Mexico, the End of the Revolution - by Donald Hodges & Ross Gandy (Paperback)

About the Book

This study reveals how the social pact, formalized during the armed stage of the Mexican Revolution (1910-20) and implemented during the second stage (1920-40), was upset during the third or arrested stage (1940-70) when the bureaucrat-professionals at the helm opted for intensive economic development by taking the capitalist road. Although momentarily revived during yet a fourth stage of revolution (1970-82), this social pact was subsequently betrayed from within by the official party of the Revolution and undermined from without by the operation of economic forces behind the scenes. In this first book on the complete history of the Mexican Revolution, Hodges and Gandy reveal that, along with the end of its social pact, Mexico passed out of its former nationalist and capitalist orbit to enter the new professional societies and global order fathered by the transnationals.

From 1920 to 1970, Mexico's bureaucrat-professionals hung onto political power while native capitalists continued to flourish. In response, Mexico's workers and peasants staged strikes against the nationalized sector and fomented guerrilla wars. Concessions were then made to this group until, beginning in 1982, the social pact was again eroded at the expense, not only of the popular sectors, but also of the capitalists. The economic surplus was redistributed away from owners and into the pockets of professionals. That was the Revolution's last gasp before it was officially put to rest in 2000 with the official party's defeat at the polls. Hodges and Gandy challenge the current belief that Mexico's economic system is still capitalist by presenting statistical evidence that shows how the chief beneficiaries of the economy are no longer the providers of capital, but instead the providers of professional services.

Book Synopsis

This study reveals how the social pact, formalized during the armed stage of the Mexican Revolution (1910-20) and implemented during the second stage (1920-40), was upset during the third or arrested stage (1940-70) when the bureaucrat-professionals at the helm opted for intensive economic development by taking the capitalist road. Although momentarily revived during yet a fourth stage of revolution (1970-82), this social pact was subsequently betrayed from within by the official party of the Revolution and undermined from without by the operation of economic forces behind the scenes. In this first book on the complete history of the Mexican Revolution, Hodges and Gandy reveal that, along with the end of its social pact, Mexico passed out of its former nationalist and capitalist orbit to enter the new professional societies and global order fathered by the transnationals.

From 1920 to 1970, Mexico's bureaucrat-professionals hung onto political power while native capitalists continued to flourish. In response, Mexico's workers and peasants staged strikes against the nationalized sector and fomented guerrilla wars. Concessions were then made to this group until, beginning in 1982, the social pact was again eroded at the expense, not only of the popular sectors, but also of the capitalists. The economic surplus was redistributed away from owners and into the pockets of professionals. That was the Revolution's last gasp before it was officially put to rest in 2000 with the official party's defeat at the polls. Hodges and Gandy challenge the current belief that Mexico's economic system is still capitalist by presenting statistical evidence that shows how the chief beneficiaries of the economy are no longer the providers of capital, but instead the providers of professional services.

Review Quotes

"If some one still wants to know what happened to the Mexican Revolution, a radical answer can be found in this book. As old soldiers, revolutions never die, they just fade away. In Mexico, as in similar events elsewhere, the revolution was betrayed long before its end, but in capturing its spirit and essence, the authors are helping to keep its legacy alive."-Lorenzo Meyer Profesor de Relaciones Internacionales El Colegio de Mexico Co-author of The United States and Mexico and Under the Shadow of the Mexican Revolution

"This important and readable book deserves a wide audience. Both the history and the interpretation of the Revolution will interest scholars and the public."-Manuel Lopez Gallo author of Las Grandes Mentiras de Krouze

About the Author

DONALD C. HODGES is a professor of philosophy and an affiliate professor of political science at Florida State University. The founder of Social Theory and Practice, he has served on the editorial boards of Philosophy & Phenomenological Research and Latin American Perspectives among others. He is the author of more than a dozen books on revolutions and revolutionary movements in Latin America, five of which have been translated into Spanish and published in Mexico.

ROSS GANDY is a professional philosopher and historian who has lived and taught in Mexico since 1970. During the 1970s he taught political philosophy at Ivan Illich's Centro de Documentacion Cultural (CIDOC) and, since 1981, has been professor of history and political science at Mexico's National University (UNAM).