The Writer in His Discontent

Vargas Llosa's Nobel prize for literature is well deserved, no doubt.  As a writer, there is much to be admired.  Unfortunately, he became part of a group of intellectuals who have made a career of badmouthing Latin America, thus becoming media darlings of the U.S. and the rest of the world who love to find fault with this part of the world. It isn't a question of criticizing one's country, culture or region, but doing it in such a way that you end up playing into the hands of those who despise Latin Americans and confirming their worst fears and prejudices against us as inferior human beings who need to be dominated by people from the North, who always know better.  Unable to take care of ourselves and always making a mess of everything, let them come in to put things in order.  I think that the fact that Perú didn't accept him as its "savior" by electing him President was too much for his ego, and he has been sulking these past 20 years.  I suppose his views on politics reflect this, and he has carried out a sort of vengeance on his country and the rest of Latin America.

Still, a great writer, in spite of his pettiness.

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