Most Popular
1. It’s a New Macro, the Gold Market Knows It, But Dead Men Walking Do Not (yet)- Gary_Tanashian
2.Stock Market Presidential Election Cycle Seasonal Trend Analysis - Nadeem_Walayat
3. Bitcoin S&P Pattern - Nadeem_Walayat
4.Nvidia Blow Off Top - Flying High like the Phoenix too Close to the Sun - Nadeem_Walayat
4.U.S. financial market’s “Weimar phase” impact to your fiat and digital assets - Raymond_Matison
5. How to Profit from the Global Warming ClImate Change Mega Death Trend - Part1 - Nadeem_Walayat
7.Bitcoin Gravy Train Trend Forecast 2024 - - Nadeem_Walayat
8.The Bond Trade and Interest Rates - Nadeem_Walayat
9.It’s Easy to Scream Stocks Bubble! - Stephen_McBride
10.Fed’s Next Intertest Rate Move might not align with popular consensus - Richard_Mills
Last 7 days
Stock Market Brief in Count Down to US Election Result 2024 - 3rd Nov 24
Gold Stocks’ Winter Rally 2024 - 3rd Nov 24
Why Countdown to U.S. Recession is Underway - 3rd Nov 24
Stock Market Trend Forecast to Jan 2025 - 2nd Nov 24
President Donald PUMP Forecast to Win US Presidential Election 2024 - 1st Nov 24
At These Levels, Buying Silver Is Like Getting It At $5 In 2003 - 28th Oct 24
Nvidia Numero Uno Selling Shovels in the AI Gold Rush - 28th Oct 24
The Future of Online Casinos - 28th Oct 24
Panic in the Air As Stock Market Correction Delivers Deep Opps in AI Tech Stocks - 27th Oct 24
Stocks, Bitcoin, Crypto's Counting Down to President Donald Pump! - 27th Oct 24
UK Budget 2024 - What to do Before 30th Oct - Pensions and ISA's - 27th Oct 24
7 Days of Crypto Opportunities Starts NOW - 27th Oct 24
The Power Law in Venture Capital: How Visionary Investors Like Yuri Milner Have Shaped the Future - 27th Oct 24
This Points To Significantly Higher Silver Prices - 27th Oct 24
US House Prices Trend Forecast 2024 to 2026 - 11th Oct 24
US Housing Market Analysis - Immigration Drives House Prices Higher - 30th Sep 24
Stock Market October Correction - 30th Sep 24
The Folly of Tariffs and Trade Wars - 30th Sep 24
Gold: 5 principles to help you stay ahead of price turns - 30th Sep 24
The Everything Rally will Spark multi year Bull Market - 30th Sep 24
US FIXED MORTGAGES LIMITING SUPPLY - 23rd Sep 24
US Housing Market Free Equity - 23rd Sep 24
US Rate Cut FOMO In Stock Market Correction Window - 22nd Sep 24
US State Demographics - 22nd Sep 24
Gold and Silver Shine as the Fed Cuts Rates: What’s Next? - 22nd Sep 24
Stock Market Sentiment Speaks:Nothing Can Topple This Market - 22nd Sep 24
US Population Growth Rate - 17th Sep 24
Are Stocks Overheating? - 17th Sep 24
Sentiment Speaks: Silver Is At A Major Turning Point - 17th Sep 24
If The Stock Market Turn Quickly, How Bad Can Things Get? - 17th Sep 24
IMMIGRATION DRIVES HOUSE PRICES HIGHER - 12th Sep 24
Global Debt Bubble - 12th Sep 24
Gold’s Outlook CPI Data - 12th Sep 24

Market Oracle FREE Newsletter

How to Protect your Wealth by Investing in AI Tech Stocks

Swine Flu: State of Emergency, Mexican-Style

Politics / Global Pandemic Apr 29, 2009 - 11:09 AM GMT

By: Global_Research

Politics

Best Financial Markets Analysis ArticleMichael Werbowski writes: MEXICO CITY -- Last Thursday was first day of what now is the "made in Mexico" great global plague due to the swine flu outbreak. Towards midnight that day, health officials gave an impromptu press conference announcing schools and universities would be closed the following day, that is Friday. Most citizens of Mexico City (Capitalinos) were already asleep by then. The next day, those who didn't catch the late night or early morning newscasts brought their children to school, only to find notices informing parents of the school closures until May 6. On that Friday, the true dimensions and extent of the epidemic's outbreak began to be felt in the capital.


Citizens of Mexico City, ©2009 Michael Werbowski

The government decreed -- or ordered rather -- a ban on all public gatherings, meetings or assembles of any kind including concerts, sporting events and of course, most of all demonstrations. Even traditional family fiestas or religious ceremonies such as baptismals, weddings etc were curtailed or postponed. Most surprising of all in this fervently catholic country, Sunday Mass services were cancelled over the weekend.

In Mexico, churches and cathedrals are also places where one goes to worship and pray during troubled times as these , especially when the country is faced with a man made or natural disaster. Of course, Mexico is not unaccustomed to earthquakes (1985), volcanic eruptions (2000), massive hurricanes, drought and flooding. As for manmade calamities, there were revolutions (1910). More recently, massive economic meltdowns and regional rebellions (the Tequila-peso crisis and Chiapas crisis of 1994) and political assassinations have also shaken the nation. Today, amid the narco violence, there's a full blown pandemic panic attack being unleashed on the nation of 103 million. So, people here have plenty of reasons to pray for and about.

Scenes From a City of Fear and Faith

Some churches in the Coyacan district where I strolled after brunch on Sunday, were closed to both the faithful locals and blase tourists, who along with the standard shorts and sandals, wore a new fashion accessory , the obligatory surgical masks being worn by the city dwellers as part of the "public health emergency," which has been decreed since last week.

View H1N1 Swine Flu in a larger map 

 Mexico City street scene. ©2009 Michael Werbowski

At times, these face masks in assorted in light blue and green were disturbed for free in the name of "public health safety" or sold as "souvenirs" in the market square. On other occasions, it seemed as if everywhere, I went that is restaurants stores, hotels, government buildings etc (those which still remained open), almost everyone looked like a dental hygienists.

Perhaps most surrealist of all was the televised live scene football matches in the capital; they were played behind "closed doors." The teams were out there on the field yet the spectator stands were empty and deserted as if all the footballs fans stayed at home fearing contamination.

This week, I ventured out of my self-imposed quarantine and despite dire warnings to stay put and at home, I mixed with masses at my own peril and walked about without my face gear. In the Centro Historico, many fancy shops and restaurants were shuttered. Police wearing the ubiquitous surgical masks directed traffic in the partially deserted Zocalo. The same day -- Monday -- the local population already edgy, experienced an earth tremor which registered about 5.6 on the Richter scale at precisely 11:47 local time.

Public and government employees were forced out of their offices during quake, in front of ministry buildings. The fear which has been sowed in the media and by incessant warnings of impending disease related doom has almost paralyzed this huge and great city with fear.

 Mexico City street scene. ©2009 Michael Werbowski

The only similar situation I can recall witnessing which reminds me of today’s events, was during Poland's martial law. Back then I was just a teen visiting relatives stuck behind the "iron curtain" but not even during martial law in communist Poland, would the authorities dare close churches, especially two weeks before Christmas. This would have infuriated the already agitated populace at that tense time in Polish history.

Back then with amid the military crackdown, although classes were cancelled churches remained open. The church in Poland was a refuge from the day-to-day hardships imposed by the regime and a sanctuary or meeting place for citizens and dissidents. It was a harbor of tranquility. That's perhaps why many of them in Warsaw were surrounded by police vans at the time. Poland in 1981 was politically ill and the government was faced with growing popular discontent. The regime lacked legitimacy in the eyes of Poles. The economy was in a free fall and stayed afloat thanks to IMF emergency loans.

Mexico, on the other hand, and its economy is reeling and feeling the pain from the collapse of the global free market financial system is also living on IMF credit lines or loans. The current Calderon government suffers from a democratic deficit which stems from the questionable outcome of the 2006 presidential elections. There is ever increasing social unrest due to huge income disparities and drug related crime here.

In Poland, the communist regime imposed emergency measures as a desperate act to re-impose their authority. And also to clamp down on labor unions (Solidarity) which were challenging their power (muck like the drug cartels in Mexico) and forbid expected street protests, such as those Mexican authorities anticipate might occur this week for the annual workers' May Day celebrations. Poland after the imposition of martial law was cut off from the rest of the world. It was treated like a pariah state by the "international community." In the early phase of this Mexican epidemic, as the disease spreads so does the world wide panic and Mexico is being evermore isolated from the rest of the world.

Travel advisories have been issued for foreigners not to come here. Mexican visas to other countries are being issued on a very limited basis. A nation which has adopted with great zeal all the neo liberal doctrines and ideological precepts associated with free trade is now being almost scapegoated as a carrier of contagious disease. This potential pandemic is perhaps symptomatic of the corruption and crime which 21st century capitalism has engendered here and elsewhere. In that sense, it seems Mexico has been selected to be the fall guy for the financial world's perverse greed. It has in a way, become the outcast of the post capitalist era.

Global Research Articles by Michael Werbowski

© Copyright Michael Werbowski, Global Research, 2009

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Research on Globalization. The contents of this article are of sole responsibility of the author(s). The Centre for Research on Globalization will not be responsible or liable for any inaccurate or incorrect statements contained in this article.


© 2005-2022 http://www.MarketOracle.co.uk - The Market Oracle is a FREE Daily Financial Markets Analysis & Forecasting online publication.


Post Comment

Only logged in users are allowed to post comments. Register/ Log in