LINES OF THE DAY

". . . But the past does not exist independently from the present. Indeed, the past is only past because there is a present, just as I can point to something over there only because I am here. But nothing is inherently over there or here. In that sense, the past has no content. The past -- or more accurately, pastness -- is a position. Thus, in no way can we identify the past as past." p. 15

". . . But we may want to keep in mind that deeds and words are not as distinguishable as often we presume. History does not belong only to its narrators, professional or amateur. While some of us debate what history is or was, others take it into their own hands." p. 153

Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History (1995) by Michel-Rolph Trouillot

Sunday, March 9, 2008

President Kirchner - Santo Domingo Summit

Of the various articles that have appeared in English about the South American leaders making peace at the Santo Domingo summit, only this piece in the L.A. Times reported Argentina president Cristina Kirchner's pointed, laugh-inducing rebuke to Uribe, Correa, and Chávez, uttered in the course of rejecting unilateral action and insisting on territorial sovereignty.

Pull quote:

[ "We women are accused of being irrational and hysterical sometimes . . . but some of the scenes that we see here show that sometimes we are the most rational," and then added, "In some things we are a little better than some men." ]

In Spanish:

[ Siempre nos han acusado a las mujeres de que se nos vuelan los pájaros, deque tenemos cierto grado de histerismo, ironizó. Quiero decirles que algunas escenas que por ahí nos toca ver, nos convierten a las mujeres tal vez en las personas más racionales de este planeta. En algunas cosas somosun poco mejores que algunos hombres". ]

It is probably worth recalling that amid the noise about whether the U.S. isready to have a female president, both Chile and Argentina have women presidents right now.

Here are two articles in Spanish: one about Kirchner, the other about a peace concert being planned by Colombian superstar, Juanes, to take place near the Colombian-Venezuelan border.

3 comments:

Foxessa said...

Don't now if this is relevant, but Vaquero was in Colombia back in Jan-Feb, and in another week goes to the DR (a musicology research trip that will feature traveling to the boondocks to interview elderly bachata singers).

Love, C.

Foxessa said...

BTW, I'll also be heading back to Santo Domingo and the DR later, for the Book Fair, etc.

Love, C.

Graeme said...

ha! that's a great quote.