It seems like we’re in the worst place to be, chronologically speaking. We are no longer children and have lost that innocence that could make a table be a secret cave, a lego kit the entry to a new world and where anything could be what you wanted it to be. We no longer consider kissing a girl as “icky” or laugh when we hear words like “nipple” (well, some of us do), and, in many occasions, we crave returning to those days. In my opinion, we have gained nothing in exchange for so large a loss. Sure, we have gained futile rights such as extended curfews, being taken more seriously or going to discos....but, was it really worth it? Sure, call me Peter Pan, but, up to date, I haven’t seen many benefits from growing up. The time for “boys catch girls” has passed (or strangely developed) and, in return, we got a realistic painting of the world where Santa Claus is really your parents struggling to buy presents worrying about the amount of money they spend, where you can no longer spend your days playing. Sure, we all need to know what responsibilities are and how to handle them, but, I think, that spark that made our eyes light up when we saw the Christmas tree should never die, and should not be killed by the impact of realism. It’s as if we were running blidfonded through a garden, and when the bandage was removed, the countryside was not what we expected. Basically it’s a “Here it is, take it or go” but it’s not in the least what we thought it would be like, well, at least not for all of us. Emotionally it means realising that the people you love are not perfect, and not what you thought they were, or maybe yes, but it means knowing, and precisely because of that, the innocence is killed, once you are no longer an ignorant, you are not innocent. Facing reality means “chin up and push forward” and looking around you and wanting to go back to the days where problems only existed in your nightmares. In a way, it means taking control of your life, unlike before, when everything was set and done for you...and, in the same way you struggle when you firt ride your bicycle without training wheels, in our current situation we are struggling. We discover feelings we never thought would come and situations which were previously inimaginable. All this means we are now responsible for writing our own destiny, since now it’s our call, every day that passes we are more independent, and it is up to us to bring happiness or tears to our life. Even though we are getting closer to the day when we will be on our own and completely independent, that spark in our eyes still is present (it still shows when we see babies or romantic movies), but even so, that flame is more and more of a nostalgia for a lost time than what it used to be.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
Friday, January 06, 2006
"Paying a debt"
Today has been the last day of Bolivia's new president to Spain. As usual, our dearly beloved President has put o his best (and fakest) smile for the camera and his Bolivian "friend". Every time Zapatero smiles like he has nothing on his mind, it is precisely because of this, and today, he has once again proved it. If you have turned on the tv throughout the last two or three months, you must have noticed at least 3 or 4 terrorist attacks, flooding, earthquakes, or other tragedies that occur throughout the world at a staggering rate. One of the comments posted on my last entry stated that:
"there is not enough money in Spain to feed and clothe all the poor children in Africa. However, is it fair that this baby starves because it was born on the other side of a mile of water?"
to that I have to say that, indeed there is not enough money, but if we do things like the one Zapatero did today, there will be even less money to give to the immigration issue.
Today, Zapatero payed off part of a "Historical Debt" that Spain supposedly had with Bolivia because of our "bloody and ruthless conquer of their lands" 500 years ago when the new world was discovered. Zapatero might as well fly off to Bolivia and start thrwing money out the plane window. What kind of historical debt do we have? In my opinion, Bolivia has a debt from us; if it weren't for the Spanish conquer of the americas, progress in those areas would have come much later (I don't just say that because I want to, if we look at the development of both civilisations: the Incas and the Spanish, we see an abyss of technology between them) The land Bolivia is in today, was a no-man's land before the Spanish even arrived. The territory was deserted by the Tiwanaku around 1200 A.D and then annexed to the Inca empire (something not considered barbaric or ruthless) around 1450. When the Spanish arrived to the Americas, that land had only been inhabited for the last 40 years, not even one generation. Right now, there is a steady flow of immigration to Spain from latin-american countries, mainly because of the fact that Spain, like latin america, is a Spanish-speaking country...a bit ironic...not only are we paying the debt of conquering the Inca empire in Bolivian lands in 1525 with an immigration flood but in cash as well. If it weren't for the language, the immigrants now fleeing latin-america would diversify their destinations, since they would have to learn a new language anyway.
Going back to immigration, and the comment posted on the last entry, I find that the "poor, starving baby" should in fact, be fed and returned to it's home country. If we want to help, isn't it more practical to try and help people regain their culture and lifestyle rather than burdening our own allowing them to flee to our country? Wouldn't it be more efficient to help out, between all the nations by donating more money, goods and clothes? Helping out does not mean "Come in, free admission", it should mean "Hold on, keep fighting, we will help you", however if this country's government keeps giving away money (taking away from what the former government left in the national treasure) to a country which has never been formally recognized as an ally, there will come a day when they reach in the bag and there's no more left. The fact that a man in a hand-made sweater walks into Moncloa demanding money for something that happened 500 years ago is serious. What's even more serious is that we actually give him the money and with a lot of "tolerance and good will" pull down our pants.
Maybe I have mixed together two issues which seemingly, have nothing in common, so let me clarify my position on both these issues. Spain's current government is digging deep into the country's pockets (which were filled by the former government and will have to be refilled as soon as it is re-elected) and giving away money like there is no tomorrow. When the government's official economic estimates stated in the year 2004 that the oil barrel would remain at $30 for the next five years, we got an idea of how disorganized our economy was, and now that we pay off historical debts whenever we are asked to, we get an even clearer picture. Back to immigration, that starving kid is both a mediatized figure (since everyone cries and gives money when they see that but don't give a **** about physically or mentally handicapped people, terminal patients, or other groups which are talked about less since they don't have cute kids which can look into a camera and say: "Help me" with a smile) and an example of this country's inefficiency while dealing with immigration. That kid should be fed, cuddled and properly clothed, and then deported back. If a country is in need of help, others should help,not by opening up the boundaries and saying "come in, free rights" but by helping the other country regain it's lifestyle and quality. Some people say "look at the starving kid, we should give him free rights we don't even have", I say "Use the money we give away to latin-american crooks to really help that kid instead of just allowing him rights we don't even have with our own taxes"
"there is not enough money in Spain to feed and clothe all the poor children in Africa. However, is it fair that this baby starves because it was born on the other side of a mile of water?"
to that I have to say that, indeed there is not enough money, but if we do things like the one Zapatero did today, there will be even less money to give to the immigration issue.
Today, Zapatero payed off part of a "Historical Debt" that Spain supposedly had with Bolivia because of our "bloody and ruthless conquer of their lands" 500 years ago when the new world was discovered. Zapatero might as well fly off to Bolivia and start thrwing money out the plane window. What kind of historical debt do we have? In my opinion, Bolivia has a debt from us; if it weren't for the Spanish conquer of the americas, progress in those areas would have come much later (I don't just say that because I want to, if we look at the development of both civilisations: the Incas and the Spanish, we see an abyss of technology between them) The land Bolivia is in today, was a no-man's land before the Spanish even arrived. The territory was deserted by the Tiwanaku around 1200 A.D and then annexed to the Inca empire (something not considered barbaric or ruthless) around 1450. When the Spanish arrived to the Americas, that land had only been inhabited for the last 40 years, not even one generation. Right now, there is a steady flow of immigration to Spain from latin-american countries, mainly because of the fact that Spain, like latin america, is a Spanish-speaking country...a bit ironic...not only are we paying the debt of conquering the Inca empire in Bolivian lands in 1525 with an immigration flood but in cash as well. If it weren't for the language, the immigrants now fleeing latin-america would diversify their destinations, since they would have to learn a new language anyway.
Going back to immigration, and the comment posted on the last entry, I find that the "poor, starving baby" should in fact, be fed and returned to it's home country. If we want to help, isn't it more practical to try and help people regain their culture and lifestyle rather than burdening our own allowing them to flee to our country? Wouldn't it be more efficient to help out, between all the nations by donating more money, goods and clothes? Helping out does not mean "Come in, free admission", it should mean "Hold on, keep fighting, we will help you", however if this country's government keeps giving away money (taking away from what the former government left in the national treasure) to a country which has never been formally recognized as an ally, there will come a day when they reach in the bag and there's no more left. The fact that a man in a hand-made sweater walks into Moncloa demanding money for something that happened 500 years ago is serious. What's even more serious is that we actually give him the money and with a lot of "tolerance and good will" pull down our pants.
Maybe I have mixed together two issues which seemingly, have nothing in common, so let me clarify my position on both these issues. Spain's current government is digging deep into the country's pockets (which were filled by the former government and will have to be refilled as soon as it is re-elected) and giving away money like there is no tomorrow. When the government's official economic estimates stated in the year 2004 that the oil barrel would remain at $30 for the next five years, we got an idea of how disorganized our economy was, and now that we pay off historical debts whenever we are asked to, we get an even clearer picture. Back to immigration, that starving kid is both a mediatized figure (since everyone cries and gives money when they see that but don't give a **** about physically or mentally handicapped people, terminal patients, or other groups which are talked about less since they don't have cute kids which can look into a camera and say: "Help me" with a smile) and an example of this country's inefficiency while dealing with immigration. That kid should be fed, cuddled and properly clothed, and then deported back. If a country is in need of help, others should help,not by opening up the boundaries and saying "come in, free rights" but by helping the other country regain it's lifestyle and quality. Some people say "look at the starving kid, we should give him free rights we don't even have", I say "Use the money we give away to latin-american crooks to really help that kid instead of just allowing him rights we don't even have with our own taxes"
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