A White Man in the Mountains of Bolivia

Dear Readers:

Last week, our dear daughter Linda came to visit us in Ankara. She is studying Psychology at Özyeğin University. Hopefully, she will graduate this year.

Since she takes her classes in English, I became curious and we started discussing some fundamental definitions and concepts frequently used in Psychology. Actually, I initiated such a discussion. I was wondering whether universities providing English education in Turkey were accurately conveying fundamental concepts to students.

LANGUAGE OF TRANSLATION

As you know, translating a word from one language to another is now very easy. Without the hassle of consulting dictionary books, you can instantly find the Turkish equivalent of an English word, for example, by pressing buttons on your smartphone. You then accept the Turkish meaning that appears and try to interpret the English text you are reading.

Of course, there is no harm in this for simple words. For example, the Turkish equivalent of the word "Book" will appear as "Kitap". In this way, thousands of words will find their exact equivalents, in a sense, without error.

However, what is truly important is the translation of "complex" words—those with philosophical, sociological, psychological, etc., depth—into Turkish. In such cases, the Turkish equivalents of English words are either inadequate or far from the subject. This is because these words are not as easy to translate into Turkish as an object like "Book, Pen, Spoon...".

"Complex" words, in a sense, secretly carry within them a vast history, a worldview, and societal values; in short, these words are a summary of a "culture."

There is no one-to-one translation for such words. A good reader should understand the meaning of "complex" words by consulting English-to-English dictionaries or encyclopedias; otherwise, the translation provided by a smartphone is meaningless because the "cultural" dimension is lost.

Let's try to explain what I mean with a few examples:

I asked Linda for the Turkish meaning of the following three words. Linda gave me the translations she assumed to be "correct," based on dictionaries or the value judgments of the culture she grew up in. I also asked her to add whether these words carried a "negative" or "positive" meaning in Turkish culture.

Below are Linda's Turkish equivalents for the English words I asked, and their perceptions in Turkish culture:

                                                  Linda's Turkish equivalent          Negative/Positive

PRAGMATISM (pragmatism)       Faydacılık (Utilitarianism)                                 Negative

ALIENATION (alienation)              Yabancılaşma (Alienation)                             Negative

SCEPTICISM (skepticism)             Şüphecilik (Skepticism)                                  Negative

I was surprised! These three words, which summarize the value system of American society and are perceived as "positive" by an average American, are evaluated as "negative" in Turkish culture, and students try to read and understand English books with this translation in mind. What a terrible situation!

AMERICAN SOCIETY'S VALUE SYSTEM

There are three fundamental values that sustain American society: Pragmatism, Alienation, and Skepticism.

These three strange words also form the basis of American society's dynamism, creativity, and inventiveness. I understand that in these days when the coronavirus is raging and economic difficulties have become unbearable, you might say to yourselves, "What do I care about the value system that sustains American society?"

At first glance, I would agree with you. However, the "point" or paradox lies here: If you try to truly understand these three concepts, your current familial, social, economic, or political conditions will not seem so daunting.

Remember, what makes us "unhappy" is not the unhappiness of life, but our perspective on life. So, how about enriching our perspective with these three new concepts?

PRAGMATISM

I will not give the Turkish dictionary equivalent of this word or concept. I will use the word "Pragmatism" in its original form and try to explain what it actually means. First of all, I need to state that the phenomenon of "Pragmatism" emerged in the USA in the 19th century.

To better understand the word "Pragmatism," we need to ask this question: What is the opposite of this word? The answer is easy: Theory, doctrine, or as understood in common parlance, "sophistry, meaning faulty inference."

I hope I can now convey my point to you more easily:

"Pragmatism" suggests:

"Brother, don't get bogged down in theoretical sophistry and waste time, take action! Instead of sitting and thinking, 'What if I take this step?', take your step without overthinking, face the new situation that arises, produce solutions, and be ready to take the second step!"

Actually, everything seems so easy at first glance, doesn't it? I can even hear many of you saying, "I already do that." If you think a little deeper, you will realize you are mistaken.

For example, let's say you are going to buy a house, a car, or clothes. If you spend days visiting all stores, comparing prices and quality just to buy a pair of trousers, it means you are bogged down in "theory." Since you will exhibit the same approach in all situations you encounter, you will, in a sense, be reduced to being a "slave" to your own thought system.

Worse still, if you think, "Oh, I wish I had bought the other trousers instead of these," your "slavery" will become even more dire, and you will spend a significant amount of time struggling with feelings of "regret." Even if you are rich, you will not realize that you are actually continuing your life as a "slave."

However, someone who acts with "pragmatism" satisfies their needs without wasting much time, forgets what happened without questioning themselves "did I do well or badly," feels no remorse, no regret, and looks forward. They act with the feeling of a "free person" who can make their own decisions and bear the consequences.

Individuals in America do not carry a sense of "regret" as we understand it; instead, the understanding of "I gained experience" prevails. This allows them to move forward quickly.

ALIENATION

The word "Alienation" has been used in different senses in religious and philosophical discussions for centuries. Even Karl Marx, in the 19th century, took up this word and used it to explain the phenomenon of the working class's "alienation from the products of their own labor." Understood in this sense, the word "Alienation" carries a "negative" meaning. According to Marx, "Alienation" meant "exploitation."

Americans use this word in two different senses: First, the individual's alienation from themselves; second, the individual's alienation from family and society.

According to American societal values, if an individual cannot demonstrate the ability to "alienate themselves," they will not be aware of their own talents; because they do not know themselves well, they will never dare to decide what they want in life.

Accordingly, the individual should, so to speak, put their talents on the table, evaluate these talents like a stranger from a distance, and only by doing so will it be possible for them to find the profession or career best suited to their talents.

You can often hear Americans say, "I was studying law, but I realized I wasn't fully using my talents, so I decided to study engineering."

Such radical changes are only possible thanks to the individual's ability to "alienate themselves" from themselves.

On the other hand, another value judgment rooted in American society is that the individual achieves individual independence by demonstrating the ability to "alienate themselves" from family and society. There is a belief that someone who has not understood the value of individual freedom cannot fully and properly use their talents.

Therefore, in American families, children see breaking away from the family after high school and studying and working in a city far from home as a value they place on their individual freedom.

Thus, the American individual, by alienating themselves from both themselves and their family (society), finds the opportunity to realize themselves to the highest degree and use their talents in the best possible way.

Unfortunately, in our country, the individual is a "slave" to both themselves and family values. They struggle to make decisions and cannot take action in their most important decisions, such as school, work, and marriage, without the approval of their family and environment. This, of course, is a situation that kills social dynamism and creates obstacles for individuals to realize themselves.

SKEPTICISM

Now we come to the last word or concept... In Turkish translations, the equivalent of this word is given as "Şüphecilik" (Skepticism). If you say to a friend, "You are so skeptical!", of course, in this case, you would be attributing a "negative" meaning to this word. The general usage in Turkey revolves around this "negative" definition.

However, the word "Skepticism" is one of the fundamental concepts exalted by American society. "Skepticism" is the most important weapon an individual possesses in developing themselves and overcoming obstacles. Thanks to this, the USA maintains its leadership in the world in terms of achieving new inventions and producing new solutions.

The concept of "Skepticism" works in the mind of the average American as follows: "How can I improve this product? Will I be able to ensure customer satisfaction? Am I benefiting as much as I want from the university I am attending?"

In short, for individuals who do not carry "Skepticism" in their soul and mind, society and the environment evoke a sense of a dead and unchanging environment. In this situation, the individual, with their hope for change dulled, surrenders to a fatalistic understanding. This can be observed especially among the youth.

In short, SKEPTICISM means considering all possibilities before taking a step on any matter.

Now, if you like, let's look at an example where we can consider the concepts of PRAGMATISM, ALIENATION, and SKEPTICISM together:

CHE GUEVARA IN THE BOLIVIAN MOUNTAINS

Che Guevara was born in Argentina. He was white. After the Cuban Revolution, he left Castro and went to Congo. He adhered to Maoist thought. His French friend Regis Debray defined Che Guevara's guerrilla method with the word "Foco."

"Foco" is a Spanish word. It means "focus / to focus." According to this theory, if a well-trained guerrilla group starts a revolutionary movement in a country that is a weak link of imperialism, the poor masses will unite around this small guerrilla core, and a popular movement will emerge from the countryside towards the cities.

This movement was known and debated in Turkey as "Focism." In the 1970s, revolutionary groups (Mahir Çayan, İbrahim Kaypakkaya, Sinan Cemgil, etc.) launched actions in various regions of Anatolia with this intention but were unsuccessful.

Che was no ordinary person. As seen in this picture, he is conversing with two famous French philosophers, Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir. Sartre said of Che: "The most complete and mature man I have ever known."

In 1966, Che Guevara went to the mountains of Bolivia with 50 fighters trained in Congo, who knew the intricacies of guerrilla warfare. His idea was this: Bolivia is the poorest country in South America. If guerrilla action were launched in the mountains where the poor indigenous Indian population of Bolivia resided, the people would flock to join the guerrilla group, and a revolutionary movement would be ignited from the villages towards the cities.

Che Guevara in a village in the Bolivian Mountains. He is trying to win the sympathy of the local people but is unaware of the fact that the local people hate white people. Moreover, the local people do not speak Spanish.

Che Guevara formed a revolutionary scenario (fantasy) in his mind without considering the realities of Bolivia, even before setting foot in Bolivia, and acted to realize it. This way of thinking indicates a lack of PRAGMATISM.

If Che Guevara had adopted PRAGMATISM, he would have first set foot in Bolivia and determined his strategy according to the existing reality. Che Guevara imagined the Bolivian Army as weak and inadequate, thinking it would be shattered in an instant. He needed to set foot on Bolivian soil to see that this was not the case.

Che Guevara's second major mistake was ignoring the importance of the concept of ALIENATION. Guevara had hoped for support from the indigenous population and the people. However, when the indigenous people of Bolivia, who hated the Spanish invaders who occupied their country in the 19th century, saw a 50-person "white" guerrilla group in front of them, their minds went to the Spanish invaders. (In the 1960s, 10% of Bolivia's population was white, i.e., of Spanish descent. The indigenous Indian majority living especially in rural areas of Bolivia hated white people and, moreover, did not speak Spanish, and each tribe had its own unique language. Che Guevara ignored this reality on the ground.)

The poor villagers locked themselves in their homes. They did not even give bread to the guerrillas. Che Guevara had not foreseen this social "Alienation." If he had understood and analyzed the concept of ALIENATION, he could have understood the attitude of the local people and pursued different strategies.

Another mistake of Che Guevara was not having anyone with him who spoke the language of the local people in the region where he started the guerrilla war.

Third, Che Guevara had also ignored the concept of SKEPTICISM. He thought that the Bolivian Communist Party would unconditionally support him, leaving no room for even the slightest doubt on this matter. The Bolivian Communist Party not only did not support Che Guevara but also collaborated with the CIA. As if this were not enough, Che Guevara believed that the US and the CIA would not show interest in Bolivia and would not intervene in such an "unimportant" country. However, the Bolivian Army was being trained and equipped by US Special Operations Forces. In addition to military advisors, there was also an elite Rangers battalion, trained in jungle warfare, in an area near where the guerrillas were located, namely La Esperanza.

Due to these three fundamental mistakes, Che Guevara was captured and executed before he could even launch the guerrilla movement.

Che Guevara's executed body. (I do not find it appropriate to publish a picture of a dead body. However, over time, the following development occurred: When Che was killed in 1966, he instantly became an idol for the '68 generation. Alberto Korda's famous picture was constantly held by rebellious students. In later years, the picture above, hidden in the archives of Bolivian intelligence and the CIA, was published. In this picture, Che's body proved that he faced death fearlessly and bravely before his execution, so this picture, just like Alberto Korda's picture, became an idol among rebellious youth. The slogan, "If you're going to die, die like Che," became ingrained in minds.)

NOTE: Contemporary life is no longer one-dimensional. I especially address young people: If you want to be successful in your future and career, you need to question your thoughts and reinvent yourselves. Life necessitates this. The value judgments instilled in you by your family and society may be insufficient. Concepts such as Pragmatism, Alienation, and Skepticism can accompany you in charting your roadmap and making correct decisions.The two tabs below change the content below.