THE ILLUSION OF PEACE AT ANY COST

My father used to say that there is only two ways to approach a promlem: the good way and the bad way. If the good approach is chosen then the problem is solved. But, instead, if your choice is poor things will remain bad. He also used to say that some people, when facing a crisis, believe that if they try to reason with their foe, making concessions, perhaps they will overcome the threat.

"Never try to get peace at any price", said him,"you are only buying time to become weaker, and, on the other hand, giving strenght to your enemy. Soon you will have nothing more to give, the he will anihilate you."

I could never understand how people can be deceived by the good intentions of an opponent when he says: "let's talk about peace", when the only peace he knows is the one given by the graves of his enemies.

How can anyone in his perfect mind believe that can be any "peace talk" with his sworn enemy, whose intentions are the complete anihilation of a people ?

The enemy wants, of course, "mesmerize" public opinion worldwide. In the first place by presenting himself as a "victim"; if he is a victim it can only be of his own acts of agression and terror. Then, the next step, will be to convince everybody that he only wants peace, and so on.

This trick works when covered by televisions, newspapers, etc. Soon opinion-makers, politicians, "anti"-war organisations, assorted "human"-rights groups are crying for the fate of those "poor souls", who until now are living under occupation.

Really, this world didn't learn anything with the last century's lessons. In the "thirties" of the 20th century, democratic nations surrendered time after time to the demands of a maniac. They gave and gave until there was nothing more to be given. In the name of peace, populations were left in the hands of barbarism. Did it work ? No. The rope was streched until its limits and broke; then war came.

Europe burned in the fires that cowardice helped to light.

Even then, although sounds of alarm were echoing in the cabinets of free nations, they choosed to remain silent and looked the other way. Only at the end of the war recognized the slaughter that had been committed. By their ommissions they helped in the murder of 6 millions.

If not for that "death wish" of peace at any price, nazism would be stopped as soon he started gambling with the desire to avoid confrontation (read cowardice) of the democratic nations.

But in present times the mistake is being done once more. Leaders of nations are "breaking" under the pressure of terrorism. They preffer not to rise problems, and let those perpetretors of hate and violence impose their points of view, than to react and stop the blackmail.

Once more they think in terms of peace at any price. Does Oil have anything to do with that ?

So in order to put away problems from their homes, they are gambling with the lives of millions.

They are only postponing a problem that sooner or later they must have to deal with.

And when at last, inevitably, war comes, then, maybe, it will be too late, once more.

Rome had a saying : "Se vis pace, para bellum" and I believe this is true.

PRESENT DANGERS, OLD FOES

"For though the world has stood up and stopped the bastard, the bitch that bore him is in heat again." -Brecht

I'm sure that no one in his perfect mind wants to go back to the dark years before 1974. But, the way things are going around here, the ghost of old times is haunting, once more, our hard earned freedom.

I know that they are a small number with a little expression in our politics, but they are growing, slowly, fed by the crisis this country is living.

They march in the streets, like they made two days ago "celebrating" the country's national day, getting the support of young people ( who ignores anything about the past ) and also the approval of some old folks, (for whom the bad situation they are living, they think, is due to the democratic regime), taking advantage to release their fallacious proposals, spreading the poison of intolerance and hate.

I think that we are not paying much attention to the danger we are living. Taking anything for granted is a terrible mistake that lead people to think that democracy is here to stay, that nothing can endanger its existence. A mistake that costed dearly to many nations in the not so remote past. Times of crisis, of social unresting, unemployment, poverty, crime, are a fertile ground for the beast to lay down its seeds of hate, and watch them grow while planning the harvest.

On the other hand those who rise their voices against the rebirth of nazi/fascist tendencies ( most of them linked to the democratic parties of the regime) only ask repressive measures against the threat, and are unable to understand that repression is only part of what must be done against this slime of mankind. If we want to put an end to the danger we must go deeper into what has be done. There are things that must change in order to deny the far-right its recruiting ground.

Souls and minds must be won in this battle against the dark forces that are menacing us. People must be shown that nothing in their lives is going to get better if they give away their freedom. More; if they choose to give any chance to those creatures to reach power, it will be the last thing they will choose freely for a long, long time. But this is not enough. Politics must change. It is time that the politicians who led us to this situation be blamed for their actions. Those who promised everything to be elected and, in turn, gave people unemployment, poverty, more taxes ; those who condemn our old folks to a slow death, denying them the health assistance they need, destroying the social security they badly need; those who deny any hopeful future to the younger; those are the ones that must answer for this situation. They in their proud egos are the ones that are opening the doors to the advance of those who hate freedom. A good politician must pay attention to the needs of the population he represents. A cabinet who works for the welfare of the people can make the difference. Things won't be easy, but if the reasons of discontentement are eradicated, those who persist in their dark purposes, soon, will be left alone, cuted down to a meaningless bunch of intelectually deficient persons, for no one will pay attention to their lies anymore.

Also all efforts must be made to unmask those ideologies of hate amongst the younger generations. What happened in the past must be shown deeply, not just superficially like it is done nowadays. Today's nazi/fascist ( and other anti-semitic) organisations are investing in something, injurious, called "historical revisionism", in order to "clean" the crimes they perpetrated in the past. Obviously, youth is a prior target to the ambitions of this scum.

To oppose them with efficacy we need more than repressive measures. Our goal must be to restain the access of the people's minds and souls from our ennemy's campaigns.

Truth shall make you free. So, untiringly, truth must be shown in order to destroy their lies.

We can never forget the beast's principle :"A lie repeated a thousand times becomes the truth."

WITH THE HEART OF A CHILD

I couldn't help it. I was drinking my coffe, in a Café near my house, when the conversation betwen two women seated at a table just in front of me called to my attention. Usually I don't listen to the conversation of others, but the passion they were using in their dialogue, made me, unwillingly, aware of what they were saying.

The two women were talking about their children. I don't remember much of what they said to each other, but one phrase remained; one woman was saying to the other:

-My little daughter asked me yesterday one curious thing to wich I wasn't able to give an answer. She said to me: mom, why you, adults, always demand that we, kids, must do what we have promised to do ? Instead, you, grown up, break your promises most of the time.

And that's all I kept from the conversation. But enough to arise in my mind serious thoughts.

When we are kids the adults teach us to draw a line between what is right and what is wrong. They always make us honour our promises: -young man (or girl) you must do what you have promised to do, or: - you gave your word, now you must honour it, and still: - a promise is a promise and can't be broken no matter the costs, etc...

But what happens when we grow up ?

Generally the "real world", the one that was left to us, slowly turn our concepts and distort them into something awfully different from the notions we were taught in.

Society makes you a liar; one little lie here, one more tomorrow, and, soon, you'll be distorting truth to the conveniences of your career. And this goes on and on until you hit the top; then you're the image of success but also a "travesti" of a human being.

Blessed are the ones who keep, along their earthly life, the heart of a child. I think this is true and I always ask the Allmighty to keep me that way.

A shame that some politicians I know are unable to think the same way.

WHAT ARE YOU COMPLAINING ABOUT ?

You can change everything if you want to.

Yes, you. No one else but you have the power to do it. It is within your reach; your arm's reach and your will's too.

But instead you do nothing.

Oh, yes, from time to time, you put your confidence into some fellows, in a ceremony you call elections. You delegate your power on a fancy-looking, good-talking man (or woman) to "fight" for you, make the laws for you and above all to think for you, so you can rest in your sofa, watching endless "soaps", football matches and all the stupefying stuff the T.V. has to entertain you.

And then, with no surprise, when things go wrong, when the dude you had elected betrays your hopes, you protest.

You mumble, you demonstrate marching in the streets, you demand a new policy. You discover that this government is worst than the former, that he is suffocating your life with taxes and , also, he is stealing your freedom away.

From the time the guys, you elected, grab the power until they leave, you are crying for a change.

When at last a new election comes you run into another fancy-looking, good-talking chap, saying: -"This is the One !", and put the power into his hands.

So, once more, it is the same damn thing...

You just got what you have chosen!!!

So, what are you complaining about ?

LISTEN TO THE GODS LAUGHTER

There's one scene in the film "The Fall of the Roman Empire", when emperor Commodus (Christopher Plummer) is dying at the hands of Livius (Stephen Boyd), that I will never forget.

Commodus is exhaling in the arms of his killer and whispers to Livius: "...if you listen very carefully you'll hear the gods laughing".

This sentence still echoes in my mind when something happens:a crisis, a painful episode or an unexpected developement coming to an end. When everything calms down, when peace and silence claim their rights over recently stroken lives, then, I use to rise my eyes up at the sky and, with no surprise, I visiualise a mocking Commodus saying:

-"...if you listen very carefully you'll hear the gods laughing".

We, humans, allways want to find a reason for everything that happens, specially if it is bad. We have the need to lay down the blame on something or someone: we blame nature,God, government or each other. Everything or everyone within our reach is good to put the blame on, with one exception...ourselves.

Indeed, if we listen very carefully we'll hear the gods laughing !!!

TO CELEBRATE WHAT ?

Sometimes I wonder why we go on celebrating a day that is nothing more than a remmemberance.

A sad thing to say. But the reality we live in only reinforces what I say.

What happened to all the hopes and dreams that the 25th. brought foward ?

THEY ARE GONE !!!

And if we take a look around, searching for what was constructed or conquered between the following months or the meagre two years the revolution lasted, we realize that almost nothing is still standing. All things are gone, blown away by the winds of the revenging bourgeoisie.

Once again the people was tricked. Fooled by the treacherous promises of opportunists and capitalist stooges.

Oh, they left us the right to talk. We can say what pleases us with (almost)no restrictions, we can vote and (apparently) we have no censorship. But that so called conquest is not enough to stop the reactionary dictate of the rulling class.

SO, TELL ME, WHAT'S LEFT TO CELEBRATE ?

NOTHING, I THINK.

Otherwise we should make of this day a day of Unity and Struggle. Our voices should be heard in discontentment. The streets should be taken again; not only for the singing and dancing, or the demonstration of our gratitude for the ones, who by their action, started everything in that day of April 74 - I think that those who are still alive are also disappointed - but to march against this situation.

The Flag of the Revolution should, once more, fly proudly high, leading the fight, resuming the revolution from the point it was betrayed and twisted into a lie.

If we can learn with our mistakes, certainly we can rebuild what was disbanded; rise, once again, a great mass movement. Give Hope to the People. Lead the way to victory.

That, I think, should be the proper way to celebrate the 25th. of April.

(April is Revolution ! ALWAYS !)

WELCOME TO RICK'S CAFÉ AMERICAN

Today as I start this blog I'm in the mood for the blues.

Nervertheless, I'm opening it, my virtual "Rick's", to all of you, my (I hope so) true "clients", expecting to begin a relationship based in the free exchange of ideas. This will be a space of discussion open to all forms of thinking (candidates to dictartorship, defenders of autocracy, bureaucrats, politicians, moralists, extremists and narrow-minded people, please, stay out) so feel free to leave your opinion, your point of view. I promise to be a good listener (beg your pardon, reader) as I expect as you will be.

So let's get started.

Rick's Café American is open.