On the homepage today, I have a “Guatemala Journal,” for your reading pleasure (I hope). Let me paste one item here.
For as long as anyone can remember, American stoners have come here to Central America to live, at least for a while. Some of them are political — like the “Christies,” as we called them, back in the ’80s. These were devotees of the Christic Institute, a Left organization. But some of them are apolitical — they’re simply stoners, playing their hacky sack and whatnot.
They’re still here.
In my hometown of Ann Arbor, there was a fair amount of hacky sack played. There was a fair amount of frisbee-throwing, too. I’m not sure you had to be stoned to engage in either of those activities — but I think it helped. If it was not a requirement, it was “strongly encouraged.”
Last summer, I had a Corner item on what to call supporters of the various presidential candidates: “Cruzers,” “Carsonians,” “Bushies” (or “Jebbies”), “Paulites” (or “Paulines”), etc. Should supporters of the New Jersey governor be called “Christies”? I think so, yes. Very few remember the Americans who so wanted the FMLN and other Communist groups to win.
Some of these Americans now hold important offices, true — think of the mayor of New York.
But in this, you can take comfort: Rigoberta Menchú, as I note in today’s journal, has run for the presidency of Guatemala a couple of times — but never received more than a handful of votes. Her countrymen are perhaps wiser to her than her legions of fans abroad, especially on school and university faculties.