History is, in reality, whoever writes it, whether they are winners or losers, it doesn't matter. It has always been like this but now more than ever. In the same way that each neighbor's son is the owner of his own life story, which he usually shamelessly sweetens, omitting what he prefers to hide and tuning in his favor, or simply inventing the rest, as happens on social networks, not to mention of the rulers of half the world and their witty invisible scriptwriters.
But lately it is the minorities, the losers, the marginalized who are making themselves heard the most, who are rewriting history exclusively from their point of view, whether or not they are right in their approaches and demands. So much so that it is increasingly difficult to distinguish a historical fact from a troll maliciously put into circulation by some association, pressure group or political party.
The desire to rewrite the past is very tempting and is increasing, as demonstrated by the rise of the woke movement, which despite its excesses has much to contribute when it comes to reviewing the ignominious crimes committed during the colonial era in some countries and which also covers the discrimination that still persists against people due to race, belief, disability or sex.
But it is not necessary to go to the metaverse to travel in time, it is enough to use your imagination or read a book, let's say that by H.G. Wells, going to the cinema or visiting a museum, ideal places to stage a representation of the past... or the future. As Josep Prat recently explained in this newspaper from Con Son, Vietnam, (“Pilgrimage and pleasure”, March 1, 2023), the Vietnamese now have a museum located on a dreamy tropical island dedicated to representing, explaining and denouncing crimes perpetrated by the French and Americans in Indochina/Vietnam between 1862 and 1979.
Con Son Island, formerly known as Devil's Island, was used during the foreign occupation as a penal colony. It is estimated that at least 200,000 inmates were tortured here, of whom around 20,000 died, mostly for what is so human that consists of opposing the unwanted presence and abuse of power by the invaders, as on the other hand continues to happen in the midst of world.
Of course, in the Con Son museum there is no shortage of restaurants, bars, or shops that offer all kinds of offerings, and not exactly cheap, that visitors can burn in rituals for the greater glory of the dead in the afterlife. There are also well staged depictions of the grisly atrocities committed.
However, visitors may be subject to certain punishments, in this case in the form of fines, if they are caught "misrepresenting" the official account offered or even if they improperly question the Vietnamese sovereignty of the island. Penalties range from 600 to 1,000 euros, depending on the severity of the offence. That is, there is no more truth than the one imposed by the museum.
There are many museums like Con Son scattered around the world. Thousands of people visit the Nazi death camps every year. But although it is convenient not to forget the black face of the past, if nothing else for the sake of not repeating it, neither should it be trivialized through crappy theatrical performances and merchandising.
The remodeled Modelo prison in Barcelona will have, when it opens in 2027, a memorial space that is possibly inspired by museums like Con Son, with fines and all. There is also a popular current that postulates turning the police station on Via Laietana into a museum. If the initiative prospers, we could then proceed to recreate the checa on Sant Elies street. Or stage the thirteen martyrdoms of Santa Eulàlia for tourists. EITHER…
Joys and shadows, fines and marketing, truths and lies. Torture offered for entertainment. The banality of evil: the deal of the century. Come and see.
