ABSTRACT
This essay, first published in 1996, has a complex life history that is recorded in the acknowledgments. It is the product of many revisions—almost weekly at one point—that seemed to make it a story without end; which, of course, is what it was and is. This is the way life happens. I conceived of this piece in the spirit of journalism—fast reporting of unexpected current events with responsible background information. Neither politicians, nor the Mexican Army, nor journalists, nor scholars (including myself had a clue that the events of January 1, 1994, were imminent. Yet I felt compelled to respond. What might I contribute to the interpretation of this unusual tale?
