Blog. This week we will be paired with a partner for the blog assignment. After you have read the assigned reading in MLAH, contact your partner. Together pick two aspects or characteristics from the three primary source articles (“The Lions of Payara,” “Ribbons and Rituals,” and “Protagonist on a National Stage”) that seem to be central to the individuals described in the articles. Discuss these characteristics with your partner with relationship to how those characteristics either confirm or refute assumptions made by the authors in one or both of the first two articles (“Caudillo Scourge” and “Caudillos as Profit Maximizers”). In the blog, post a description of the two characteristics you have chosen and how they support or contradict the biases in the first two articles. Please post your answer on Saturday the 28th only and as close to 5 pm as you or your partner can make it. I want to avoid some students leading and others following.
Pairings:
[1+4] , [2+12] , [3+13], [5+14], [6+24], [7+23], [8+22], [9+21], [10+20],[11+ 19], [15+18], [16+17] .
[13] In the articles the caudillos are leaders and trend setters (having followers), where in the first two articles they were portrayed as leaders, but they were seen as rebels at times - causing turmoil and conflict and bloody feuds. Finally they held positions of power. So much that (ribbons and rituals) the people wore Rosas's color (red) and his picture over their hearts.
ReplyDeleteThe first characteristic is masculinity. The second article “Caudillos as Profit Maximizers” talked about how Caudillos proved their masculinity in different material ways. In the article “The Lions of Payara” it says how caudillo Jose Antonio Paez gained his power from fighting ability, which is obviously associated with masculinity. It explained how he had property, which helped him have wealth. The second article also said how Caudillos have right hand men. Paez called Pablo and Farfan his true companions because they helped him in certain struggles. The book explains how they are also masculine and ferocious. The second characteristic is from the second article “Ribbons and Rituals”. The Argentine caudillo Juan Manuel de Rosas had the characteristic of pure power. On page 76 it quoted one of his documents that said,” Whoever is not with me is my enemy.” This is his way of controlling the country by making people agree with whatever he says. He also had a portrait of Rosas at the church and men were to wear it on their chest. The red ribbon was meant to be worn so you would remember him at all times. They even got lashed if it was tied correctly or it was too short. The point of the people wearing it was to “prove the unanimity” of the public opinion. In other words, Rosas had full power over the people and he wanted to keep them feeling scared so no one would try to over power him.
ReplyDeleteThe Caudillos were men who formed political ideas and had groups of followers who supported them and at times faught for their causes. We see them as men trying to change there country for the better, but doing it in a political way that caused upheaval. Two characteristics that cover these facts would be strong and stubborn. They believed what they believed and nothing was going to change that.
ReplyDelete[16+17]
ReplyDeleteThe characteristics that Joanna and I chose are dictatorship/terror and masculinity.
1. Dictatorship/Terror:
Domingo Sarmiento's account, "Ribbons and Rituals", echoes the article by Charles Chapman in terms of dictatorship. Juan Manuel de Rosas came into play after the death of Facundo Quiroga, and fancied himself a revolutionary leader. "The Restorer", as he was called, was now in power with violent, commanding force. Chapman noted in "Caudillos as Scourge" that the election of these caudillos was completely without choice, except that of life or death; property or poverty. Anyone who might oppose Rosas would certainly be faced with this choice. To prove an undying loyalty to Rosas, the people were forced to wear a picture of him over their hearts and a red ribbon that symbolized all that "the Restorer" had accomplished. Whipping, execution, and even the placement of melted of tar in the hair of women were the consequences of going without a ribbon. Rosas used these terror tactics to keep revolution at bay and fear at an all-time high for his people. His obvious lack of interpersonal skills and the disregarding of individual rights is contradictory to what Wolf and Hansen wrote about the caudillos. However, Rosas represents everything that Chapman described caudillos as: violent, dictator-like leaders who play on fear to earn loyalty.
2. Masculinity
Eric Wolf and Charles Hansen describe caudillos in "Caudillos as Profit Maximizers" as leaders who are personable, domineering, and masculine. Jose Antonio Paez, a Venezuelan caudillo, embodies these traits. A commendable fighter and leader, Paez tells the story of rebel Francisco Farfan, who met his end at the hands of Paez and his army. Farfan had begun a rebellion that Paez was assigned to dismantle. He even had to go with only sixty men, in comparison to Farfan's 100 plus. Paez defeated the rebels and Farfan was left dead on the battlefield. Paez's story reflects the masculinity and readiness to fight that all caudillos had to possess. Wolf and Hansen emphasize the importance of machismo in a good caudillo, and Paez certainly came through in that department.
[7+23]
ReplyDeleteOne characteristic from the three primary source articles that seems to be central to the individuals in the articles is inferiority. Because of all the violence that was taking place in Latin America, there was always a superior group and an inferior group. Just as Chapman saw the Latin Americans as an “inferior race”, Sarmiento also referred to the inferiority of the Latin Americans. The red ribbons worn were a symbol of terror that went with the people everywhere. If someone forgot to wear their red ribbon, which was supposed to be worn at all times, the police made sure the people remembered to wear their ribbons. The red ribbon symbolized their hate for Unitarians and the need to get rid of them. A second characteristic from the articles is political corruption. Charles Chapman discusses how the government was more of a monarchy with corrupt militaristic control that disregarded the needs of the people. Similarly in the article “Ribbons and Rituals,” the people of Buenos Aires lived in fear of police or military retribution if they did not conform to governmental expectations. Any attempt to rebel, was met with swift punishment. One example of the citizen’s fear in the article describes a shopkeeper displaying a flag to attract people’s attention and all of the shopkeeper’s neighbors out of fear of governmental retributions put out flags as well. The corruption of the political leaders of Buenos Aires created a fear that spread throughout the nation.
[9+21]
ReplyDeleteIn the Lions of Payara, Ribbons and Rituals and Protagonist on a National Stage, all of these caudillos seemed to use violence and fear to get what they wanted from the military and from the people. Violence and fear are two characteristics of a leader that do not lead to lasting success in governing people. Jose Antonio Paez used his control over the military to attack the Farfan brothers. Juan Manuel de Rosas used violence and terror for people who did not wear the red ribbon and his portrait on their chests. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna wrote himself to be a more sympathetic man that he probably was, using his power to persuade others to follow him. These characteristics are similar to the essay Caudillos as Profit Maximizers, as caudillos used violence and fear to gain their followers. Violence and fear are still used today by some to try to get what they desire. The leaders that used violence and fear were nothing but angry people who wanted wealth and power for themselves.
[2 + 12]
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the stories of the Caudillos, one aspect of the story of Caudillos as Scourge discusses how the Caudillos formed due to not agreeing with the government. The Caudillos in this story fought and won against the weak government. When reading The Lions of Payara, it on the other hand, discussed how the Caudillos were in partnership with the government to fight against rebels who tried to take over the land. This displayed leadership and power Juan Manuel de Rosas was a dictator who had control after the passing of Charles Chapman. “Ribbons and Rituals” is how Juan was because he believed in having power with everything. The people were forced to wear a picture of him over their hearts and a red ribbon that stood for all that the restorer accomplished. He tortured anyone who disobeyed him, not carrying about the rights of the people. Which did not play along with what Wolf thought of the caudillos. However, it did play along with what
Chapman believed caudillos were dictators who like to see people live in fear just to get their respect. Hansen and Wolf in “Caudillos as Profit Maximizers” describe caudillos with having masculinity. Just as Paez because of his traits as a fighter, leader, and his determination of not being defeated which is displayed in the battle with Francisco Farfan.
[6+24]
ReplyDeleteCaudillos to me seem like modern day mob leaders. These so called mob leaders had a strong readiness to use force, which in the end glorifies the masculinity of the caudillos. This description is evident in the three latter articles. This characteristic is also discussed in the first two articles. In the first reading titled Caudillos as Scourge, the caudillos won the election only because there was “an orgy of blood.” This shows the caudillos strong readiness to use force to get their way. For the people it was said that it was better to suffer the mob than to be killed by the mob. The caudillos used force and blood shed to scare the people, so that they could do with Latin America as they pleased.
Interpersonal skills are usually posed by people who either have great people skills, great communication skills or lucky enough to poses both. People with these skills are usually in positions of power, and in the Mob there is no difference. With such skills, a mob leader must talk his way in, and out of many uncommon situations. Being such an authority figure and leader the mob leader must be able to motivate others to reach their goals or in the mobs case, to complete the crimes. A mob leader with Interpersonal skills has the ability to change a "rational" person and have them do things, no one could ever imagine them doing.
[15+18]
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the selection, we found that the two most prevalent characterizations were that caudillos were violent terrors to the country they presided over (as described in "Caudillos Scourge") and the characterization of a sensible, political leader who the people of a country could rely on to lead them (as described in "Caudillos as Profit Maximizers).
In both of the first two articles, the authors state that caudillos are strong men who are not afraid to use force and violence to get their way. It is stated that they demonstrate their masculinity, or “machismo”, by both domination females and being willing to use violence. The second article (“Caudillos as Profit Maximizers”) presents this in a more positive tone and lists other attributes that allow caudillos to unify a group of people while the first (“Caudillo Scourge”) applies the willingness to use force and violence in a much more negative manner. In “Ribbons and Rituals”, the caudillo is seen as a terror to society. He rules by instilling fear into the people of Argentina and frequently uses violence to make examples out of people. He makes them wear red ribbons as a constant reminder of the dire consequences of not conforming to his rule. This characterization certainly coincides with the general descriptions of caudillos in the first article as violent “madmen”. The second article presents caudillos as heroes of a country who are strong willed, who the people look up to, and who have a natural ability to create a unified group of followers. In “Protagonist on a National Stage”, the author describes himself as a self-sacrificing hero of Mexico. He asserts that it was the will of the people that drove him to take power and that nothing would stop him from helping his country. The account gives the impression that this caudillo was a humble person who truly had the skills people desired in a person to be their leader. As a result, this does not agree with the characterization of caudillos presented in the first article. It does, however, display the characteristics that “Caudillos as Profit Maximizers” gives to these leaders. Santa Anna’s popularity and patriotism support the positive attributes of the leaders presented in the second article.
10+20
ReplyDeleteOverall, the two aspects or characteristics we detected were: revolution and political power. In the first reading, “The Lions of Payara,” one thing stood out to us was the main battle scene where only 2 of his men died as they killed 150 men that were trying to revolt. This has the similar revolting characteristics as the first two selections, “Caudilos as Scourge” and “Caudillos as Profit Maximizers.” In the second reading “Ribbons and Rituals” a few things that stood out to us were the celebrations and how political it was and how they were to remind the people about the ribbon to show political power. Also, in this reading, the final part about the people sweeping the streets and putting up flags out of fear and how terror is an epidemic. To us this also shows the political power seen in the first two reading selections. Finally in the third reading “Protagonist on a National Stage,” a few things that stood out to us included “The Principals of Political Organization” that was a constitution that was passed quickly. Another aspect was how the revolutionaries’ took his amputated foot and dragged it through the town and finally how a small spark can cause a flame that starts a revolution. Once again the ongoing theme of revolution was used.
[1 + 4]
ReplyDeleteTwo characteristics that we discovered from the reading selections were the use of dictatorships and authoritative dominance. In the "Ribbons and Rituals" story, we got to see how everyone had to act under the rule of Caudillo Juan Manuel de Rosas. He imposed a red ribbon campaign that essentially forced everyone to show his or her solidarity by wearing a red ribbon. But it went far beyond just wearing the ribbon. If someone was wearing one it what was considered an inappropriate manner, they were punished. This action of the Mazorca scared the entire population to the point where everyone had to be exactly the same. As cited in the in the story, when one shop owner put up a flag outside, another would see it and do the same. This would continue until everyone in Buenos Aries had a flag outside his or her establishment. When a picture was floating by that had and image of a person wearing a ribbon that was half a yard in length, everyone feared its meaning and quickly went and bought one of their own, in order to show their solidarity. These are all examples of the conformist nature that had been required upon a population because of the oppressive rule of a dictatorship. We can see in Caudillos as Scourge how it was thought necessary to have the dictatorships because, “usually only some form of strong dictatorship has been able to hold Hispanic peoples in check”. Even though it was technically a democracy, the elections were fraudulent and the general public accepted it, as it was seen to be better to “suffer the mobs and grotesque usurpers than to lose one’s life and property through any genuine participation in elections”. The caudillos could be overthrown, but this would take years, even decades to accomplish, and then the pattern would repeat itself. Next, in the "Lions of Payara" essay, Jose Antonio Paez tells about his days while not in office as president of Venezuela. Faced with several rebellions, Paez confronts the rebels and threatens "to lance them through" if they didn't remove themselves from his presence. Additionally, a final, dramatic rebel scene ends the selection. Fransisco Farfan escapes with a force three times that of Paez's; however, in the end, Paez and his men catch up to Farfan and destroy the rebels. The passage says that "Farfan sought his own salvation in the swiftness of his horse, and his followers fled in such disarray that one could not see ten of them together in their flight." Disobedience exposed an authoritative side in Paez. This trait is paralleled in the "Caudillos as Profit Maximizers" essay. Authors Wolf and Hansen state that caudillos often feel a need to display "masculinity" to prove they belong as dominating leader and as reason for other people to submit their loyalty. The essay further explains that some situations are "charged with potential violence, for in such antagonistic confrontations, the claimants to victory must be prepared to kill their rivals and to demonstrate this willingness publicly"; as leaders, caudillos must prove their ability in any situation. As a result, they wouldn't accept any less than compliance from those they lead. In conclusion, dictatorships and an authoritative attitude are necessary components for caudillos. We can compare these attributes of caudillos Sarmiento and Paez to those described in the essays "Caudillos as Scrooge" and "Caudillos as Profit Maximizers".
[11+19]
ReplyDeleteOne of the characteristics from the three primary source articles that was confirmed by the article “Caudillos as Profit Maximizers” was the assertion of masculinity. This characteristic can also be best explained as one who has the capacity to dominate females and readiness to use force.
The article by José Antonio Páez, "Lions of Payara," showed assertion of masculinity when rebel forces outnumbered three times willingly fought and won. Masculinity is apparent in "Ribbons and Rituals." The Caudillos forced people to wear red ribbons with the slogan “Death to Unitarians” to show their support for the Federalists. To show masculinity through dominance (particularly over females) police were instructed to supply women who were not wearing a red ribbon with a free red bow for their hair. However, this generosity wasn’t as nice a gesture as one might think, because it was applied to the hair with melted tar. The actions of the characters in “Lions of Payara” and “Ribbons and Rituals” confirm that caudillos worked to affirm their masculinity.
The second aspect from the three primary source articles that was confirmed is the caudillos’ (and Negroes’ and Indians’) support for the absence of government.
In the article by Domingo Sarmiento “Ribbons as Courage” the slogan “whoever is not with me is my enemy” is described as “undisguised and unambiguous” (90). In the article elections often went in favor of the way caudillos wanted them, through their use of force or fraud. Therefore if some force (elections, other caudillos, etc) did not have the caudillo’s interests in mind there would be repercussions.
A final and third characteristic is found in Eric Wolf and Edward Hansen’s article “Caudillos as Profit Maximizers.” Caudillos are described as having incredible interpersonal skills because they “build personal ties” with their followers to continue their loyalty. In those loyal ties, the followers were then lead into ventures to participate in pillage, such as looting and plundering. Possession of interpersonal skills is the initial prerequisite” (85).
In conclusion, the final paragraph of “Caudillos as Scourge” sums up the impact of the caudillos very well, stating that caudillos were either depicted as heroes or tyrants – it all depended on who was reporting.