Being born in a country that suffered the horrors of one of the most systematic, calculating and violent dictatorships the world has seen in recent years (1976-1983), it’s hard not think about it. Here are some random thoughts on the dictatorships:
What would I’ve done back then?
This will probably be one of the biggest mysteries for me in the course of my life, since I highly doubt I’ll ever live under a dictatorship. The western world has become too flat, too decentralized, too connected and over-informed for a dictatorship to be the choice of any government, and the eastern world is catching up. Fortunately, only a mad man would believe in the year 2010 that a dictatorship is an effective way to rule, whatever his objectives are. The fact that dictatorships don’t work is too obvious by now.
One obviously appreciates being born after it was over. However, this sense of gratification is not enough to prevent one from wondering how one would have reacted in such a situation. Would I have been chased because of my thoughts? Would I have been too afraid to speak up? Or worse, would the system had such a prohibitive effect on my mind that I wouldn’t even want to speak up or question the establishment?
My guess: I would have been persecuted too. Not because I would have played a subversive role (I’m not a fan of politics and choosing sides). No, I believe I would have been punished because the prohibition to ask questions would have been unbearable for me. I hold objectivity, truth and integrity over any other personal value, and a dictatorship doesn’t allow that. I’m too curious and outspoken.
What would my generation do now?
Would the current western generation of young people fight against the system to the point of risking their lives, torture and even the safety of their loved ones? Are we capable of getting involved in a cause that puts everything on the line?
I don’t know. This generation is the most outspoken and self-entitled generation the world has seen so far, and there is certainly no lack of young activists. But it’s not a hidden cause, it’s not a rebellion, it’s never pain and death what’s at stake.
Again, I don’t know.
Permanent damage
I’ve always thought that the worst thing the last dictatorship did to my parents’ generation was to install the fear of asking. There’s too much status-quo worshiping in them, no risk taking, no questioning, no shining.
I blame the dictatorship. It has poisoned the minds of Argentinians and it only keeps spreading, from generation to generation, by being afraid to be different and challenge the system. It’s not just fear of failure, it’s fear of physical consequences, fear of being noticed.
The thing that saved me and all the other out-of-the-box thinkers in Argentina I know from that poison?
The internet.
{ 11 comments… read them below or add one }
Hey Carlos,
This is why I get disturbed whenever any government tries to stick its nose in the Internet and plans on “regulating” it. It’s a slippery slope to be sure – how long until government officials start infringing on our free-speech rights in order to make the internet a “cleaner” place? Granted, there are some people on the ‘Net that are nothing but trash – trolling random sites, picking fights, you know who I’m talking about – but how long will it take before they start censoring sites they don’t agree with? I know that’s a doomsday scenario, but it seems all too attractive to the powers-that-be to destroy most peoples’ ability to communicate and form opposition to the government.
Interesting thoughts.
I don’t think they need to anymore. The abundance of information makes us control ourselves. You don’t know what to believe anymore so why should they eliminate some of those information sources? They just let them roll.
All hail the internet. Long live the internet!
True Carlos, you’d have been locked up!
But think about it: as far a North Korea’s concerned (though I know not much about it) a dictatorship is working out well for them. Almost no one has access to the internet (the what?!), education is fully controlled, as is the movement of its citizens.
Best of all, no one’s complaining, right?! As long as no one’s listening, no one’s really saying anything!!
The perfect world!
Seriously though, I’m pretty sure people are complaining, but they are not writing blogs about it like we are.
Well, you are missing out China.
There is a dictatorship over there, you cant access to youtube or facebook or even use MSN since the goverment censored them. The goverment usually blocks a lot of content from google or even google itself like 2 weeks ago,therefor you are not free to write/read what you want.
I’m well aware of China’s situation, but China has been slowly becoming more and more open in terms of its economy and ideology in the last few years, and that trend doesn’t show any sign of stopping. If you wanted to point to a dictatorship in the eastern world, North Korea is a far better example.
But like I said, they are catching up.
PS: I don’t think it’s fair to compare not being able to use MSN and Youtube with what previous dictatorships, like the one in Argentina, Chile, Spain or Cambodia, to name a few examples.
They are not, it still a dictatorship that killed between 60 and 80 million of innocent people. How come is not fair to compare with the Situation of Spain Argentina or Chile? Probably because China is useful for western world, so you can look somewhere else as long as they are your partner in business. There you have some western hipocrisy.
I could only say that the spanish civil war can be compared to what happened in China in the first years of revolution. I know in that war died a lot of people as well. I dont think Argentina and Chile could be at same level. I wouldn t say they have a lot of deads too, prob around 10.000. On the other hand, Its interesting how good is Chile doing right now, being on top of southamerican economies. Why do you think is that? Since both have a similar history, one is doing amazing improvements and the other one is not?
You make a (decent) point Re Western hypocrisy. As an open-minded Westerner living (was) in China my brother would often comment that it’s a relative dictatorship. I think what we’re talking about may be open to interpretation. The way we see it China does appear to be opening up. “Appear”. You know they’re at peak paranoia when they fear revolution of a massive population; which keeps them closing doors to their own people.
Oh and if someone’s going to say it’s NOT open to interpretation you’re a DAMN DICTATOR!!
Having lived in several countries that were once Soviet or communist (e.g., Estonia, Czech Republic), I know what you mean when you write about fear of asking or doing anything different. Being different and stepping out of line could result in consequences for the individual and the whole family. In addition to the internet, I would say the opportunity to meet people from other countries and to travel to other countries also opens one up to different ways of living, questioning and being.
I once heard a woman from South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Committee speak about apartheid and she said in regards to apartheid, Nazism and communist regimes: “We all ask how could so many people go along, but the question is why is it that so few people stand and speak up.” I often wonder what I would have done if I had grown up in such a situation.
My country was also once controlled by a dictator and I understand the mentality of those who have gone through it. While I was young during that time, I have witnessed on television the devastation of those who try to speak their minds. It took people power to oust such dictatorship and I’m glad I was not infected by the poison of status quo.
On my personal observation, old people are very stubborn to change their ways.