Sunday, December 12, 2010

Remington Mcs Civilian

MANUEL CABALLERO (1931-2010)





has died Manuel Caballero, a Venezuelan historian.

For me it was the greatest historian of the twentieth century, not because they had during this period other excellent and capable, that is, of course, but because there was no one like him to study well and re analyze this century so important in life Venezuela.

His latest book, History of Venezuelans in the twentieth century it was precisely a kind of synthesis that largely unified of all your essays devoted to an analysis of that period and I never imagined would be his last work, a kind of intellectual testament summarizing the most and main line of investigation.

"Me" Manuel Caballero

I forged in the corridors of the School of History at the Universidad Central de Venezuela reading their books with the most complex Carrera Damas, the very sober and Elías Pino Iturrieta the very orthodox texts and Acosta Figueroa Saignes Britto, they were all classics of the "new history" Venezuela in the second half of the twentieth century had modernized studies Social Science that had led to a high level of professionalism that caused us to study this race with keen interest we read the texts, beyond what was required for certain matters. It was customary among my colleagues and I talk a lot, discuss and gatherings on such historiography of several of these classics, and obviously many took games one and other. Some preferred a neat way of Pino (which I liked a lot), others did not give up racing for the Marxists consider it essential and certainly not abandoning Acosta Britto and always be "upstream." In my particular case I really liked the style of Manuel Caballero, because as was sometimes colloquial, his style was closer to me, friendly and practical in order to understand the historical facts analyzed. And especially because he spoke generally of a topic that I always liked: Politics.

And Knight turned out to be a writer of history very passionate, which we liked the work of Manuel Caballero, a passion we all when he wrote a friend came to call several years every Sunday morning only to find out if " I had read the article by Manuel Caballero El Universal ", in addition to talk and discuss. At that time it was customary, they were not yet had broken the Internet boom, cut almost a religious act such as newspaper articles and save them as sacred relics to the knowledge of national history. No doubt you could say that although he never taught me physically, it was a complete master for me, because he accompanied me throughout my career, both inside and outside the Aular, forming and complement my love of history through his books , his speeches and newspaper articles.

And that was for me Manuel Caballero, a historian of flesh and bone was determined to guide and show clearly and boldly, clearly and directly to the widest possible audience, their views of history with the intention to clarify facts and events, finishing with myths, distortions and alert especially giving to pontificate he always wanted to make the reader is transformed into one that could be critical to understand his passion for all that is the reason for the historian (as M. Bloch) and that both took seriously Caballero, who made a personal motto throughout his long academic career and public man.

A vast intellectual career

Today when he left us physically, it is good to review some aspects of his extensive scholarly work and intellectual career. Of his great merits, it must be said again and not have to stop repeat, is to have achieved his doctoral thesis was published by Cambridge University, one of the oldest in Europe and the world, and that in 450 years of existence had not published one in Venezuela. So, with this merit and spent by universities such as Paris, Barcelona, \u200b\u200bNaples and Rome was this a great Venezuelan who was able to put up the name of his country and a well deserved place in the European intellectual scene (and American) very interested but sometimes less familiar with Latin American historical reality.

was one of the first processors of the image of the historian, because in our country, the professional image of history was-too-akin to the lawyer or the writer who spent their free time and placed in libraries to exalt cold yesterday so romantic and pretty useless. Caballero, direct language with sometimes biting is changing that: it is the university professor who writes in the press and an image of an eccentric scientist who looks more like a distracted Albert Einstein than a traditional academic cold and phlegmatic, Knight was given known in the cultural history by bringing people, "ordinary" and not just to lawyers and experts of the craft. A merit is appreciated and much, because there were many that will surely end up liking History and "love" with her.

personally met him in 1997, when he visited the School of History of the UCV, and thereafter at least once each year I managed to get me in different scene inside and outside the university, in a conference , baptisms books or my pleasant surprise at the meetings of any other university professor. It is worth saying that he was always very kind to me and had enough courtesy and patience to endure my talks and signings all his books I could show you.

A proverbial street synthesis between scholarship and plain language

He often criticized the excessive use of journalistic language for describing and analyzing the story, but it turns out that Manuel Caballero, was the first historian and journalist who began to make themselves known to the country through opinion columns by books of historical analysis, a matter which greatly facilitated his arrival to a much broader audience of Venezuelans who came to understand the historical development thanks to the Knight newspaper language. Thus, it is not surprising that in 1979 won its first major national recognition: The National Journalism Award.
multi disciplinarity
But Knight was not only in presses of the newspapers, because as the great historian also developed a taste for a theme that worked both in columns and in his books, lectures and conferences: The Politics, (with their respective capital "P") which led him to want to deepen and understand this social phenomenon more permanent human event, so it was also a Doctor in Political Science.

With that background intellectual intellectual synthesis which was standing Caballero was reflected in his works, which were always a great synthesis of what we mentioned: culture with gender expertise of the trial and to speak of the historical facts Related Venezuela, always focused with natural predilection for politicians: for power, its nature and its actors (especially Gomez and Betancourt), for the ways to exercise and practice over the last century and how it affects our entire society . And whenever I wrote this it did open and understandable language, the texts were never unintelligible to the reader, and nothing that he slashed one iota of quality and scholarship.

Proof of this is that in 1994 would receive from the then very orthodox and upright National Academy of History nothing more and nothing less than the National History Award that year as a result of his recent research on Gomez. Then in 2007, his long career of intellectual scholarship would be crowned when he joined as an individual number to the academy, giving a special incorporation speech called "Against the abolition of history."

bibliography of his vast memory recall now the following works: The passion to understand , between Gomez and Stalin, The twentieth century Venezuela , witch power, Neither God nor Federation, Gomez liberal tyrant, The Crisis of Contemporary Venezuela , From Little Venice to the Great Venezuela , Dramatis Personae , Rómulo Betancourt political nationalism, Controversy and other arts of writing , military fever, Why I Am Not Bolivarian , No more than one page , and of course History Venezuelans in the twentieth century . In his later years, the Editorial Alfadil (now Alfa ) created an editorial library with his name, which reissued many of the titles mentioned here, since these texts were sold out for years, and certain commercial publishers accustomed to import foreign bestsellers showed no interest domestic production and less historic, and it is also necessary to say or declare: State publishing houses that once published it for political reasons refused to republish the texts.

special mention his newspaper columns, which as I enabled it to reach a wider audience in a more everyday and fast. His first choice of work was compiled in a publication called, "The world does not end in December," which made clear his plain but forceful style. Since 1983, when the social and economic situation of the country began to crisis began, its columns, first in El Nacional , then El Diario de Caracas, and then finally El Universal were places of permanent reflection and analysis of what happened either in 1989, 1992, 1993, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2004 or 2007. Memorable

were his columns in 1992 (after the uprising of February 4 coup) and 1998 (after the victory of Chavez and called: "As always, in opposition") both made it clear where his concern for the future the country as a result of the actions that happen and decisions we make in this, as well as ongoing fighting spirit ... even if it is a minority.

His great legacy ...

And precisely this point further enhances the figure of Manuel Caballero: intellectual honesty, because he always spoke and wrote about the history and moved by his principles and honor them when he said, and defended a position, a truth openly and clearly did not matter whether or not popular. It is a great moral teaching which is doubly colleague rent for me, because not only was a historian, but also a teacher, and wanting to teach many of history, also taught an ethical stance toward life and the responsibility it is to have or possess knowledge in our society, not just a matter of pedantry, but guidance and direction.

No wonder in later years liked to repeat an old phrase that said "The History is the conscience of mankind " because under it, the historian could not be less than a great consciousness raising in society . A role of guide and teacher to us is disappearing in today's world and makes us more necessary than ever, that's why Manuel Caballero-at least for me, left a footprint and a great example in the academic and personal. We

is his work and memory of actions for which we met, and for those who read and admire both his wisdom and example are seeds for Humanity continues, always with his conscience.

Thank you, Master appreciated.
I will miss ...

Peace to your soul and Glory be to his work!

Thanks for reading.

Dantesol

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