Categoría: Editoriales
Grado de dificultad: 3 (Por el idioma).
Columnista: Roberto
El presente editorial de TMN, en reacción a una muy asustadora actualidad, tenía que ser en inglés por el origen de las noticias.
Sin embargo, el idioma no constituyo la principal dificultad. Fue la de hablar de libertad como “de una especie en peligro de extinción” …
Así que la duda fue (y sigue siendo) sobre si podía escribir algo al respecto … porque no encontré ninguna manera “correcta” de hablar del caso de los Estados Unidos actuales.
The Handmaid’s Tale in real life
Margaret Atwood and the Christian Nationalists
Today, many people talk about Margaret Atwood and her famous novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” … for some reason.
It was published in 1985, which, thinking of it, is awfully recent.
Oh boy! Do things evolve quickly in the Internet era! So quickly, in fact, that we see them evolving in real time, making the analysis even trickier.
What she wrote as hypothetical became, recently, a real case. AKA a religious extremist group is actively managing to turn USA into an alike of her Republic of Gilead.
Christian Nationalists are very similar to her imaginary Sons of Jacob.
That’s how accurate her description was (with the Handmaid aspect being on the way).
Note: as you can notice, I don’t like this group very much …
Control the Army and submit the people
Something, however, was not very clear in the novel: how did the Sons of Jacob succeed in creating a dictature …
The “Project 2025”, its translation in real life, still didn’t completely succeed either:
- To be able to stay in power, complete dominion over the Army is necessary.
- Then the people submission (in a sufficient majority) is also required.
Neither of the anterior seems to be achieved.
About the Army part, rumors seem to indicate a discreet dissent, but who knows” …
Hegseth orders rare, urgent meeting of hundreds of generals, admirals
#WaitAndSee
Punishing the Jesters
The disapproving of people is more visible, as proved by two recent incidents:
- Stephen Colbert declares ‘gloves are off’ as cancelled Late Show host takes aim at Trump
- ABC suspends Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night show indefinitely over his remarks about Charlie Kirk’s death
It appears that US citizens (and avid audiovisual content consumers) didn’t like the intrusion of the federal power in their choices.
In this case, there was a true and refreshing reaction of the public to it:
Disney Plus Subscribers Quit in Droves Over Jimmy Kimmel Axe
And guess what? Merely 3 days later, Jimmy Kimmel returned!
An emotional Kimmel returns to ABC and assails Trump’s ‘un-American’ attacks on free speech
A Korean canary in the coal mine
USA vs. the rest of the world
Yay! Good for you, and I mean it.
… But, what about the rest of the world (I know, it’s a tricky question for Americans)
What happened in Georgia to Korean engineers from Hyundai and LG (yet another ICE raid) is, internationally far more relevant.
South Korea-US Relations Suffer the Aftermath of ICE’s Georgia Raid
Politicians and business leaders are pretending that everything will be fine:
“Christopher Landau, U.S. deputy secretary of state, expressed his “deep regrets” over the Georgia detention fiasco. He also ensured that the deported workers wouldn’t face any disadvantages (!!!) upon returning to the United States and that there would be no further similar incidents in the future.”
Everything is fine! … But not for the workers
How reinsuring, indeed, and reason why all 300 detainees (but one) chose to go back home instead … Note: I would have done the same.
As the article says in its final paragraph:
“Most crucially, South Korean workers are understandably reluctant to set foot in the United States. As numerous interviews and anecdotes have revealed, their trust has been shattered. The sense of humiliation will stick. Washington may flash whatever enticing visas, but some wounds just never heal.”
Officially (say Hyundai executives), this would “delay the factory launching by two to three months”. Only two to three months? OK.
The Korean Job
The Korean Job is only the last in a series of incidents targeting non-Americans. And the damage on trust in US institutions and people will be lasting.
A recent comment from a German self-described America lover sums up the current consensus well:
“They have completely lost their way, or … and that would be even more awful … I always had blinders on, and they were like this all along.”
Said in English, mind you! He was also among the many (really many) to talk about The Handmaid’s Tale.
This wound won’t heal quickly.
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