op-ed Lopsided arguments make for disappointing lectures

Author: Patrick Swan

I have been a student at this College for nearly four years. During my time here, I have had many opportunities to learn about different concepts and discuss many themes, all of which contributed not only to my academic formation, but also to my formation as a human being.

Certain that I was to be presented with another opportunity to deepen and continue my knowledge, last Tuesday I went to the lecture called "Democratic Dictatorships in the 21st Century." As an International Studies major, I initially imagined that the discussion would promote understanding about the geopolitical situation of the Latin American region and elucidate the myths that comprise the collective imaginary. I thought that this lecture would prove helpful to those who are and those who are not familiar with the subject alike.

Unfortunately, after attending the lecture, I realized that there was a clear distortion of some basic concepts, which I was able to experience in my varied trips to the region. Last year, I had the opportunity to study abroad in Brazil and Argentina. I was also an exchange student to Brazil for a year after graduating high school. During my time there, I observed a reality that many of us cannot imagine in our worst nightmares.

In Brazil, as in many of the countries in Latin America, the reality is marked by un pueblo (a people) that tends to live daily with doubt about what the next day will bring. This refers not only to economic issues, but also basic survival principals such as food, safety and shelter. Even though they are faced with this harsh reality, the people continue to exhibit hope that one day they will overcome all of their problems and that they will be able to live with dignity. This hope is based in their historical tradition of resistance. These are the traditions that I would like to evoke in this article.

Since the beginning of colonization in Latin America, civilizations such as the Mayans, Aztecs and the Incas were forced to fight against invaders. These invaders, who were interested not only in natural resources, but also domination through cultural subjugation, invaded cities and destroyed any fragment of identity. Nevertheless, the people were able to maintain and give continuity to their traditions, even though they were subjugated throughout history. As a result, many revolutionary movements, achieved throughout all of Latin America, had popular resistance as their foundation. (I am not necessarily defending any of these movements, I only aim to bring about facts so that everyone is able to understand the context and ponder its significance.) It is worth remembering that from the 1940s to the 1990s, coup d'états, many of which were military takeovers, devastated many of the Latin American countries. To be more specific, Costa Rica was the only country that had no military or civil intervention in executive power during this period. The coups were carried out forcefully and violently against democratically elected regimes.

In this way, I felt that the lecture lacked a more critical and academic analysis of the intended theme. I criticize the form in which the lecture was conducted. Even though I myself have many criticisms of the governmental system and of Hugo Chavez himself, I cannot agree with the symbolic ideological subtleties that the speaker cleverly inserted and fervently defended. To use terms such as terrorism and anti-Semitism to a society that it traumatized by the events of Sept. 11, 2001, should be done with a great deal of care. This is especially true within an academic institution, where there are people who are in a continuous process of educational formation.

For that reason, I believe that it is an immense irresponsibility to link certain concepts - implementing the use of scare tactics - to the current situations not only in Venezuela but in all Latin American politics. I say this because it suffices to think of our recent history and remember what happened the last time that "somebody said that there was something over there". We are now at war for almost five years because of something that "someone" belligerently said to convince a whole nation.

As a result of this situation I write this article so that we remember to be extremely careful not to present individual political and/or ideological views as if they were academic arguments. I suggest that the College invite another lecturer, who has a different point of view to illustrate the theme that was merely a backdrop for something entirely different of the lecturer last Tuesday. One isolated point of view does not enrich discussion or assist in the learning process. As I learned from one of my professors here at Middlebury, one cannot trust anyone who says without a doubt that they have all the answers.

Patrick Swan '08 is an International Studies major with a focus in Spanish and Economics in Latin America.