by Plinio Corrêa de Oliveira
The topic is unavoidable, and there’s no escaping it. Something—anything—must be said about the passing of the year. Since the subject is so overused, I decided to address it only superficially.
In fact, my main focus may be the reader who skims these lines, so I’ll keep the passing of the year in the background.
If not for writing a good article, this process is excellent, at least to grab your attention, dear reader.
Let me explain. A French writer used to say he knew how to adjust the length of his visits. “If I want to keep a visitor, I talk about him; if I want him to leave, I talk about myself.”
By applying this process to the press, I hope to attract readers by writing about them, all the more so since this is a surprising topic. Did the reader imagine, yesterday, when going to bed, that he would read an article in the Folha about himself in the morning?
To discuss the reader without deviating from the required theme—the New Year—let me introduce my subject as follows: “The Reader and the New Year.” This is a simple and practical solution, especially for the reader, since reading is much easier and more convenient than writing, for a thousand reasons. Perhaps the most obvious one is that the reader can stop reading halfway through the article and throw away the newspaper. Meanwhile, the writer must finish their article at all costs, or else the newspaper won’t publish it. That’s the usual practice.
However, talking about myself is the wrong path, so I’ll quickly get back on track.
Let’s focus on you, ladies and gentlemen, instead of me. This is the important and engaging topic that quickly grabs your attention.
Didn’t this “entrée en matière” seem a bit odd to you? I believe so, in several ways.
If you haven’t clarified them, I am happy to help you with this task.
First, this generalization. Those who read this will undoubtedly say that most people prefer to make themselves the focus of conversations rather than let others do so. But isn’t this generalization too broad? Aren’t there exceptions?
We will not argue about this point. I readily admit there are honorable exceptions that should always be acknowledged when engaging in some humor. To ensure peace between us, I would add that you, my reader—yes, you who are reading this right now—are one of those honorable exceptions. Is everything settled now?
Yes, someone might say this point has been clearly explained. I see that the writer is polite and mainly objective. However, I found it odd that Dr. Plinio used the French expression “entrée en matière.” This reflects one of his tendencies (if only he had just these!). He doesn’t realize that using such French expressions is outdated, as English has become the dominant language.
It’s true. But what can you do? I, whom progressive, toadish, and Christian Democratic circles see as authoritarian, find it the height of authoritarianism to prevent someone from choosing expressions in a celebrated, precise, elegant, nuanced, and witty language, while establishing an absolute monopoly for another language, even Shakespeare’s. At the very least, I appreciate variety.
Perhaps my stubbornness in refusing to follow the fashion-driven monopoly might come as a surprise. If so, let me quietly ask you a question so I don’t attract the endless criticism from those who blindly follow every trend: In this situation, who is truly authoritarian? Me, who holds on to my innocent and harmless freedom, or the fashion juggernaut that tries to restrain me?
Come on, let’s change the subject, many readers will say. But they will add another objection. You have ceremoniously addressed us as “sir” or “madam.” That’s an imposition. Why write like that? These forms of address are disappearing from advertising and social usage. “You” is invading everything. What is the point of clinging to ceremonious and dusty formulas?
Do you, my reader, want to see where your words lead? If the trend is to eliminate words like “sir” and “madam,” it signals a deeper change that is erasing all sirs and madams from the world. As long as genuine ladies and gentlemen exist, there will be no alternative but to call them sir and ma’am.
Now, on the day when there are no more authentic gentlemen or genuine ladies on earth, the world will be terribly vulgar, and life unbearably banal. It will be the world of “comrades” such as Fidel, Allende, and their ilk.
To resist the tendency to use only “you” is to oppose a true degradation of the human race.
Would you like proof? Imagine how offended you would feel if someone told you that you are not, never have been, and never will be a real gentleman or a true lady. Is it logical to feel so offended while also claiming that the human race is degraded so that no man or woman can ever rise to the status of gentleman or lady?
Incidentally, I don’t mean to suggest that my readers aren’t all true gentlemen, nor that my female readers aren’t all true ladies. They are. There are no exceptions to this, nor can there be. And that’s why I addressed them as sir and madam.
I just checked my watch. It’s 11:42 p.m. My watch is old-fashioned and doesn’t display the day; it only shows the time. Still, I believe that even with this watch, someone can figure out the day of the month. For example, I know I’m writing this on the night of the 30th. And at 11:45 p.m., a friend is coming over to see me to discuss something. Incidentally, the topic is himself, but I promise he won’t be offended when he reads this in the Folha.
In any case, I need to finish, especially since I’m already exceeding the six-page handwritten limit.
Therefore, I must stop at the start of this article, just as I was about to explore the subject, the reader, and the New Year.
I can only find a weak argument to defend myself, but what choice do I have? Lacking self-confidence, I pose it as a question: Isn’t starting an article a good way to begin the year?
But you, sir or madam, who are reading this, may ask: “Wasn’t this article about me? I’ve been tricked! This would be fitting for April Fool’s Day, but not for an article about January 1st!”
To be conciliatory, I promise not to write a trick article on April 1st.
I present my heartfelt wishes that Providence blesses every reader in 1971 and throughout the New Year. For example, may this year not be, like so many others, a long and endless April Fools’ Day.
These are sincere wishes, as one does not joke about prayer.
The rest is “taquinerie.” If anyone doesn’t know or can’t remember what this word means, look it up in a French dictionary.[1]
[1] Translator’s note: In French, “taquinerie” refers to playful teasing or light-hearted mockery. It’s usually done in a friendly or affectionate way, not meant to hurt or offend.