Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz
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| Born | February 14, 1898 Corrientes, Argentina |
| Died | May 30, 1959 (aged 61) |
| Occupation | writer, journalist, essayist, poet |
| Nationality | Argentine |
Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz (born February 14, 1898 – died May 30, 1959) was an Argentine writer, thinker, journalist, and poet. He was a friend of famous people like Arturo Jauretche and Homero Manzi. He was also connected to a political group called Fuerza de Orientación Radical de la Joven Argentina (FORJA).
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Early Life and Career
Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz was born in Corrientes, Argentina. His father, Pedro Scalabrini, was a naturalist and directed a museum. Raúl first studied to become a land surveyor. Later, he moved to Buenos Aires and became involved in the city's literary scene.
He joined different writing groups, like the Boedo and Florida groups. These groups had different ideas about how literature should be. In 1923, he started writing short stories. These were later collected in a book called La Manga. He also worked as a journalist for major newspapers like La Nación and El Mundo. He even started and ran his own newspaper, Reconquista.
Facing Challenges in Argentina
When he was young, Scalabrini Ortiz was part of a group interested in Marxist ideas. He also traveled a lot for work. At 26, he visited Paris, France, but he was disappointed by how unwelcoming some people there were.
Like everyone in Argentina, he felt the effects of the Great Depression. This was a time in the 1930s when the economy around the world was very bad. He also saw a coup d'état happen in Argentina. A coup is when the military takes control of the government by force. This coup started a period known as the Década Infame (Infamous Decade). During this time, conservative leaders stayed in power through electoral fraud, which means cheating in elections.
Standing Up for Argentina
During the 1930s, Scalabrini Ortiz wrote a lot. He wanted to show how Argentina's resources were being used mostly to benefit a small group of powerful people (the oligarchy) and foreign companies. He believed this was unfair to the rest of the country.
In 1935, a group called FORJA was created. FORJA stands for Fuerza de Orientación Radical de la Joven Argentina. This group was part of a larger political party, the Radical Civic Union. Scalabrini Ortiz was closely connected to FORJA from the beginning.
He and Arturo Jauretche are seen as pioneers of historical revisionism in Argentina. This is a way of looking at history again, often challenging older, accepted ideas. This movement was very nationalistic, meaning it strongly supported Argentina's own interests. It was also anti-liberal, which meant it disagreed with some ideas about free markets and individual freedoms that they felt harmed the country. This way of thinking became very important in the 1960s.
Later Life and Legacy
By 1942, Scalabrini Ortiz had lost his job. He even had to put an ad in the newspaper to find work. He mentioned that he knew a lot about many different subjects. He eventually went back to his first job as a land surveyor. He continued working until he passed away in Buenos Aires in 1959, at 61 years old. Today, a major street in Buenos Aires, Scalabrini Ortiz Avenue, is named after him to honor his memory.
His Ideas and Writings
One of Scalabrini Ortiz's most important ideas was about "inner cooperation." He believed that people should work together for the good of everyone. He wrote about five main principles for this. These ideas focused on:
- Working as a group: He thought that what the many people need should be more important than what just one person wants.
- Understanding people: He believed that rules should always consider what people truly need, not just abstract ideas.
- Protecting the weak: He wanted to make sure that everyone had a real chance at equality. He felt that if there were no rules, the strong would always win.
- Using natural resources wisely: He thought that owning property was a responsibility given by the community.
- Sharing profits fairly: He believed that no one should make money in a way that harms society. He felt that profits should come from hard work and benefit everyone.
Scalabrini Ortiz also wrote many articles and flyers for the public. He wanted to share what he had learned from his research. In one article, he gave this advice about money and economics:
"These matters of economy and finance are so simple that they are within reach of any child. They only require knowledge of addition and subtraction. When you do not understand something, ask until you do understand. If you do not understand, it is because they are trying to steal from you. When you understand that, you will already have learned how to defend the motherland on the immaterial order of economic and financial concepts."
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See also
In Spanish: Raúl Scalabrini Ortiz para niños
