Heisenberg wrote:I love that despite almost a year of economic terrorism and gaslighting by the US government, NYT and WaPo, it seems Bolivians still haven't warmed up to #Girlboss Jeannine Añez. She's polling in a distant third place while MAS has more than 40% and is 15 points ahead of second place.
I had an interesting experience with Latin-American false consciousness yesterday that I would like to share in this thread.
I occasionally animate outdoor beach volleyball at multiple-court beach volley center. Yesterday, I had a very shy Peruvian woman (Carolina) - living in Montreal for a year to learn French - as a new player. She teamed up with a guy from Colombia (Antonio), and the pair signed up to play "mixed doubles" with two other teams who had monopolized a public court for two hours alone.
Before Carolina went off to that court to play, we spoke in Spanish for a bit. And in French. We ended up talking about Hugo Chavez, and I expressed my admiration for him, while Carolina- wealthy middle-class Latina - told me that she is on the opposite side of Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales, etc. That she can't stand them. Hates them.
I didn't continue the conversation past this point, since I don't know her very well, like talking to her, and we both need to learn the other's language. But if I had, I would have stressed how much these leaders have helped those who have been crushed by the elite in their own countries. That Chavez was elected mainly to counter the effects of the elite's bullying and monopolization of resources.
Anyway, Caro and Antonio went off to play with some players who consider themselves elite and refuse to share with others, and they rejected her and Antonio at first glance. Tried to "bounce" her and Antonio off the courts. I had to make an intervention to force the winning team to play a game against her and Antonio. (Public courts!) These so-called
elite teams weren't happy sharing a public space (!!) with ... the public.
I forced them to let the 'new people' play one game. The other team was nasty the entire time they played, and made Carolina and Antonio "feel like garbage" for trying to play a game of beach on the one court that is dedicated to mixed 2 x 2. When they finished their game, they looked traumatized and humiliated. It wasn't just the loss, it was the poor treatment and lack of opportunity or welcome that they had received from the other players (Carolina reported this to me after the game).
For a fleeting 20 minutes, Carolina got to taste what it's like to be on the other side, to be the marginalized person who needs a leader to have an opportunity to play a game, and I had to play a mini "Hugo Chavez" just to get her and Antonio onto the court.
Karma is much more scientific than we are led to believe.