California gubernatorial candidate Cruz Bustamante remains steadfast in his refusal to denounce MEChA, which he joined as a university student.
For anybody who is still wondering why this is such a big deal, herewith are key quotes from MEChA's founding document El Plan Espiritual de Aztlán (cited by many MEChA university chapters as being "fundmental" to the organization) juxtaposed with the Nazi Party's founding platform ("The Twenty-Five Points", which were first read in public by Adolf Hitler on Feb. 24, 1920)
Twenty-Five Points:
4. None but members of the nation may be citizens of the State. None but those of German blood, whatever their creed, may be members of the nation. No Jew, therefore, may be a member of the nationEl Plan Espiritual
Por La Raza todo. Fuera de La Raza nadaTwenty-Five Points:
7. We demand that the State shall make it its first duty to promote the industry and livelihood of citizens of the State. If it is not possible to nourish the entire population of the State, foreign nationals (non-citizens of the State) must be excluded from the ReichEl Plan Espiritual
Aztlán belongs to those who plant the seeds, water the fields, and gather the crops and not to the foreign Europeans.Twenty-Five Points:
8. All non-German immigration must be prevented. We demand that all non-Germans, who entered Germany subsequent to August 2nd, 1914, shall be required forthwith to depart from the Reich.El Plan Espiritual
economic control of our lives and our communities can only come about by driving the exploiter out of our communities, our pueblos, and our landsTwenty-Five Points:
13. We demand nationalisation of all businesses which have been up to the present formed into companies (Trusts).El Plan Espiritual14. We demand that the profits from wholesale trade shall be shared out.
Cultural background and values which ignore materialism and embrace humanism will contribute to the act of cooperative buying and the distribution of resources and productionTwenty-Five Points:
17. We demand land-reform suitable to our national requirements, passing of a law for confiscation without compensation of land for communal purposes;El Plan Espiritual
Lands rightfully ours will be fought for and defended. Land and realty ownership will be acquired by the community for the people's welfare.Twenty-Five Points:
23 (c) It must be forbidden to publish papers which do not conduce to the national welfare. We demand legal prosecution of all tendencies in art and literature of a kind likely to disintegrate our life as a nationEl Plan Espiritual
We must insure that our writers, poets, musicians, and artists produce literature and art that is appealing to our people and relates to our revolutionary culture.Twenty-Five Points:
24. We demand liberty for all religious denominations in the State, so far as they are not a danger to it and do not militate against the moral feelings of the German race.El Plan Espiritual
Nationalism as the key to organization transcends all religious, political, class, and economic factions or boundaries. Nationalism is the common denominator that all members of La Raza can agree upon.Twenty-Five Points:
The leaders of the Party swear to go straight forward - if necessary to sacrifice their lives - in securing fulfillment of the foregoing Points.El Plan Espiritual
Self-Defense against the occupying forces of the oppressors at every school, every available man, woman, and child.Back to the question in the title: What are the differences between MEChA and Nazism?
Answer: The Nazis were German, the Mechistas hail from Mexico. The Nazis were fixated on Jews, the Mechistas don't seem to like any white people. The Nazis came to power and achieved (for a time) many of their stated goals. The Mechistas have helped establish "Chicano Studies" departments, but (hopefully) will never achieve many of their other goals. The leading Republican candidate for California governor is the son of a former Nazi and has unequivocally denounced Nazism. The leading Democratic candidate for California governor was an active member of MEChA and continues to defend the organization.
UPDATE: Some might apologize for MEChA by saying that its adherents see themselves as members of an oppressed, impoverished and humiliated people. Okay, but the same held true for the Nazis.
Hey... what about the BustaMEChA
special at Taco Bell?
The Democrats have filed in State court to require Taco Bell to offer every person that shows the Matricula Consular card a free dark-meat chicken Burrito Supreme, known as the MEChA special, and tally those results for the Lt. Gov. in what's being called the 'No-Recall-Yes-Bronze-Supremacy' campaign.
It's amazing to see the use of a guerilla concept, here in the use of "Aztlan"... it's gauzy and shape shifting when it has to be (when evading scrutiny) and then it's specific and concrete when it's used between it's members as the ultimate objective: a grab for power and aggresive political dominance.
Posted by: Dennis on September 1, 2003 07:09 AMnazis=mecha=palestinians
the mechanics of cancerous power
Heinrich Himmler said: "One basic principle must be the absolute rule for the SS man: we must be honest, decent, loyal, and comradely to members of our own blood and to nobody else. What happens to a Russian, to a Czech does not interest me in the slightest."
Posted by: David Foster on September 1, 2003 08:17 AMI'm relatively poor, yet I have full faith in the capitalist system. I have no excuse to believe in anything near this close to a facist police-state. Same with everyone else.
Posted by: Greg on September 1, 2003 08:47 AMCompare a picture of Himmler to a picture of Busted Mental.
Posted by: M. Simon on September 1, 2003 08:53 AMThe Nazis were fixated on Jews, the Mechistas don't seem to like any white people
The Mechanistas and the Aztlan organizaiton is also viciously antisemetic. One need only browse their agitprop at aztlan.net to see that they even take the Protocals of the Elders of Zion seriously.
These are sick SICK people.
Posted by: Bill on September 1, 2003 10:02 AMJust to be fair, Bill, Aztlan.net is not affiliated in any way with MEChA. The WSJ once made this connection and they ran a correction afterwards, because it's not true.
Posted by: Michael Levy on September 1, 2003 10:34 AMI can see why he doesn't want to disavow MEChA. Their socialist/statist values are completely compatible with the Democratic Party platform. Throw in socialized medicine and a dress and you have Hillary Clinton.
Posted by: jim m on September 1, 2003 11:54 AMI was wondering the other day how closely MEChA's "El Plan Espiritual" was to the 25 points of the Nazi's. Scary, but quite revealing!
Posted by: Kevin on September 1, 2003 12:22 PMThis is what's known as "grasping for straws." Does the proprietor of this blog know a word of Spanish or does he just assume "espiritual" is some SECRAT NAZI CODE WORD?
Posted by: Anonymous Bob on September 1, 2003 01:30 PMKILL THE GARBACHO!!!!!!!!! CHIMICHANGAS MUCHAS GORDITAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AYIYIYIYIYIYIYIYI
Posted by: Frito Bandito on September 1, 2003 01:56 PMI predicted yesterday that Bustamante's failure to repudiate his affiliation with MEChA has killed his chances of being elected over at Left Beach.
Posted by: Breaker on September 1, 2003 02:02 PMI am a native Spanish speaker, though not Mexican (Filipino). I don't think Mr. Sharkansky et. al. misconstrue the meanings of the documents at all (El Plan de Aztlan, etc).
More to the point, their form and language is very similar to that of typical Latin American political manifestos (el Plan de Ayala, etc).
The term "Espiritual" would refer to a document laying out basic principles; this document and others of its ilk are completely agnostic in a religious sense.
Posted by: luisalegria on September 1, 2003 02:58 PMIs this a game? "Find the racism"? Because I've gone over those MEChA statements two or three times and I keep losing.
".......the Mechistas don't seem to like any white people......"
Somebody needs to inform the white guy who headed the MEChA chapter at my old high school. But then he was probably a Fifth Columnist, helping MEChA in their insidious plan to exterminate the white race -- details of which are evidently being held off for a later date, since I sure as hell can't find any here.
Posted by: A Guy on September 1, 2003 04:30 PMHey, A Guy:
"Somebody needs to inform the white guy who headed the MEChA chapter at my old high school. But then he was probably a Fifth Columnist, helping MEChA in their insidious plan to exterminate the white race -- details of which are evidently being held off for a later date, since I sure as hell can't find any here."
For exerpts of recent MEChA position papers go here.
Your friend was what Stalin labled as a "Useful Idiot" when referring to westerners that visited and glorified the Soviets in the '30's and '40's.
It is doubtless that most Mechistas belong to the organization for it's educational and cultural support functions. I am sure that most Mechistas do not hate white people. I am sure that som Mechistas do hate white people.
However MEChA's position papers undeniably state that the organization as a racial separatist organization bent on conquering the Western United States.
It is quite common for leftist organizations to have one agenda for the "front" - the face to the public and rank and file - yet to have another ulterior motive that is subversive.
Cruz Bustamante was in the leadership of MEChA at the time of its most radical formative stages. Bustamante ducked the questions presented to him about his support for the extremist original purpose of the organization. You can see a great summary of Bustamante's record of ducking the issue over at Tacitus. By ducking the issue, Bustamante has confirmed that he supports the racial separatist and reconquering agenda.
Posted by: Breaker on September 1, 2003 05:31 PM"However MEChA's position papers undeniably state that the organization as a racial separatist organization bent on conquering the Western United States."
And? Not sure where "Nazism" comes in here. Or racism, for that matter, since one of the position papers helpfully quoted by that blog you linked states rather specifically that "Chicanismo" isn't actually a race.
"Cruz Bustamante was in the leadership of MEChA at the time of its most radical formative stages. Bustamante ducked the questions presented to him about his support for the extremist original purpose of the organization. You can see a great summary of Bustamante's record of ducking the issue over at Tacitus. By ducking the issue, Bustamante has confirmed that he supports the racial separatist and reconquering agenda."
You seem to be laboring under the misapprehension that I give a shit about Bustamente.
Posted by: A Guy on September 1, 2003 06:01 PMUnchecked immigration is something that we are all going to pay for in future generations. When an ethnic group refuses to assimilate, it's called Quebec. Just a reminder, Quebec was one vote away from severance with Canada not long ago. If nothing stops the present trend in California, I envision a similar situation here someday.
Victor David Hanson has an article in National Review from his book addressing this issue. The book is aptly named "Mexiflornia".
Our grandparents gave up languages, old world cultural views and habits in order to assimilate. Once, we renounced where we left and embraced where we arrived to become a citizen.
Bustamante should be held to this principle. This issue should be thrown open and with it an exposure of Hispanic opinion.
Posted by: penny on September 1, 2003 06:08 PM
Mecha seems to be a Mexican supremacy movement. As a Mexican-American, I am disgusted by their ideas. I find the whole love affair with Castro disgusting. Why is there no solidarity with those fleeing Cuba in despair, are they not Latinos too? They talk the communist manifesto bullshit, not a big seller in my book, considering most people eagerly fled communist countries when they could. I read their "plans" and it is basically about excluding Europeans or decendant of, that seems racist. I do not know a single Spaniard alive today who was kicking it with Cortez, so not sure why any European or decendant alive would be excluded.
The members seem to be just kids, impressionable ones, who want to be a part of something. Not much of a threat. The threat is that their ideas get a pass because they come from a minority group. I do not like those ideas from the KKK or from people who look like me, plain and simple.
Posted by: Navarro on September 2, 2003 12:49 AMI don't like MEChA, but I hate the racism all over this page even more. They are a student group, not a real political movement. Moreover, they are not what I ever considered the most radical people. Some of them are kind of culty and paranoid, like a lot of the people posting on this page... but less so IMHO!
The main difference between the Nazis and MEChA - the Nazis had power, they were white, and they were popular. MEChA has no power, they are brown, and they are not even that popular with Mexican Americans. MEChA is a non-issue.
That is, uneless you're a white person who is relatively underskilled, can't really compete in the economy, and depend on white privilege to maintain your superior lifestyle. Then, maybe, you've got a problem.
Posted by: non latin commetor on September 2, 2003 02:21 PMMecha people may be powerless, brown, and unpopular now (may they forever be so)but a line from a Saul Bellow novel, "nothing is too rum to happen" captures the disturbing insight that ideas can be marginal for a long time but can become very dangerous if they find their historical opportunity. Given the right circumstances, the similarities of these guys to Nazis might seem considerbly more disturbing than it does in circumstances now.
Posted by: William Terrell on September 2, 2003 08:21 PM"Unchecked immigration is something that we are all going to pay for in future generations. When an ethnic group refuses to assimilate, it's called Quebec."
It's also called the Amish and Menonites of Pennsylvania, and the Hasidic Jews of Boro Park, Monsey, and Williamsburg. Different ethnic groups handle things different ways.
Posted by: Yehudit on September 2, 2003 09:23 PM"Unchecked immigration is something that we are all going to pay for in future generations. When an ethnic group refuses to assimilate, it's called Quebec. Just a reminder, Quebec was one vote away from severance with Canada not long ago. If nothing stops the present trend in California, I envision a similar situation here someday."
From the CIA factbook regarding Canadian ethnicity:
British Isles origin 28%, French origin 23%
Who should assimilate?
Personal Observations:
"Unchecked immigration" is already something Amerindians have long paid for. I'm sure they regret it.
If in 200 years America is brown and speaking Spanish, those people will justify it as we justify our existence on this continent: Manifest Destiny. Historical Inevitability.
Unchecked immigration built America.
The Constitution was circulated in French, English and German so that everyone who would have a say in ratifying it could understand it.
California, Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and Colorado didn't become part of the US until after the war with Mexico in mid-19th Century. Spanish speakers have been living there before it was the US. The Anglo, Franco, Germano etc. settlers did not assimilate.
Oldest city in the US: St. Augustine, Fla. Founded by Spaniards.
Oldest Capital in the US: Santa Fe, NM. Founded by Spaniards.
My family has been in North America since before the Revolution. They migrated from NY to what is now Canada, then down to Ohio in 1830. Yet I speak Spanish and French. Why? Because it makes me a stronger person. Because I refuse to cloud myself in ignorance.
My mother emigrated to the US in 1969. Will her part in the tidal wave of unchecked immigration be something we have to pay for in future genrations?
Dear Penny, and everyone else. Don't be afraid. The English language will not die. More people speak Chinese, in terms of sheer numbers, but over 90 percent of all the worlds journalism, printed matter and international communication take place in English. The vast majority of Hispanophones who come to America, not to mention those who already live here, learn or already know English. The Aztlan crowd is a radical fringe with little truck amonst the Spanish speaking majority, who want the same things Mister Smith and Jones want: life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness....and yer lily-white daughters! ;)
Learn Spanish, amigos, yer gonna need it, and it makes the world a whole lot bigger. America is not the Balkans.
Now I see why all of the MECHA students at UCLA laugh at your pathetic attempt to juxtapose MECHA with the NAZIS. Before I use to think Bruin Republicans were just really conservative, but now I see that they are pendejos! I consider myself pretty conservative, but when I see idiots like the Bruin Republicans doing and people like this webmaster doing this kind of thing it just makes me root all the more for the liberal. And just to piss off all of you scared conformists, I say VIVA LA RAZA!
Posted by: Frank Pena on March 28, 2004 12:04 PMFuck the mecha i am mexican but im not fucking brown so fuck browns purde de los blancos!
Posted by: mario on April 20, 2004 12:08 PM