Cavani and the 10 little Indians
Agatha Christie's novel 'Ten Little niggers' was published in November 1939. It arrived in Spain and Greece in 1940, retaining the exact title in translation, Ten Little Niggers. In other countries such as the United States it was published as ''And then there were none''. The racist connotations disappeared in 1980 in the United Kingdom, which added this title to the new editions. France has given the final twist to the British author's work. In August 2020, France's political correctness led to the 'Ten Little Indians' becoming 'They were 10', in order to confuse young people who wanted to discover the best author, yes author, of an intriguing novel of all time. James Prichard, Christie's great-grandson, has stirred up the cultural battle by saying that "we should no longer use terms that risk doing harm" and has assumed that his ancestor would not want to offend with his novel in the 21st century. We already know who took all the common sense out of that family.
A word on the subject - black people. A fan of Edison Cavani, the Uruguayan striker of Manchester United, was delighted by the two goals he scored against Southampton in the 3-2 comeback of the red devil team. Cavani answered him on Instagram with a #GraciasNegrito (#ThanksBlack) that set off the alarms of the FA (The Football Asociation), the highest authority of the centenary English football. Cavani broke the rules of correctiong governing the world for a few years now. A respect that goes far beyond social correction, censorship and, by inertia, even self-censorship. We do not say what we think for fear of what they will think of us.
The Nigger Island is the place where Agatha Christie's novel takes place. Another enclave that post-culture has liquidated from the new versions. But the Cavani sanction also has 10 little niggers who fall, one after the other, until they leave the definitive track that leads to the murderer.
Cavani's big mistake is to accept the sanction publicly, although he makes it clear that he does not agree with it. Another cultural battle lost. Once again nonsense wins the game with a three-game sanction and 110,000 euros for being grateful to a supporter.
#TheNegrito is any football lover. One more child who idolises a footballer. A United supporter who sees in Cavani the goal scorer who will get them out of that journey in the desert of not winning anything. The Latin fan is @pablofer2222 and now his account is private.
The British federation's sanction is unfair, disproportionate and, worst of all, they know it is because they have obeyed their own inconsistent rules. Their league is the most powerful in the world and their staffs are multicultural. Just as players adapt and are forced to wear their surname on their jerseys instead of their first name or nickname, the FA should know better how its workers express themselves.
Political correctness around us transforms everything and transforms us all. We prefer to remain silent rather than offend with a comment that a few years ago would have served to provide points of view. Politicians are guilty of pouring a flat discourse on society that does not disturb while on the platform of the Congress they are transformed into a few hooligans of the dialectic.
Cultural battle is violence disguised as culture. Changing terms, altering discourses, modifying the past, throwing away statues, pointing out the different... English football has known how to fight against the violence of its hooligans until we have forgotten about them in stadiums. Now they have dragged themselves into another social struggle that they should not be leading into football. It's not the same to eradicate the country battles before the matches as to fight against racism by punishing a player for an affectionate remark.
Manchester United have turned their attention to this controversy. They did not want to bother. In their statement, they say that "we note that the independent regulatory Commission was required to impose a minimum three game suspension,'' and in the height of paranoia they say ''the club trusts that the independent Regulatory Commission will make it clear in its written reasons that Edinson Cavani is not a racist". They accept the sanction for an "insulting, abusive and improper" comment and then ask that no publicity be made. One more nonsense.
Racism in football. That is the real problem we must fight. We cannot allow the colour of our skin to be mocked or scorned. Ignorance has led us to this paranoia of seeing insults on every corner. Nobody knows how to distinguish between pointing out a player by saying "that one, the black one" in a Champions League match from using "Monkey" insult years ago.
Brexit has racist connotations as well. Very few. In London the remain reached 60% and multiculturalism in that city has left behind those signs from the 60s with the text "no dogs, no blacks and no Irish". There is xenophobia, a lot of it. Encouraged by former Prime Minister Theresa May when she called the natives of other countries "citizens of nowhere".
The Black Lives Matter, that mainstream that permeates society around the world, also has a place in the Premier League. Knee-jerking is compulsory before every match. Fans of Millwall, a second-tier club, booed the act of their players and political correctness did the rest. Furious attacks on the two thousand fans in the stands. Searching through a seemingly peaceful club we find a possible logical explanation. The inhabitants of one of London's poorest and most abandoned neighbourhoods did not want to be singled out as covert racists. Not them. Racism is not everywhere.
"In the event that they sanction you for that, the world will go to hell". Ander Herrera. The Spanish PSG player, Cavani's partner in the French club, did not hesitate to support the Uruguayan and, in the process, predict a very bleak future for society. The FA has hanged the last black man in Agatha Christie's novel. With the help of a descendant of the writer, political correctness and the manipulation of the term "racism" until we are all blamed for the crime.
