Thursday, January 10, 2013

How Many Will Be Released?

An American journalist is missing in Syria.

The January 9, 2013 Washington Post headline— Syria releases 2,130 captives to rebels in exchange for 48 Iranian prisoners. The captives were mostly Syrian. The deal that was brokered is confusing and one wonders about allegiances between the combatants.

The American journalist is still missing.

Political prisoners, dissidents, people in the wrong place at the wrong time, people espousing contrary views in the arts—all may end up in confinement. For some it will be years before they get out, for others death will be the only release, and others will then be ordered to home confinement rather than a return to freedom.

One internet site listed the ten most famous political prisoners. Lists are ubiquitous—grocery lists, reminder lists, lists of what I want to do in the new year so finding a top ten wasn't unusual. Top ten best sellers, top ten on the music chart, top ten college football teams—now top ten political prisoners.

How would you list the names? Chronologically? Alphabetically? By order of importance? The two lists I looked at listed the names chronologically.

Antonio Gramsci : January 22, 1891—April 27, 1937— a leading Italian Marxist, an intellectual and a journalist.

The International Gramsci Society publishes an electronic journal where they attempt to keep alive his work and life. Rather then refer to him as a Marxist they refer to him as a Socialist.

In early photos his round glasses —not unlike those that gained popularity a dozen years ago— full bodied hair, well-defined lips and straight ahead stare emit both an intensity and sensitivity. According to his biography he not only was one of the founding members of the Italian Communist Party, but he also was its leader for a time. But what he is known for is his writings and his subsequent influence on a number of Marxists as well as Socialist.

In 1926, at the age of thirty-five, he was imprisoned by Mussolini and in 1927 he was condemned to a sentence of twenty years. He received permission to study—but not communist literature. He studied history, linguistics, and historiography. In 1927 he also received permission to write.

"During this time he completed thirty-two notebooks containing almost 3,000 pages. According to Burke, B. in an article in The Encyclopedia of Informal Education "these notebooks were smuggled out from his prison and published in Italian after the war..." Obviously the authorities did not know what he was writing.

Gramsci served eleven years, was never released and died in prison.

He was working on the development of a new Marxist theory "applicable to the conditions of advanced capitalism."

Some of the nine names were familiar— Bobby Sands, Nelson Mandela— others unknown or known so slightly. They all shared some commonality—what they said, did, espoused was out of kilter with the political leaders. They were all considered dangerous—possibly able to rouse others to their viewpoint.

Dissident Liu Xiaobo won the Nobel Peace Prize and is under house arrest in China.

China has not released Liu, but they agreed in 2011 to allow his collected writings to be published in English for the first time.

The release of his writing may, hopefully, be a first step.

Burma released a number of political dissidents this fall—many still remain in prison.

No one knows the exact number of political prisoners worldwide—or what percentage of those are released, what percentage die in jail or what percentage are confined to their homes. The numbers change daily.



0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home