Dawson Chapter 4:

The document  "Porfirio Diaz, Hero of the Americas" describes Diaz's letting go of Mexico as he finishes his last term in his legacy. Creelman introduces him as a hero through describing his physical attributes in great detail. He describes his kind but fearful eyes, highlighting the contrast in his character: strength and sensitivity. As he interviews him he delves into why Diaz is finally letting go, and what his current opinions of Mexico are. I found it interesting that he agreed with democratic sentiments even though he had been the country's sole leader for several terms. He agrees that democracy protects nations from dictators seeking personal profit and enforcing unfair policies, yet he believed that when he took control of Mexico, the country was ill prepared for the responsibilities of democracy.
He explains this economically with the emergence of a middle class. It was interesting that he described the middle class as the function of a democracy that had not been there before with the economic gap. He explains that the wealthy and the poor do not concern themselves enough with the political process, and that democracy has not been "implanted" in the people's minds. He calls an opposing party a "blessing" because it would mean that the people were actively involved in the government.
I thought an interesting concept that was brought up was "enforced peace." I don't know if I would consider peace something that can be forced but he claims that the blood that was shed was the bad, and the blood that was saved was mostly good. As for the export boom and technological advancements he says that factory smoke is better than cannon smoke of war. Mexico is described as a place with shining electric lights and English language taught to children in schools. As Dawson describes, 50% of Latin America's capital was in foreign hands. I'm curious if Mexico was just becoming more economically stable, but losing its identity as a culture.