My career boot camp was Arthur Andersen, of which it was often said, “You can take the man out of Arthur Andersen but you cannot take Arthur Andersen out of the man.”
My wife and I lived the first 4-plus years of our marriage in Kalamazoo, Michigan. To borrow from the Andersen lore, You can take the family out of Kalamazoo, but you cannot take Kalamazoo out of the family. At least it is true for us, as I’ve noted in his blog over the years (I Remember, Lullaby, Evocation).
In 1984 I read in the local paper that Russell Kirk was going to deliver a lecture in town at Western Michigan University. Lillie and I arranged to attend, after which we chatted a while with the great man.
Dr. Kirk was a man of place. He was born in Michigan and died there in 1994 at age 75. He wrote about seeing aged men working mightily to uproot large stumps in their ground, knowing they were doing so for future generations. According to Kirk, this was a truly American motif for most of her history until the early 20th Century when the focus became more self-centered and less future oriented.
One of his definitions of what makes a good society came to my mind today as I contemplated my mother’s 92nd birthday:
“A society in which men and women are governed by belief in an enduring moral order, by a strong sense of right and wrong, by personal convictions about justice and honor, will be a good society — whatever political machinery it may utilize; while a society in which men and women are morally adrift, ignorant of norms, and intent chiefly upon gratification of appetites, will be a bad society — no matter how many people vote and no matter how liberal its formal constitution may be.”
Elsewhere he wrote of the “Permanent Things” of which the above quote gives an idea.
My mother was born in the interior of Venezuela, in a small village called Upata. She tells of her horror of hearing the men killing a pig for roasting. No matter how far she ran, the squeals and shrieks could not be escaped. She was acquainted with poverty but always had something to eat and was humble enough to learn American as well as Latin rules of society from wonderful people in El Pao who took an instant liking to her.
Other than my father’s conversations with friends and family about the rapidly deteriorating situation in Cuba and the obvious connections between Communists there and the military in Venezuela (see for example, Nexus), our home was not characterized by political discourses and debates. It was more defined by the “Permanent Things” of which Dr. Kirk wrote so eloquently: faith, home, hearth, immediate and extended family, friends, and more.
And my mother was a most critical key to that scene.
In 1978, I was working in Puerto Rico with Arthur Andersen. I had not visited Venezuela since 1975 and was determined to do so before the year was out. I told my parents about my plans to travel to the country of my birth in December.
A few weeks later I stopped by home on my way to a conference in Chicago. My mother promptly handed me a small, black address book and asked me to sit with her, which I did. She then asked me to open the book and as I — incredulously — slowly flipped each page, crammed with names, phones, and addresses, she insisted that it was my duty to visit each person or family in the book. And if that were absolutely not possible, then to at the very least call each number.
I mildly protested, “But, Mami, I’ll only be there three weeks. These names are spread from Caracas to Upata and numberless places in between. There’s no way….”
“¡Querer es poder!” she exclaimed with finality (roughly translated, “To want is to do!”)
I was a bit dejected, thinking my plans of visiting exotic places I’d not had the chance to do while living in the country had gone up in smoke by all these visits that my mother had demanded I execute.
I made every single visit, except one who could not see me due to severe illness. But I did speak with them by phone (“I’m not surprised Mrs. M did not receive you; she was always a bit cold, but you did the right thing in asking to see them.”)
And it was among the most memorable trips ever, for it honored the Permanent Things.
Thank you, Mami. Thank you very much.
God’s grace to you always.
The tree stump in the western, Shane Visiting with the Berán family, December, 1978 Dr. Russel Kirk, circa 1990 My brother, Ronny, and I visit with our mother, circa 2012
[With Bill Muehlenberg’s permission, I am happy to publish his post on Queen Elizabeth’s funeral, which post reflects much of my own thinking and which I believe you will appreciate — RMB]
A Few Thoughts on Queen Elizabeth’s Funeral
Over the past few hours I have been watching the Queen’s funeral, as have so many millions of others all over the globe. A little while ago I posted words like this on the social media: ‘This may be the last time a large portion of the world’s population tunes in to a service where great old hymns are sung and vital passages of Scripture are read out, along with moving prayers in a beautiful cathedral. For the West at least this may mark the end of an age.’
All the pomp and ceremony, the stirring music, the colourful uniforms, and precision marching, the solemnity – it was all done in accord with the Queen’s wishes. And the massive crowds in London, along with an estimated television audience of some four billion people, made this among the most significant public events of this century.
As to actual the funeral service, the sacral nature of it has impressed many, including myself. The hymns heard were: The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, is Ended; The Lord’s My Shepherd; and Love Divine, All Loves Excelling. We heard various portions of Scripture during the service. And we heard the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby say these words:
The pattern for many leaders is to be exalted in life and forgotten after death. The pattern for all who serve God – famous or obscure, respected or ignored – is that death is the door to glory. Her Late Majesty famously declared in a 21st birthday broadcast that her whole life would be dedicated to serving the Nation and Commonwealth. Rarely has such a promise been so well kept! Few leaders receive the outpouring of love we have seen. Jesus – who in our reading does not tell his disciples how to follow, but who – said: “I am the way, the truth and the life”. Her Late Majesty’s example was not set through her position or her ambition, but through whom she followed. I know His Majesty shares the same faith and hope in Jesus Christ as his mother; the same sense of service and duty. In 1953 the Queen began her Coronation with silent prayer, just there at the High Altar. Her allegiance to God was given before any person gave allegiance to her. Her service to so many people in this nation, the Commonwealth and the world had its foundation in her following Christ – God himself – who said that he “came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”.
We may never again see anything quite like it. Certainly not the unashamed Christian elements. What modern ruler would have so many people come out to view his funeral? What leader would have so many gospel elements present? Who could elicit such a response as the Queen did? There was not just royal pageantry on display but a very real element of the sacred here.
Yes, the Queen was simply a human being like you and I, but she took seriously her role of serving the people. She did so without arrogance or condescension. And often the words of Christ were heard in her Christmas messages and other addresses. One would get none of this from a Biden or a Trudeau or a Macron or an Ardern. But they are few and far between.
So things may have shifted big time in the West, with one era passing as another takes its place. The secularisation process has taken its toll, at least among our leaders and elites. Few come to mind today who will ever be anywhere near as outspoken about matters of faith – at least the Christian faith.
The new King has long told us how much he admires Islam, and how he wants to be known as a ‘defender of faith’ and not the ‘defender of the faith’. England will certainly be quite different. But most of the rest of the West is in the same boat. Sure, we can find a few leaders who are still up front about their faith, such as Ted Cruz in America or former leaders in Australia such as John Anderson or Tony Abbott.
So this may well spell the end of Christendom as we know it. Sure, it has been on wobbly legs for quite some time now. In the West a new, dark, secular era seems to be upon us. Everywhere we see the retreat of the Christian faith and the rise of secular humanism, along with forces quite hostile to Christianity.
Thankfully the church is strong and growing elsewhere: Africa, Asia, Latin America. God never leaves himself without a witness. But is the West now at the end of such a long period of the Christian faith, at least in the public, and amongst our ruling elites? It is certainly looking that way.
One might ask why a Yank such as myself is even writing this way. Sure, I was never a Royal watcher. But marrying an Australian and living in a Commonwealth country for over three decades has changed this somewhat. And as a student of church history one cannot overlook how Christianity came to England and developed there.
Indeed, during the past few years I have been reading quite a lot on things like the English Reformation, the Puritans, the Pilgrims, and so on. So much amazing history. So many great Christians. But now it seems like this chapter might be coming to an end, not just in the UK but all over the Western world.
That is why this funeral seems like such a crucial event – a hinge of history. The end of the old and the beginning of what many of us fear to see. Yes, knowing that God is on the throne and has no plans of getting off it, that is certainly reassuring.
But just as so many millions of Brits really do miss their beloved Queen, many of us can miss what she represented. The future looks rather bleak. The way ahead seems uncertain. But as we heard at the funeral, the Christian has hope. The resurrection of Jesus proves that.
Whether Europe and the West will again experience resurrection power in a major way is a moot point. But all those who love Christ and eagerly await his coming certainly do have that hope. And that is enough. God bless you QEII.
This year (2022), between January and July, the Organization of American States (OAS) estimates that more than 45,000 Venezuelans have crossed the Darien Gap. As opposed to immigrants from other countries (Haiti, Uzbekistan, Central American nations, and more) the US Department of State has imposed visa requirements on Venezuelans that are practically impossible for most to meet. We have also pressured other countries in Central America to do likewise, the latest one to fall in line being Costa Rica. In March, as reported by The Washington Examiner, Mexico “has successfully put a stop to the trend of Venezuelans flying into its airports and then [going] to the United States after more than 100,000 were stopped at the border since last summer.”
What this means is that Venezuelans who survive the jungles, seas, and rivers just to get to the Darien Gap where they then cross a trackless wall of jungle 70 miles wide, are under the added pressures of bureaucracies who are determined to keep them from arriving and entering the United States.
Over 6.8 MILLION Venezuelans have emigrated from the Socialist Paradise, most finding refuge in Colombia, Peru, and Chile. But hundreds of thousands have headed elsewhere, including the United States, despite the almost insurmountable odds. The number of Venezuelan refugees exceed their Syrian and Ukrainian counterparts who are fleeing the devastation of wars in their homelands.
Venezuelans are fleeing another type of war: a war against man in the image of God. That is a war that never ends ends well: over 150 million deaths by Stalin, Mao, Ho, Pol Pot, Castro, and more in the 20th Century alone [see The Black Book of Communism]. (And that is in addition to the millions of deaths in the two world wars and all the hot wars such as Korea, Vietnam, and more.)
And so they, and others, seek to shorten their crossing of the Darien Gap by getting to Necocli on the eastern Colombian shores of the Gulf of Uraba. There they seek and pay unknown coyotes to cross the gulf to Acandi, on the western shores of the gulf. And there they either acquire the services of “guides” or other coyotes to cross the Gap, or just strike out on their own into the forbidding jungles.
It is a most frightfully hazardous crossing whose fatalities can only be guessed at. Besides treacherous rapids and muddy mountain sides and cliffs the refugees are easy prey to criminal gangs and cartels as well as poisonous snakes and other beasts. It is estimated that nine Venezuelans per hour cross the Gap, with at least 15 Venezuelans reported to have died trying to cross, in 2022 alone. Despite widespread reports of women and children being victims of rape and murder, they keep trying. Many have not lived to tell the tale.
Following are some of the tales of horror:
In January of this year, “María” [true name withheld] and other women, including a 13-year-old girl, were raped by seven men who then yelled, “Run, go! Else we will shoot you in the back!”
“María” and her companions did make it to Panama. The following bullets tell of just a few who did not.
Marine Carolina Castellano Suárez, 26 years old, was with her husband and minor son when she was swept away by the currents of a swift river. She was killed when her head struck a rock.
In March, Andreína Chiquinquirá Acosta who journeyed with her young son, fell utterly exhausted and died despite the efforts of her fellow refugees to revive her.
Merimar Paola Gómez Díaz successfully crossed the Darien Gap after walking for thirteen days, but was felled by cardiac arrest upon arriving at Bajo Chiquito in Panama. She was with her husband, three children, and mother.
In April Giovanni Prado died of a heart attack in the Darien jungles. His body was at a three hour distance from the nearest village; his daughter begged for help to recover his remains.
In June, Wilmer Monterola died in the Darien jungle after languishing there for 15 days with a broken leg, unable to move.
Anhelo José Montilla Godoy, 26, died on June 9, having reached refuge in San Vicente, Panama, but suffering cardiac arrest shortly thereafter.
In July, Luz Asleidys Steile Arguelles and her minor daughter, Lusied Antonella Chirinos Steile drowned in rapids as they sought to cross. Their relatives confirmed the deaths upon viewing a video of the bodies.
Freddy Alejandro Lira died of exhaustion in the Darien Gap in July: a reporter shared a video of Mr. Lira seated on the jungle ground in critical condition shortly before his death.
Luis Leonardo Cardozo Montilla, 34, was seeking to go to Utah where he had relatives. He did not make it across the Gap; he died in July.
José Gerardo Díaz died in July after being struck by a poisonous snake.
Daniel Rodríguez, after fruitlessly seeking to come legally to see his son, finally decided to come through the jungles. He was felled by a cardiac arrest in July as he sought to make it through the Darien jungles.
“Gabriel” [name withheld to protect friends and family still in Venezuela] who traversed the journey with his wife, two young children, and a cousin, did make it. He had gathered $8,000 over many months and by the time they arrived at the Rio Bravo, which they crossed illegally, they had used every penny. They turned themselves in and are now in Texas with legal status, working hard, and grateful to Americans. “I do not recommend crossing the Darien; it is a hell on earth. But I have no regrets. I am here and my wife and children are with me. I could never leave them behind. You leave with what is necessary and by the time you arrive, you have nothing. But you have your life.”
An educated guess for this state of affairs where the world’s migrants are incentivized to come in illegally, but not Venezuelans, is that Venezuelans know what Socialism — with or without a human face — actually does to a country and its people. We can’t have that, can we.
This state of affairs has discouraged my compratiotas, but it has not deterred them.
Location of Darien Gap Darien Gap Refugees in the Darien Gap Fifteen migrants who did not make it through the gap are buried in Guayabilla Cemetery in Agua Fría, Panama. On the white body bags were handwritten clues: “Unknown in Bajo Grande”, “Unknown in Turquesa River”, “Unknown #3 Minor”, and more. Venezuelan mother and daughter, reported missing for weeks. Later confirmed dead by drowning in the Darien Gap. Haitian husband and pregnant wife. After a harrowing crossing, they seriously considered staying in Panama. I do not know their final decision.
[This is the fourth of a 4-part post: Prologue and Beginning; Civil War and Ending; Scorecard; and US Interventions. This part, “US Interventions”, focuses on the major investments US companies and others made in Mexico, especially in the railroads — which are a true marvel — but also in oil. This was an era of remarkable men such as Weetman Dickinson Pearson, 1st Viscount and William F. Buckley, Sr., who, though long gone, have nevertheless left their mark — RMB]
The US Investments in Mexico that needed to be protected during the ten years of revolution
As mentioned earlier, during the Porfirio Diaz presidency there was a great influx of US and British investments in Mexico. US railroad companies had extended their lines to the border prior to Diaz presidency. When Diaz took office the Southern Pacific and the Santa Fe extended their lines into Mexico which represented 66% of the system valued at about $650Million. Along the rail routes telegraph lines were erected.
[Porfirio Diaz was truly a visionary for his beloved Mexico. The development of Mexico’s railways owes much to this remarkable man. As Mike put it in earlier post, his body should eventually be returned to Mexico, where he belongs. In the 1870s Mexico was a land of horsemen, pack mules, and cargadores (human burden-bearers) for goods traffic. Diaz was quick to realize the possibilities of railways and he ensured they spread rapidly. Mexico had a stable government for the first time since her independence and disorder did not reappear until his exile. By then railway mileage had increased from 350 to more than 13,000 miles. Significant foreign investment had poured into Mexico — RMB]
US mining companies explored and began mining; one of the most famous Mines was in Cananea, Sonora. The Smelting and mining interest alone were worth more than $250 Million.
As an aside, my grandfather worked in Anaconda’s mine in Cananea for 20 years as the power plant superintendent. My visits to Cananea were very memorable, especially the drive from Naco/Bisbee Arizona to Cananea. At that time the roads were not paved and without bridges so the fun part was crossing the many arroyos in route — some dry, others full of water so we would have to wait until the water receded to pass. The desert was teeming with wildlife but very few people until you arrived in Cananea.
Tracks of land for timber/cattle/sugar/rubber were sold to American Investors; some of these tracks were as large as one million acres. Valued at $80 Million.
Oil discoveries by US and British engineers around Tampico and Tuxpan, Veracuz, followed with its development circa 1905. Valued at about $15 Million at that time the oil business was in its infancy when the Revolution started but managed to grow rapidly to the point that it furnished a large percentage of oil needed by the British Warships during WWI.
As an Aside: Weetman Dickerson Pearson a British Engineer 1st Viscount Cowdray was a very interesting participant in the Mexican Oil business along with other business adventures in Mexico during that time. Note the size of his castle in Scotland.
[He was one of many remarkable men of that era. He went to Mexico in 1889. Per Encyclopedia Brittanica: “He drained swamps; built railways, power lines, waterworks, and harbors; and acquired much oil-rich land. He began drilling to obtain fuel for his locomotives and, in the first two decades of the 20th century, secured control of the Mexican oil industry. His firm built the Blackwall Tunnel under the Thames River, London, and several railroad tunnels under the East River, New York City; enlarged the Dover harbor; and in 1926 completed a large dam on the Blue Nile in Sudan.” — RMB]
The United States of America’s Interventions In Mexico
There were a lot of behind-the-scenes manipulations by the US government during the revolution with the main event being the invasion of Vera Cruz in 1914.
The primary reason for the intervention was to protect US financial interests in Mexico which were estimated at between $1.5 to $2 billion.
The other issue was Huerta’s assassination of Madero, the duly elected president in whom the US government was heavily vested. One must also understand that at the time, Huerta only controlled a small portion of the Mexican republic, mainly Mexico City. Wilson’s refusal to acknowledge his administration as legitimate created the atmosphere for conflict which Wilson acted upon as a pretext for intervention after some minor incidents in the port of Tampico.
The US lost the PR war first by indiscriminately shelling the port of Veracruz resulting in loss of civilian life, and, second, the battle of Chapultepec Castle. The battle was memorialized by both sides including:
Los Niños Héroes — Five military cadets refused to retreat, defending the castle to their deaths including one that jumped from the castle with the Mexican Flag wrapped around his body so that the Americans could not capture it.
Saint Patrick Battalion — Thirty US army deserters who fought on the Mexican side were executed at the exact time the US flag was raised over the castle.
US Marines Hymn — The famed line “From the halls of Montezuma” in honor of the 90% of the officers’ corps who were killed during the battle).
Marines Blood Stripe — Scarlet red stripe on Marines dress trousers worn by all US Marines remembering those who died at Chapultepec.
Huerta left the country after the taking Mexico City; US forces left Mexico after 6 months.
One of the highlights for the US intervention was the use of amphibious landing equipment on the Veracruz beaches. The exercise was a laughable failure but it led to perfecting the exercise during WWII.
The second intervention was a punitive action resulting from Pancho Villa’s raid on the border town of Columbus New Mexico in 1916. There was also an attack by Villa on a train Near Santa Isabel, Chihuahua, that killed several ASARCO employees (a US mining company) and fifteen from American Smelting and Refining company. A lone survivor was able to recount the incident. General Pershing led the expedition with 5,000 troops to capture or kill Pancho Villa.
The military failed in its objective to capture Villa and was another PR failure of the inept Woodrow Wilson. Wilson’s restriction on Pershing made it impossible to meet the initial objectives, the incursion only lasted 8 months. It was a humiliating defeat for great General Pershing who was embittered by Wilson’s duplicity.
The real story behind all this was that Villa was once friendly to the US even visiting Pershing in Fort Bliss, El Paso Texas. Wilson (once again the meddler) in late 1915 felt that supporting Venustiano Carranza was the best way to stabilize the Mexican military chaos and withdrew support for Villa. Villa felt betrayed by the US when the US stopped arms sales to his army.
[There are two fascinating accounts narrated by the late Reid Buckley, youngest of the William F. Buckley, Sr. clan, about his father’s encounters with Villa. The first was when Villa held up a train and, pointing his pistol at the hapless conductor’s skull, cocked the hammer, demanding he tell his men where the gold was hid. Buckley had hid the gold in cuspidors but the conductor had no knowledge of this. As the conductor begged Villa to believe him, that he knew nothing, Villa’s men burst from the men’s room, “We have found the gold!”. But Villa raised his pistol, again cocking the hammer, “I will kill you anyway.” At this Buckley called out in a loud voice, in Spanish, “Do not hurt that man. I hid the gold. He knew nothing about it.”
[It is a fascinating account, at the end of which, Villa said to Buckley, “And you, Guillermo Buckley, come see me at a better time. I respect courage.”
[The second was no less dramatic but space does not permit. Reid Buckley affirmed that the Mexican frontier shaped his father’s creed. A high compliment indeed. For more, see An American Family: The Buckleys by Reid Buckley — RMB]
Wilson’s meddling resulted in Mexico non-support of the US during WWI. They instead remained neutral during the war.
Obviously not a fan of Woodrow.
[Neither am I – RMB]
Cananea in Sonora, Mexico: one of the world’s largest open-pit copper mines opened in 1899 Railway Station, Nogales, Arizona, bordering Mexico, circa 1920 The Culiacan River Bridge, built by Southern Pacific Railroad of Mexico (US subsidiary), on the west coast of Mexico. The railways were constructed chiefly by American and British enterprise, but are now owned mostly by Mexican companies. Weetman Dickinson Pearson, 1st Viscount Cowdray (1856 – 1927) Dunecht House, a residence in Scotland of 1st Viscount Cowdray and the place of his death in 1927 William F. Buckley, Sr. (1881 – 1958), nicknamed “Blue Eyes” by Pancho Villa
