Last Thursday I went to a protest outside of the Honduran consulate. It was incredible. People of all ages and all classes (although those of the higher classes are more likely to not care about the coup, or even support it. Excuse the awful generalization, but sometimes awful generalizations have truth to them). I was playing a bit of devil's advocate with my very leftist friend, F. He expressed his disappointment with the fact that Obama has not said enough. Obama did actually call what happened, as of yesterday, in Honduras a coup. But what actions will he take if any? I felt that I should defend Obama, even though I'm mixed about how much I believe what I said. I do to some extent, but just reading websites like Huffington Post and seeing how little attention the coup is getting in U.S. news as compared to Iran or Russia is such a disappointment. I am not geographically closer to Honduras, but it is all over the news here. It should be in the States, too. The U.S. is part of the Americas and needs to give its fellow American nations airtime. In response to the accusation that Obama is making a mistake by not commenting enough or doing enough, here is my response: Those of you in the States are well aware of the fact that Obama is on a bit of a publicity tour to garner support for his health care plan. He has already been called a socialist during the campaign and even more so now. He cannot lose sight of the prize. I dream of being a citizen of a country that finally views healthcare as a human right. I selfishly really want that to pass, and perhaps any distraction loses that possibility. The label of socialist will catch on even more if Obama is on the side of Chavez. Obviously it is being on the side of what is right that really matters, but the States is a strange place. I think for the first time those that have too often voted against their economic interests because elections have often become culture wars (I think Sarah Palin is someone who symbolizes this type of political strategy), are realizing that they have been denied their right to healthcare for too long. It has taken a long time for a Democrat to sine their support, and being linked with Chavez could destroy it. Secondly, Obama, as demonstrated in his speech at Cairo University, is an insightful student of history. He understands how the States is viewed in many parts of the world, and knows that Latin America has too often been treated as the States' backyard, and knows that it's citizens don't look at the U.S. as having altruistic aspirations in the region.
I have to say that on many news blogs I have been horrified by some of the comments I have been reading. Yes, Zelaya did something illegal, but it is more complex than simply discussing the law in simple terms. A correspondent for The Economist, no left wing publication by any standards, said that Zelaya broke the law, but the constitution does is not clear enough that it states any manner of having a non-binding referendum legally. This is an extremely important point. Illegality means something a bit more blurry when there is no legal route provide. As I have said previously, it was a non-binding referendum to see if the public would allow for the possibility of having more than one term per president. Honduras is the only country in the Americas that limits presidents to one term with the exception of Mexico, and Mexico has six year terms, not four, as Honduras does. Anyone who has said that the military simply followed the law by arresting Zelaya is mistaken. This is a coup, I'm watching it on television. The Honduran constitution does say that the military is under the president's control and cannot depose elected officials. The government in Honduras is in no way legitimate. It is barely a story on the U.S. news. I watched as the constitutional president tried to return to his country by airplane yesterday. Before his arrival the military turned on the protesters. It was a fiery group, but non-violent. I saw bursts of tear gas and heard gun shots...a lot of them. At least two teenagers were shot dead. HufPo said that the presidents who wanted to enter Honduras with Zelaya decided to go to El Salvador because they were scared for their safety. Probably, but their supposed fear comes out of the last minute retraction of the permission to enter the country initially granted by the military government. I saw awful violence against protesters, blood, ambulances, soldiers in combat position on the international airport's runway ready to shoot and kill whoever tried to get closer. The military blocked the runway and Zelaya could not land. As he approached you could hear the cheers. He was threatened with military interception upon an attempt to land. It was an unsuccessful return. He had to go to Nicaragua, and then perhaps to El Salvador to speak with those who had volunteered to accompany him. His country has been suspended by the Organization of American States. The best clips have been of people saying they did not vote for him and never would, but cannot sit as their country is seized by the military once again (by generals trained in our very own School of the Americas). These are not necessarily marches in favor of Zelaya, but a public outcry against an act completely contrary to the concept of democracy. Right now I hear voices yelling "asesinos" at the military during a protest/march of mourning for the two young people killed yesterday. I had the conversation with F. before the violence. The States must say something after the violence of yesterday. Chavez (surprisingly complimentary of Obama) had said that no military government could assume such power and ignore the international community without the support of the "imperialismo yanqui", but said that Obama had nothing to do with it. Unfortunately, anything could be possible. I would not be too surprised if a reaction to Zelaya's turn to the left, which has become anti-business, had not angered some of those from the U.S. doing business there. The U.S. is the number one trading partner of Honduras. Maybe all of this becomes so much harder and yet disgustingly fascinating from a country that sees itself as part of an American community, one which is quite opposed to the States and shares the common history of military dictatorships. Probably I also feel the need to deal with some sort of self-loathing that comes from being from a country that is responsible for so much damage. I haven't supported it per se, but I have benefitted from it. I was not alive at the time that Kissinger and the CIA helped orchestrate the coup in Chile that did away with Allende and replaced him with Pinochet, but it was out of business interest that the States did so, and have I not been able to enjoy a standard of life that derives from a capitalist society that goes after its own business interests without the regard for democracy, human rights, etc.? Maybe I am so fascinated by this coup because maybe I perversely feel that by caring, or reading about it, I will somehow excuse myself for my nationality. People from the States, for the most part, are not thought of well in Argentina. There is a Buenos Aires arrogance that has no problem stating that. My best friend's mother (Argentine), told my father, when she first met him, and without intending any defense, that for years the States just didn't exist on the map for her, that she didn't want to see it on a map! This is a particularly stubborn individual, but she is not so unique in that sentiment. When I lived with my Argentine cousins they commented on how smart I was for an estadounidense because I knew who Louis Pasteur was (said with a sense of humor). I am not at all offended by these comments because I understand them. The only time I was ever incensed, and I mean truly disturbed, was when a comment I made was dismissed with the line: That's so something that someone from the U.S. would say. It was coming from an ignorant person (I say that not based on that comment, but on knowing him) and it was in response to a comment I had made about a subject I knew about more than him, and I'm not ashamed to say it. It was a dismissal that made me so very angry, the sentiment behind does not, but I want to have an intelligent conversation. If someone does actually take their time to speak to me they may be surprised be some of my convictions, especially as someone coming from the Hand of Imperialism. I had a friend profusely apologize to me when she sent me a text message she intended to send to her friend to invite her out to have a drink with us. The message said she was going to have a drink with the yanqui. I was not offended at all. I found it endearing because I understand the intent of it, which was in no way malicious. I have fun with it sometimes, I comment on my long expired visa and how funny it is to have a North American illegal in the South.
I think that it's worth mentioning the swine flu outbreak in Argentina. I do not think that panic is necessary, although the media here is great at playing on the paranoia of its citizens. If you're not naturally a paranoid person, I recommend watching the news in BA. It really seems like they just want to create a wave of panic.
I knew that there would probably be a lot of la gripe porcina when the first cases arrived in April or May. It's a situation that does not have to be as bad as it is, and I get angry just thinking about how it has gotten so bad in Argentina. I am well aware that it became quite an issue in the States, but Obama talked about it early on and there was a lot of information that recommended basic but necessary steps. None of that happened here. There is a president who cared more about paying attention to the elections than to any health crisis. The issue of health was ignored and the flu was treated as no big deal until two weeks ago, or right about voting time or after. The situation was left completely uncontrolled. The numbers of the dead are unknown and rival politicians have varying statistics. The information about using alcohol and washing your hands constantly has only recently been publicly encouraged, and that's after thing have gotten quite bad. A lot of the people that have gotten sick, or died, are poorer and from the province. They were simply ignored and no one cared enough to tell that their symptoms were of something much worse than they seemed. If they had gone to a public hospital they might have been treated, but no one goes to the hospital when they think the have a seasonal flu. I am outraged that elections took precedent over the health of a population. It's quite criminal, which is something that many people are saying quite strongly. As my boss told me in response to a comment I made in relation to the government's responsibility for how bad the flu has gotten (as representative of the imperialismo yanqui I feel a bit guilty making such a comment): "The problem with Argentina is the government." Now people feel helpless and overly paranoid. No one should fear leaving their home to walk on the street. I still take public transportation and so far none of my students have had there work cancelled. However, it is funny that certain companies have made it a policy to stop doing the traditional salutation of the kiss on the cheek. It's like being a cold New Yorker again. There's a moment of hesitation when you say hi to someone now. Do they want the kiss, do they not want it. After having had to get used to embracing and kissing to the left of a stranger's cheek, it's difficult to have such distance between humans again.
Last thought: Death of Robert McNamara. I recommend "The Fog of War" to anybody, but there was the last part of it posted on the bottom of the short article you will find through this link to The Huffington Post. The article is no great shakes, but the five minute clip from the movie is, especially when he quotes T.S. Eliot. I think what makes the movie so hard to watch, besides the theme of war, which is really the theme of often preventable death and destruction, is that it makes this easily hatable person too human for us, too frail. The last minute or so are just incredible.
No hay comentarios:
Publicar un comentario