Blog. This week we will partner with the blog and not with the wiki. Each pair of partners will be assigned one of three essays in Chapter III that aren’t included in the assignment above. They are listed as essays 4,5, and 6. The essays are: 4) “The Lions of Payara,” pp. 72-76; 5) “Ribbons and Rituals,” pp. 76-79 and 6) “Protagonist on a National Stage,” pp. 79-81. The pairings and assigned essay are:
[1+4] #4, [2+12] #5, [3+13] #6, [5+14] #4, [6+24] #5, [7+23] #6, [8+22] #4, [9+21] #5, [10+20] #6, [15+17] #4, [16+18] #5, [11+19] #6.
Read the assigned essay. Contact your partner and determine what the two of you think is the most extreme form of manipulation used by the caudillo in the essay. Compose 100 word description of that manipulation and post it between 5 pm Friday, March 25 and 5 pm, Saturday, March 26. As before, I don’t want leaders to have too many followers.
[15+17] The most extreme form of manipulation Jose Antonio Paez uses in his excerpt, “The Lions of Payrara” is his command over the military and subsequent fear by men. There are several accounts of his writing in which he displays his ability to use the military and fear at his disposal. In the situations that arose between the Farfan brothers and Jose Antonio, Paez always displayed the dominant hand in the situation due to his military support. In the first occurrence when the Farfan brothers left to go looting just before the battle of Mucuritas, Paez told them both after the battle that he would impale them both clear through with his lance unless they left his sight. This sheer exchange of words from Paez was enough to send them running. In Paez’s final meeting with them on the battlefield he ordered his troops to arrange an attack on the Farfan brothers and their followers. This minor command led to the death of150 fellow Venezuelan citizens that did not agree with Paez views on taxes and other issues. Within this excerpt of his autobiography it is apparent that Paez used his command over the military and dominance over men to execute his decisions.
ReplyDelete[7+23] After reading our assigned essay, we were surprised to see that it was written by a caudillo himself. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna describes himself as such an important figure and how the people practically begged him to stay in power. He portrays himself as the victim rather than the one causing the violence. We decided that the manipulation used by this caudillo was his ability to control the people that followed him. He was able to establish himself as a savior rather than a destroyer. It was apparent that he contained a natural gift of persuasion which made him excel in his leadership position. It was his ability to use persuasion, in most cases supported by the military, that made the citizens of Mexico feel that they needed him in power, but these feelings would not last forever. When Santa Anna gained word of the revolutionaries dragging his leg lost in battle across town I believe he was disgusted and no longer believed that it was worth trying to maintain the Mexican people who desired revolution. And thus ended the era of one of the most persuasive and manipulative leader to exist.
ReplyDelete[9+21] Ribbons and Rituals, by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, was almost unbearable to read. The torture and terror Juan Manuel de Rosas imposed on his people is horrifying. The most extreme form of manipulation he used would have to be the fear he instilled by lashing and throat slitting. For example, Rosas believed that everyone should wear his portrait on his/her chest. If they did not obey this law, his army (Mazorca) would force dissenters to have an enema of pepper and turpentine. If this did not sway the dissenter's opinion, the Mazorca would slit his/her throat. Lashing became a major tool for the Mazorca when the red ribbon became instituted. For example, if a woman did not wear her red ribbon to church, the Mazorca would lash her right there. Additionally, if the red ribbon was not tied correctly or was too short, another lash would ensue. Worst of all, if a person either forgot or refused to wear one, the Mazorca would slit his/her throat. Therefore, his worst manipulation to get people to follow him was the fear of lashing and throat slitting .
ReplyDelete[6] In the essay Ribbons and Rituals by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento, the caudillo Juan Manuel de Rosas utilized a variety of manipulative tactics to induce fear and coerce subservience and adulation in his followers. Threats of physical harm, image association manipulation, and paranoid emulation all combined to initiate a terror that was as contagious as a plague. Rosas proclaimed that everyone was to wear a red ribbon and later his portrait over their hearts. People whose attires were vacant of these emblems were given an enema of pepper and turpentine, lashings, or a slit throat; the threat and demonstration of people unfortunate enough to receive the aforementioned punishments provided a compelling argument for abiding to Rosas’s regulations. Because people had to wear these items daily, they served as constant reminders of the terror inflicted by Rosas’s Mazorca, which were his police force, and aided in increasing the levels of paranoia and anxiety to their pinnacles. However while the aforementioned tactics of manipulation were horrifying in their own rights, they pale in comparison to the caudillo’s most extreme form of manipulation, which was ambiguity. Further elaborating on this form of manipulation by the utilization of examples, a person would appear strolling the streets with a ribbon half a yard in length; the observers would quickly lengthen their ribbons to the same length because they postulated that it was a new regulation proposed by Rosas. They feared punishment, which led to paranoid emulation. People would meticulously observe the length, hue of red, and position of the ribbons, attempting to establish homogeneity by means of the ribbons, which symbolized loyalty. This ambiguity led to chaos and preoccupation with self-preservation, which in turn meant that it was less probable for people to conspire against Rosas. Essentially, this ambiguity and the paranoia that ensued provided plenty of distractions, which proved invaluable, and it was this ambiguity that fueled the fears behind the punishments, thus it was that which made them effective. Without this ambiguity, people would be apathetic instead of fearful.
ReplyDelete[5] In Lions of Payara, by Jose Antonio Paez, the most powerful form of manipulation appears to be the use of language in the form of education and persuasion. In one instance, Paez thwarts one rebellion from fighting his army, by educating them that they pay taxes in order for schools to run and for the maintenance of public roads to be up to date. While, in the other case, it appears that Paez uses a smaller better quality army to beat a much larger quantitative army, keep in mind this is an autobiography that was written and it is likely Paez may have stretched the truth about the quality or quantity of his army. By stretching the truth of the battle, Paez is able to make himself appear god-like with his ability to control such an army. This is likely exactly what he did to his people, utilizing oral culture to spread the word of his powerful reign and manipulate his people into believing he was the caudillo they should follow.
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ReplyDeleteIn the essay, “Ribbons and Rituals”, by Sarmiento, the most extreme form of manipulation was fear. "Terror, you see, is a disease of the spirit which can become an epidemic like cholera, measles, or scarlet fever. No one is safe, in the end, from the contagion," (MLAH pg 79). With this definition of fear that was given it is easy to see that this was how the people were controlled. The color red was used to represent loyalty to "the cause", Federalism. The people did not really have a choice in whether they wanted to support "the cause". Or rather they did, but if they didn't they were punished for it with lashings, melted tar, and other cruel devices. The people were constantly in a state of fear, knowing that they could be punished for something as small as carelessly tying a ribbon, and could be even brought to death if the ribbon was not worn at all! If someone would change something about their house or even just sweep everyone would uniformly follow suit for fear that it was an order issued by the police and failure to follow an order resulted in some kind of punishment. It is obvious, as on onlooker and historian of the time period now that the people of Buenos Aires were scared into their beliefs, and the caudillos and rulers that overlooked them basked in the glory of the authority.
[8+22]. The essay we were assigned as "The Lions of Payara". The biggest manipulation that the caudillo used in “The Lions of Payara” dealt with Farfan brothers. First, to get them to be a part of his troop, the caudillo beguiled them by offering the position of captain to anyone who brought forty new members with them. By doing this, the caudillo not only benefitted by having the strong brothers in his troop, he also gained a number of new fighters. He was also manipulative of them when it came to their disappearances at times. If they were gone for a long time, he tell them they would be punished, but then they always returned to him to be ready to fight in battle.
ReplyDelete[11+19]:If you look closely at the text you see that it is a dramatization of Santa Anna's life. He portrays himself as the victim of some tragic scene in which the people of his town turn on him and perceive him to be some sort of monster. But this is not true for all of the people. The bottom line is, Santa Anna was elected to presidency 4 times before the revolution. He had the citizens in the palm of his hand, and he had to have gotten them there by some means. We believe Santa Anna was the manipulator. He used a variety of means to gain public favor (including the elected council of prominent citizens). The man obviously had a way with words and he was charismatic enough to win over an entire country to his side. It was only when the people saw through the smoke and mirrors act of Santa Anna's that they then began to rebel.
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ReplyDelete“The Lions of Payara,”
The most extreme form of manipulation used by the caudillo in the essay:
The letter from Paez reminding the rebel leaders of their patriotic duty justifying the taxes that he had previously promised they would not have to pay. Resulting in a reply from Farfan that he had been ignorant of the situation, made a bad decision and would Paez please forgive him. This is a prime example of a caudillo exercising his control, manipulating his followers to accept and do as he says-or face certain retribution (all subtly implied, never blatantly stated-but everyone understands what he is conveying).
Heather Remaley 10+20 This essay was about the love of country that Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana had for his country and his fellow countrymen and how they intimidated and manipulated him for their own good. They played on his love of country to get him to rescind his resignation when all he wanted to do was grieve for the loss of his wife. They intimidated him with threats of the downfall of his country to continually to get him to do for his government. He was continually bribed with praises and gratitude to continue with the fight. I think he would have fought until his ailing health gave out except they destroyed the statue of Santa Ana. That disrespect was too much for him to handle and he abandoned his country and his countrymen.
ReplyDelete[16+18] "Ribbons and Rituals"- The most serious form of manipulation used in this essay is the threat of punishment that came from not following code when wearing a red ribbon that represented unity of the Argentine caudillo Juan Manuel de Rosas. When someone didn't wear a ribbon correctly, they were whipped or even given enemas of pepper and turpentine. The punishment alone was enough to cause widespread panic across Argentina, where the people would hide from the outdoors until they knew their ribbon was properly fixed to avoid the punishment. Those who didn't wear ribbons would have their throats cut because they were assumed to be Unitarians.
ReplyDelete(14) In the Lions of Payara, manipulation was utilized through the culture of the masses. The use of oral folklore throughout the region created a grapevine spreading information that could have been untrue, but boasted unbelievable power and dominance of this caudillo that it was hard to ignore. This spreading of his greatness allowed him to gather more supporters and followers through this simple manipulative practice.
ReplyDelete[3+13] In "Protagonist on a National Stage", by Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, he portrays himself as a hero and someone that came to the rescue of his people. He repeatedly states that he sacrificed himself and his family for the greater "public good". In his words, Antonio acted as if he were doing nothing wrong, and was simply doing everything he could for the good of his country. However, in reality he was at the forefront of violent manipulation. The way in which he describes himself, makes it appear to the public that he is a sacrificing and caring leader.
ReplyDeleteCaudillos used (and use) emotions, rewards and violence of all stripes to manipulate followers and enemies alike.
ReplyDeleteThe tale of Jose Antonio Paez and the Farfan brothers demonstrates the role of rewards, in this case conferring the rank of captain upon them for bringing 40 or more troops into his army. The play between Paez and the Farfan brothers is significant, that is, the brothers come and go several times to pillage on their own but are allowed to return to the fold. What we see, in fact, is that Paez is just one of a number of caudillos in Venezuela. He uses fatherly flexibility mixed with threats of punishment to keep the Farfan’s in line. Ultimately, he fails and must turn to kill them. He succeeds in felling one brother and thereby maintains his power over the other. But we see that the business of caudillismo is tenuous.
In some contrast, Juan Manuel de Rosas was one of the most dominant, long-lasting caudillos in history. He ruled Argentina with an iron fist for 20 years. The essay we read about him describes how extreme his control reached. Red was the color of his so-called political party – the Federalists – and in complete submission to his rule, the people of Buenos Aires competed with each other to display red ribbons on their person and in their windows. Failure to dawn red ribbons drew whippings or worse from his henchmen, the Mazorca, who patrolled the streets like German Nazi troops occupying France in World War II. Rosas exerted mass terror, physical and mental manipulation of a supreme order.
Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna, who conquered the Alamo in 1836, used pure emotions to attempt continued control and influence. The piece in MLAH reads like a soap opera episode. Sympathy is the emotion evoked for Santa Anna’s sacrifices for god and country. It is the weak side of manipulation, but his personal record within Mexico lasted so long that sympathy at least partially succeeded in his last years.