The world cup and war

Saludos to those of you still reading this blog. Thanks for staying connected. Just to give you all a heads-up, my goal is to blog 1-2 times a month for the remainder of my time in Buenos Aires (until July 2011)

So, it has been just over a month since I last blogged, and after a couple of intense weeks of final papers writing and then a perfect week with my family in the states for my sister's wedding, I am back in Bs As. I've recently moved and am in the San Telmo neighborhood now. Much more barrio than where I was living before and I like this feeling.

This world cup has been unwaveringly cruel for me. Today when Argentina went down 2-0 I was ready to boycott the rest of the cup. (The Ghana defeat yesterday left me near heartbroken) Thankfully I didn't, and was able to see Argentina get scored on two more times. Ugh. I was in Plaza San Martin to watch the match on a big screen, on the side of a hill with around 10,000 others. It was a tough game to watch, and in the end Argentina fell 4-0 to Germany. However, when the final whistle blew I was very impressed to hear the remaining fans applaud. It was a really great moment. Here soccer is king and the passion for the game is intense, and in all honesty I was not expecting this. I'm not sure if it was to applaud Argentina or Germany, but either way I admire the show of respect.

It is just a game, but when the result of a game has the potential to bring people together in a uniquely positive way, generating collective joy and a blissful unity (even if it is fleeting), it becomes much more than a game. I really wanted Argentina to win the world cup so that I could witness this firsthand. For a brief period of time, I imagine that a world cup victory would bring together an entire nation to to celebrate a common achievement, allowing everyone to transcend difference and be happy together. I wanted to see what this looks and feels like on a national level. Back when I was in college and U of I almost one the NCAA Basketball Championship I feel like I got a tiny glimpse of this in Champaign-Urbana. We didn't win and of course we didn't reach the same height of joy as the champs, but the unity was there and palpable. I also felt this unity in Guaranda, Ecuador during Carnaval. What else can unite, passionately, large groups of people?

Unfortunately, reading on War Theory this week (not sure if it's called that in English), I have been prompted to reflect on the political and social functions of war. Some historical sociologists claim that waging war has been a really effective way to build a nation-state. Some interesting insights are thinking about how a war can bring people together passionately for a common cause (against a common threat, perceived or real) and in effect create a national identity and the social cohesion/emotional ties fundamental to a functioning society. With this, war may foster the development of a central authority (because of the disappearance of regional and/or ethnic loyalties), and then demand more from citizens, such as demanding high taxes and building greater institutional/bureaucratic frameworks.

Anyway, there is much more to war theory. I guess the link here for me in talking about the world cup and how war develops societies is reflecting on what can unite large groups of people for a common cause, but in a sustained and peaceful way, globally. (I'm not an idealist at all, eh?) I think I'll turn to social psychology to see what I can find, and I'll have time to do this now that I have no team to root for.

Although, if Uruguay went all the way....I could always hop on a boat to Montevideo......there is still hope!

Bonus: In the video below you can see part of the crowd at Plaza San Martin. In retrospect, I may have been overly into this game....can you sense the intensity in my voice? Ay dios! Argentina had just scored a goal that was taken back. I think this brief clip captures my world cup 2010 experience.




Lastly: I love reading your comments....let's hear your reactions/reflections/perspectives!