states that he is for the legalization of the undocumented. Dobbs wants to clear the air and smooth the waters. That’s all well and good, all I can say is that a man who possesses this little continuity, and this little integrity of conviction cannot be trusted.
“He flipped now 180 degrees, he’ll flip again. You can’t ignore the years that Lou Dobbs spent drawing a connection, a correlation, causation, between Mexicanos and criminality, and violence, and disease. ”
[ cheesy si com music mixes into bonkers, disjointed woodwind jazz ]
“That wasn’t a fluke. That wasn’t by accident. Its very much like Dick Cheney drew a connection between 9/11 and Iraq by constant repetition, association and implication. That’s Lou Dobbs! You don’t spend everyday pushing a well honed message from various angles and then one day in the middle of the week, before your contract is up, quit your 30 year running job, so you can run for office to enact the exact opposite measures you’ve been advocating. That’s not how life works.”
“There was one thing that I believed in, when I saw Lou Dobbs and heard Lou Dobbs on CNN. I believed that he meant what he said, and that he was talking about something he believed in…and now we don’t even have that!
“…and now that all Louis Dobbs stands for is hating on Latinos, Mexicanos and immigrants, and shear opportunism and lying about hunting season.
That’s a hell of a way to go out, Lou.”
TEXT ON SCREEN:
SKINHEAD GO HOME
[tension building cinematic score]
SPOKEN [NEZUA]
“Now, I’ve commented, various times, over the years, about the hate crimes perpetrated on Mexicanos or Latinos, by gangs of white people who jump upon a person walking down the street doing nothing more than existing and being Latino in the U.S.A…
“..and these gangs are simply acting out on the repulsion that commentators like Lou Dobbs, Rush Limbaugh, Tom Tancredo, Pat Buchanan, Rush Limbaugh…all these people espouse on the regular…but last July according to a story by OCWeekly.com..
Lower Third Graphic: FACT: by Gustavo Arellano
“…four skinheads found out that there’s different ways sometimes that people of color deal with harm coming to our communities.
“It happened in a town called Oak View, California, known to outsiders as “Slater Slums”
“Four people, three men and one woman, clearly pumped up with their affiliation to various skinhead gangs and Aryan brotherhood, and their own radio show, which is a white power radio show, took a drive into Oak View.”
“Now, as we know with many of these deviant human beings, this is their way of having fun…as one of the perpetrators said on their white power radio show, “It’s not a hate crime if you love doing it“.
“So they rolled up into an alley, where they saw one Mexicano…
Lower Third Graphic: FACT: “Motherfucking Mexicans!” one yelled, while a woman inside the truck shouted, “Stab him! Stab him!”
“… Three men jumped out of the truck, the woman cheering them on, and they leapt upon this guy…we know how this story usually goes.
Lower Third Graphic: FACT: & stabbed him three times in the chest
“I don’t think these people knew where they were, or I don’t think they counted on José having friends and family not far away, who all rushing into the alley and delivered a heinous smackdown on the skinheads who tried to run away and get back in their truck.”
Lower Third Graphic: FACT: The Skins and their lawyers and supporters now portray Skins as the victims
“They were caught a block later by the police…
Lower Third Graphic: UPDATE: Caught 2 miles & 10 minutes later
“…and they are now not only nursing wounds, they are also to stand trial for felony counts of attempted murder, with hate crime enhancements.
Lower Third Graphic: FACT: Brooks is free on $100,000 bail. The rest await trial in jail.
[easy going Latin music]
TEXT ON SCREEN: FINAL NOTES
SPOKEN [NEZUA]
“A couple of other small items:
Maybe if you read the blog, or have spoken to me personally, you know, that I have won a scholarship to the Narco News School of Authentic Journalism, in February, in the Yucatán.
“So that’s very exciting. I’m sure I will be very busy for the time I’m there, but you can count on me trying to send some photographs, and some audio clips and some video from there, so, I look forward to that.
“Second of all, if you’re interesting in placing any kind of ads in the show, please get in touch, there is contact information after the video is over.
ON SCREEN TEXT:
Place an Ad on News With Nezua!
•Range of (Reasonable) Pricing
•The Spiciest of Demographics
•Creative Placing of Ads
•Videos uploaded and distributed on various sites
SPOKEN [NEZUA]
” You don’t have to be any kind of big established corporation or company, you could have a little Etsy shop, you could have a site you want to advertise.
“Pricing is very reasonable, and videos are watched over and over again, so your ad will reach alot of people. So, get in touch.”
“Also from time to time, sometimes I review things, people send me books, send me movies…the last two things sent, was “Made In L.A.” its a great film and I suggest you look around the web to find it…and just recently, I was sent a book by a man named Mike Palecek, the book is called “Speak English”, thanks Mike, I’ll take a look at it, I haven’t read it yet, so I don’t have anything to say, but keep an eye, keep watching and I shall drop some words about it sooner or later.”
[vibrant Latin music]
“…and that’s pretty much it. Thanks again for joining me here at News with Nezua, thanks for your comments on the blog, thanks for all your support, and I will see you soon…peace”.
[ LATIN MUSIC]
[FADE TO BLACK]
This week’s episode with News With Nezua brought to you by lafronteratimes.com
FEEDBACK, IDEAS, QUESTIONS, INFO, AD BUYS:
NWN[at]ATNEZUA[dot]NET
TWITTER: @NewsWithNezua
NEZUA: all writing, lighting, shooting, editing, arte & scoring
a XOLAGRAFIK production
-end-
Posted in Featured, Filmmaking/Video, News With Nezua
“Mexico has been hit hard by the economic downturn. Petroleum revenues are down, tourism is down…”
You should consider adding that Mexicans’ remittances to Mexico are down too. Forbes.com reports, “Mexican migrants sent home 36 percent less money in October than a year earlier…Money sent home by migrants has been Mexico’s second largest source of foreign income, behind only oil exports. Officials have said remittances are declining because of the U.S. economic downturn, particularly in the construction market.”
“…in large part because US right wing commentators incessantly hyped fears of the swine flu…”
Don’t forget about Fidel Castro’s ban on traveling to Mexico (you may find it here: http://www.cubadebate.cu/reflexiones-fidel/2009/05/16/senales-inequivocas/).
“…NAFTA has helped result in a negative trade balance between Mexico and the United States…”
Are you referring to the fact that we import more than we export to Mexico?
“…and Felipe Caldarón continues to dump money into his failed drug war which has killed over thirteen thousand people at last count.”
Did he kill more innocent civilians than drug lords?
Yes, true on the remittances. On Fidel, thanks. Though I think the USA historically funnels much more cash into tourism in MX than Cubans do….
“Are you referring to the fact that we import more than we export to Mexico?”
Mostly I’m referring to the way the USA has manipulated the treaties, and not stuck to the rules. The USA has glutted the market with subsidized corn, has helped destroy the Mexican market and cripple the entire agricultural industry, prompting much migration North, and leaving MX on the losing end of NAFTA. It’s not just NAFTA of course, there are many elements that contribute toward this.
On the last question, you don’t really think that with 16,500 dead most of them were “drug lords,” do you? And I hope its clear to you that it’s not so easy as calling them “drug lords” and thus removing humanity and opening the door to apathy at the corpse count. These are families well-entrenched into society, not stand-apart demons. So even if 1000 of these deaths were stone-cold villains, 15,000 more corpses is hardly worth taking them out.
To any thinking person acquainted with the issues, this simply is not a criminal matter at heart to be resolved by the military. It is a social and economic issue. And the Drug War model is doing now, what it has been proven to do every time: Increase body count, increase drug trafficking, and work contrary to the stated goals of the govt bringing on the violence. Of course, it is also true that the stated purposes of the government are not the actual purposes for this “drug war.”
Where did you find “the way the USA has manipulated the treaties?” The empirical data that I found does not evince this: http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/balance/c2010.html#2009
I do believe that the Mexican government via Caldarón killed mostly drug lords and their henchmen. Does “16,500 dead” include the drug thugs murdering innocent civilians?
I’m sure we can trade links all day, as your purposes are clearly antagonistic to mine. Here’s one, for now:
http://www.globalpolicy.org/component/content/article/220/47241.html
Well, you are free to believe what you want on the Drug War, Rob. And I have a feeling you’ll still believe it no matter what I tell you, quote, or link. So I won’t waste my time.
Yes, obviously the number of corpses come from different means. But FeCal is still the one who has no idea how to address social problems aside from with bullets, so ultimately, he must take the responsibility, as leaders should. Again, the Drug War model of military force has long been proven counterproductive.
Peace.
We could continue to exchange information but a rational debate may lose your attention (and probably most of the readers on this blog). Please never feel that you “waste time” in supporting your statements. This will help the rational reader understand why he should accept them as true.
All the best.
You mistake my purpose, here, Rob. Which is understandable. You only showed up a day ago. I’ve been writing this blog for almost four years now. I’ve put down plenty of information. That’s what a blog is, friend. An accumulation of information, passion, and purpose. Obviously, I don’t feel I am wasting my time here. But researching for others is a waste of my time. Especially when they have made their resistance to truth evident.
You deign to lecture me on how to approach “rational” readers but you are not one, which is demonstrated by your clumsily lumping some bogeyman “druglord” apparition in your mind in with any human in Mexico who happens to be killed in FeCal’s insane military blitz and occupation of his own nation. So I’d actually be kind of foolish to allow myself to be guided by your advice. (And nice touch, insulting my regular readers with the implication that a “rational debate” would scare them off!)
But I do appreciate the time you’ve taken so far, or rather, the fact that at least you haven’t dropped a bunch of slurs in your attempt to convince me that Mexico is getting just what it deserves. That’s better than most detractors do when they show up.
Peace bro!
You cannot logically argue that when someone questions you it is “resistance to truth.” The only way you will discover truth is by questions and logical (i.e., rational) answers. You will never convince mainstream intellectuals of your position by rhetoric, fits of passion, and art (maybe this is your hybrid of the former two items). Be well!
I thought you were gone? And now you are here telling me how to discover truth! (And the voice that tells us the ONLY WAY to find truth is A, B, or C—and of course using a Socratic lens and discounting spiritual, intuitive, or psychic means—is not one to be trusted.) Oh, the arrogance of the drive-by commenter. And with your admonition at the end, again, you prove you have no idea of what my purpose is here. What a surprise, this ego of yours that assumes the highest purpose my blog could have is convincing you, O Mainstream Intellectual!
Thanks for the morning laugh, amigo.
Ah, gotta love the wannabe Socratic troll. The way the want us all to bow down before their “superior intellect” and admit our own failings and inability to read or think critically. Nevermind that these are issues many of us have been thinking about, learning about and writing about for years, long before said troll had earned his derailing credentials. Funny how they never turn that high powered intellect on themselves and their own biases, privileges and delusions. Maybe that’s why the rest of us simply sit back, watch and enjoy the show. Always amusing to watch the trolls dance…
Gracias for the plug to my story, but the Nazi beat-down happened in Huntington Beach; Oak View (aka the Slater Slums) is the city’s traditional barrio.
Ah, damn. How could I have got that wrong. I’ll have to update a correction. Thanks, Gustavo. Great piece.
Órale! New Post: News With Nezua | Let Them Drink Sand:
The criminalization of poverty spreads. Half a million ca… http://bit.ly/5O2pEk
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
News With Nezua | Let Them Drink Sand [UMX | El Machete] http://bit.ly/5O2pEk
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
RT @unapologeticmex News With Nezua | Let Them Drink Sand | UMX | El Machete http://bit.ly/6v9oVn
This comment was originally posted on Twitter
News With Nezua | Let Them Drink Sand http://bit.ly/7A9Qxl
This comment was originally posted on Twitter