Mexico 7S twentieth century has been one of dramatic upheaval<br > violence?chaos t growth?and change I inexplicably acted out against<br > a backdrop of frozentraditional values and ancient American<br > historyThe contradictory worlds of ancient and modern Mexico<br > are often expressed through seemingly endless conflicting forces<br > Thus it iS that the peasant confronts the landlordsubsistence<br > agriculture loses out to commercial farmingtraditionalism<br > struggles with modernism in art and politicsthe indigenous East<br > does battle with the modern Westcommunalism faces capitalism<br > rural Mexico undergoes Urbanizationand Mexicanos love and hate<br > the gringo Colossus of the NorthThese contradictions and con<br > flicts are expressed daily by MexicansOn the one handMarxist<br > pundits speak of repression?pharaohism?corruption?pollution<br > and povertyThey call for revolutionOn the other handbureau-<br > crats speak of iusticedemocracyhonestycleanlinessand the<br > economic miracleA contemporary style of doublespeak is offi<br > cially adoptedand the call is for a continuation of theinstitu<br > tionalized revolution<br > So it iS that MexicoS SOcalled revolutionary tradition em-<br > braces past and futureThe PRIthat isthe Partido Revolu<br > cionario Institucionalwhich dominates MexicoS political land<br > scapeiS the modernizing agency that has left Mexico both<br > traditional and moderna PRI-modern nationContemporary<br > Mexico reflects the many strains of a people in transitionwhat<br > historians view as a struggle and dialogue between past and<br > presentnhile these contradictions may seem abstract to outsiders<br > they can be understood in concrete and human termsFor example<br > nine basic foodstuffsincluding meat and beansunderwent a 100һ<br > percent price increase in only twelve days in January 1984Tortillas<br > then at the official price of 155 pesoswere selling in the tortillerias<br >