The Human Condition of a Flaw

The Soccer War
Pg. 149-165

September 13, 2007
6:50

........In Kapuscinski’s Chapter “High Time I Started Writing the Next Unwritten Book,” he analyzes the people is South and Central America as human beings. He analyzes their human condition, mainly human flaws. In the other “Unwritten Book,” Kapuscinski psychoanalyzes himself in comparison to the people he has met throughout his journeys; however, in this section of the book he analyzes the people as human beings.

.......For example, he analyzes the materialism that moves people and businesses. In Chile, the “aged ladies, widows, divorcées, and old maids (149)” offered rental places filled with junk “jammed into a vortex of knick-knacks and fiddle-faddle (150).” This junk was menial objects with no use at all; they were just used as presents that provided businesses with profits. The inventory that Kapuscinski is given as part of the rental agreement just comes to show how materialistic people are. I bet they don’t care about half those objects as they say they do; people just jump at any opportunity in order to gain a profit or more money. (I could connect this particular example to Madame Vauquer’s character in Father Goriot. Even after father Goriot’s death all she cares about is who is going to pay his rent and debts. She doesn't care about the death or the pain someone has been through; money comes before anything else.) Our human nature pushes us to be greedy and selfish; we all always want more of the best, no matter the cost.

......At the same time, Kapuscinski uses this opportunity to openly criticize the opportunist instinct in each one of us. He uses the example of a Peruvian revolutionist that openly criticized the rich classes. However, he was quick to change his leftist ideals as soon as he inherited a fortune. After this episode, he became an open capitalist, catering for Lima’s high class with his night club business.

......Another human flaw that he openly criticizes is the ignorance in which we live. People at the market work hard to get their “centavos”; however, once they have their money they spend it to get drunk, even children. They return “home without a centavo, fuddled, and destitute (155).” How is it possible that someone would risk their well-being like that? That isn’t supposed to be human; however, carelessness is a human flaw. We don’t think about the consequences of our actions until it’s too late. People get caught up in the moment, forgetting about the future, past, or even present.

......In this section, it is obvious that his trips to Africa have made Kapuscinski very aware of the human condition and its flaws. He has become aware and analyzes circumstances that come naturally on a day to day basis but clearly reflect our flaws as a race.

......Finally the so called Soccer War comes up in the book. As I searched Wikipedia for a possible background on the name The Soccer War, the Soccer War between Honduras and El Salvador came up. It was a war that resulted because of a soccer match gone wrong. Kapuscinski gained recognition because he was the only reporter present during the first match. However, the soccer match as the cause was in reality an international misconception. Actually, it was just an excuse to let out all the resentment and tension that had been boiling between these two countries for some time. By 1969, Salvadorian peasants accounted almost 20% of the peasant population in Honduras. Growing tensions had led to disputes in land distribution and reforms by the Honduran government in order to kick out the Salvadorian population off its territory. The spilling point was the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualification games. Two unfair matches were played; neither team was allowed to sleep in the rival’s turf. This eventually led to a deadlock, which nurtured the nationalist pride and legitimacy. Although the war only lasted four days, a final peace settlement came almost ten years later.