This is a topic that’s felt depressingly familiar in the U.S. in recent years, and it’s been troubling to see the rise of far-right parties in numerous countries around the world. This episode examines the threat to democracy globally but, naturally, focuses specifically on the political situation in Mexico.
Here are some highlights from the dinner discussion:
- Over Zoom, Diego Luna speaks to a Chilean politician about the landscape there, both in the present and under Pinochet’s regime – After discussing the strong tendency of leaders to cling to/amass more power, she says, “That’s why institutions matter. Because they have to remain stronger than whoever’s in power.”
- A political analyst argues that Mexico’s current political system isn’t actually a democracy – “What’s incredible is that democracy isn’t possible in a society that lives in fear. If there’s fear, you can call it many things, but it’s not democracy.”
- The general secretary for Mexico’s Morena party agrees with that – “We assume we already live in a democracy. But, just under the surface, there are many undemocratic elements in most decision-making processes from the past decades.”
- A member of the National Indigenous Council focuses on political organizers who’ve been murdered in Mexico – “A country that kills people working for democracy makes you wonder what kind of democracy we’re building.”
- For all of the country’s political struggles, the general secretary hasn’t given up hope – “I’m optimistic. I think Mexico’s at a point where the new isn’t born and the old hasn’t died. That’s where we have a great opportunity. We can either reinvent the old political culture or build a new one.”
- The political analyst argues that, in building democracy, they shouldn’t let the perfect become the enemy of the good – “Good outcomes aren’t guaranteed! The expectation that democracy will give us a perfect government is a lack of understanding of the nature of humanity. Our imperfection means we can only remedy problems, not solve them with an ideal government.”
- Another Zoom guest, a journalist, recalls President López Obrador’s promise to make Mexico safer. It was a promise that led many people to vote for him, but he’s since ignored those words – The journalist repeats the president’s earlier claim, saying, “We have to stress this. Soldiers belong in barracks, not streets.”
- A Chilean scholar and activist, participating over Zoom, examines how the end of Pinochet’s regime led into the country’s current political struggles – “The democracy that came after the dictatorship was so corrupted that it created a leadership crisis.”
This is certainly another issue that resonates deeply with Diego Luna. In his opening voiceover, he says, “It seems democracy is one step away from breaking down, waiting for the next dictator to put an end to it.” He highlights the number of candidates in the current election who’ve been murdered, and he talks over Zoom with participants in Chile to give greater context to the situation in Mexico while also broadening the conversation to include other parts of Latin America. At the same time, he continues to feel hopeful about the possibilities of the future—he tells the guests, “It’s great to feel a part of change, part of the construction of a new reality and the transformation of an environment. That makes you want to live in it.”
And as always, I like his interactions in the kitchen. Instead of assisting the main chef this time around, he takes the lead on the meal, getting help from professionals but doing a lot of the cooking himself. He discusses democracy with the chef who’s helping him. When the chef says that absolute power is needed in his work, Luna suggests the emendation, “The kitchen isn’t democratic, but hunger is.” And I enjoy a little moment when Luna tastes one of the spicier ingredients. The chef warns him, “It’s hot. Be brave!” A few seconds later, Luna chokes a little as he admits, “…I was trying to look cool.” Amid heavy subject matter, it’s nice to get these moments of levity.
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