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Maradona had interesting politics. The thing that translated most clearly and resonates most widely across struggles he may or may not have connected with directly was his extravagant and all-conquering example of having absolutely zero respect for powerful people as such
"I hate everything that comes from the United States. I hate it with all my strength." - Diego Maradona
Here’s the Washington Post attempting to extract a measure of revenge for this insubordination.
As Jorge Valdano wrote yesterday: “The rich hate to lose.”
Here’s the Washington Post attempting to extract a measure of revenge for this insubordination.
As Jorge Valdano wrote yesterday: “The rich hate to lose.”
This description of Maradona’s life is filled with the characteristic bitterness + prissiness that consumes liberals + reactionaries when describing someone like Maradona as “a self-proclaimed champion of the poor” before pointing to his flaws + mistakes as disqualifying factors.
Unfortunately for the Washington Post they don’t get to adjudicate on Maradona’s status as a champion for poor and marginalised people, because they themselves long ago took him as their own. You don’t get to fire him from this job through some kind of puritanical HR appraisal!!
What comes through most strongly from reactionary obituaries of Maradona is pure disdain for the poor + for forms of genuine organic popular culture / folk culture that will always elude + resist the control of capital. Because as Jorge Valdano wrote: the rich hate to lose.
The truly instructive comparison is between the castigation of a figure like Maradona (a flawed genius with immense cultural but no political power) + the lionisation invariably poured out at the graveside of every American imperialist. Look out for what they write of Kissinger.
