About Adolf Hitler being elected in Namibia: Should I be offended?

Herero chained during the rebellion against 

German colonial power in 1904

I don’t know. Some friends told me, “no.” Why be offended? Adolf Hitler won a local election in Namibia. Actually, his full name is Adolf Hitler Uunona. He was elected as a councillor for the Ompundja constituency. But why I should not be offended? In this era of generalized “offensiveness”, there is always a good reason to be offended (and also, to apologize when someone claims that you offended her/him). 

Adolf Hitler Uunona told to the German newspaper Bild that he has no intention of dominating the world (what a relief!). Mr. A.H. Uunona thinks that his father was not aware of Hitler’s ideas and deeds when decided to name his son after the founder of the Nazi regime. He also explained that he grew up in total innocence about the implications of having that name. "It wasn't until I was growing up that I realised: This man wanted to subjugate the whole world," said Mr. A.H. Uunona. 

He won his seat in the local council with 85% of the votes. He ran under the banner of the Swapo party, the one that led the independence of the country from South Africa and fought colonial and white-minority rule. It could be said that the party of Mr. A.H. Uunona is anti-racist. 

A BBC report reminds us that Namibia was a German colony between 1884 and 1915 (as part of a territory called “German South West Africa”). The German Empire killed thousands during the revolt of aboriginal Nama, Herero and San people, of what has been called “the forgotten genocide.” Namibia refused 10 million euros offered by Germany for reparations. The Namibian government continues to negotiate for a “revised offer.”

With such a sombre past marked by massive killings and racism, one could expect more sensibility from the part of Mr. A. H. Uunona. For example, he could have dropped the “Hitler” particle of his first name. Maybe his father didn’t know, but Mr. A.H. Uunona has no excuse. He should know about Hitler’s responsibility in the persecution and killing of millions of human beings, the biggest genocide in human history. 

What about of those who voted for Mr. A.H. Uunona? Maybe they are too young to know, or maybe they don’t give a damn, or maybe they have other priorities in their lives that caring about Hitler’s nefarious record. But Mr. A.H. Uunona could have used his name as a “pedagogical opportunity” to educate Namibians about the relatively recent criminal past of Nazi Germany, its allies and accomplices. To be named Adolf Hitler in an educational context is not the same as to use that name in a rally of a neo-Nazi party. No?

Mr. A.H. Uunona prefers to keep his name in full. His wife called him just Adolf. 

Should I be offended? No. Stupidity is equally distributed among the racist and among those who claim to be anti-racist. 

Un país para el olvido: mi nueva novela corta

El Papel Literario de El Nacional publicó los dos primeros capítulos de mi novela corta Un país para el olvido. Los puedes leer haciendo click aquí. 

Pueden bajarse la novela completa aquí.

"El cartel decía: «No se acerque a este país. Es mejor que dé la vuelta y se vaya». El gran anuncio era negro. Las letras resaltaban en blanco. Lo volvió a leer. Pensó en retornar a donde había partido y cumplir el mandato del enorme letrero. ¿Sería en serio?"

Un país para el olvido

About my own experience: Discussing Nazi ideas in the classroom

I would like to contribute from the point of view of my own experience as professor at University of Ottawa to the current debate about academic freedom and racism. I used to do an exercise with students in the master seminar on Public Communication Campaigns that I’ve taught for several years. I proposed the students to read 10 principles of propaganda, drafted by one of the fathers of these persuasion techniques, and translate them into the language of modern advertising and marketing. Before doing the exercise, I did not disclose the name of the author of the 10 principles. After discussing these principles and their connection with advertising and marketing, I disclosed the name of this person: Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi ministry of propaganda, an anti-Semite that contributed with his speech and action to the extermination of Jews, Roma people, gays, human beings with disabilities, political dissidents, among others. 

Some of the students were surprised to discover the connection between Nazi propaganda and modern persuasion techniques. Some others were not as surprised. We discussed the ethical, theoretical and practical implications of this connection. But I never was denounced as a “Nazi” for bringing Goebbels’s principles to the classroom in the context of an analytical and critical exercise. Nobody accused me of being a “traitor to the Jews” (being myself Jewish) or even a “Nazi” for bringing into the classroom the ideas of Goebbels. The discussion was always respectful, rational and constructive. 

Someone would say that I was “allowed” to bring Nazi ideas into debate in the classroom because I am entitled to do so as a Jew. This is nonsense. I don’t have a privilege to talk in exclusivity about Nazism, anti-Semitism or even Judaism or the Jewish experience because my identity (that is actually a little more complex because I was born in Morocco, raised in Venezuela, moved to Canada, speak Spanish, etc.). On the contrary, I would like others (non-Jews) to study and understand the Jewish perspective, and talk about it. I don’t have that privilege, even if I’ve experienced anti-Semitism and fought against discrimination and hate speech all my life as a journalist and professor. 

Reason should prevail in the current debate. The incitation to violence, hate speech, bullying, intimidation should be denounced. Academic freedom should be protected.  Racism and discrimination should always be condemned. 

¿Cómo suena Venezuela?

Trato de responder a la pregunta ¿Cómo suena #Venezuela? Lo hago con un texto que salió publicado en @Analitica y con sonidos que pueden leer y escuchar aquí.

Simetría 2020

La sospechosa belleza

De sus cifras circulares

Son esferas que coliden

Lanzando chispas naranjas, destellos

 

Navegan lentamente

De derecha a izquierda

Dejando gotas de tinta

Que caen de sus plumas afiladas

 

Tratan de volar

Mas el peso del metal

Gravita en sus entrañas

Como polos magnéticos

 

Se arrastran por el tiempo

Cargando el fardo del pasado

Sus bocanadas de futuro

Terminan en los velos del ahora

 

Creen que todo ha terminado

Pero el Uno retorna

Cual ardor en sus rostros

Con máscaras de luz, de fuego

Masa y Poder de Elías Canetti

Elías Canetti, Premio Nobel de Literatura 1981

En este episodio de mi podcast comento el libro Masa y Poder de Elías Canetti. Es una obra que tiene especial vigencia en tiempos de comunicaciones digitales y de distanciamiento físico. 

Lo pueden escuchar haciendo click aquí.

Mi amigo

Anoche soñé que un buen amigo mío era un oso. Sí, un oso pardo, grande, con garras afiladas. Sabía que era él, pero no me sentía totalmente seguro. ¿Y si olvida que soy su amigo de la infancia? Me dijo que lo acompañara a comprar algo. No me acuerdo qué necesitaba comprar (¿un salmón o un tarro de miel?). Su hermano apareció en el sueño. Él sí era él (es decir, su aspecto era humano). No hizo ningún comentario, como si el aspecto de oso de su hermano fuera la cosa más normal del mundo. Me dijo que andaba de visita por allí. Que pronto se iría. Me insistía en que nos fuéramos con su hermano – oso. Dudé. Me fijé en sus garras. Con cierta aprensión caminé con los dos. El amigo oso nos iba abriendo paso por unas calles estrechas. A veces se ponía de pie para ojear una vitrina. Me indicaba que un traje azul marino le quedaría bien, o que tal camisa a rayas estaba a buen precio. Eso me tranquilizaba. Cuando me volteé, me di cuenta que su hermano ya no estaba allí. En una calle desierta nos habíamos quedado solos mi amigo-oso y yo.