Book contents
5 - Making Sense of Collective Violence
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 June 2012
Summary
The historical facts, of course, are known by everyone…. But facts do not make history; facts do not even make events. Without meaning attached, and without understanding of causes and connections, a fact is an isolate particle of experience, is reflected light without a source, planet with no sun, star without constellation, constellation beyond galaxy, galaxy outside the universe – fact is nothing.
Russell Banks, AfflictionAnd it was horrible, horrible…(crying) something not to be remembered.
Gladys, owner of a looted stored in La MatanzaField Notes, July 26, 2005
Today was a day of extremes; social, symbolic, political, and economic extremes. I'm still trying to make sense of “the trip” – the journey that took me, early in the morning, from my place in Chacarita to the Government Palace in downtown Buenos Aires (the “Pink House” as it is locally known) and ended by noon at Irma's house in La Matanza. I spent close to two hours speaking with the current minister of the interior, Anibal Fernandez, about the year 2001 in general and the lootings in particular. Hours later I was having lunch with Irma, talking about her current, difficult life and about the 2001 saqueos. I ended up the day talking frantically with my former advisor about the kind of personal and professional habitus that is required to adjust, promptly, one's body, gestures, and speech in order to somehow succeed in carrying out meaningful conversations in both places.
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- Information
- Routine Politics and Violence in ArgentinaThe Gray Zone of State Power, pp. 131 - 150Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2007