The use of Reason and reasonable argumentation, the reclaiming of the idea of Progress and the struggle against dogma. In this post-modern world, reinventing Enlightenment is of the utmost importance.

Saturday, December 31, 2005


As we happily waltz into 2006, a few thoughts about 2005 come to mind.

Drastic climatic changes taking place within our lifespan; a war on terror that can not be won and seems merely to perpetuate a state of insecurity in Western Democracies; Democracy under siege, both in the US and in Britain; war in Iraq, and a sinister man in a neighbouring country; a wall in the Holly Land, reminding that other divider they had in Berlin.

All of this and more was 2005. I for one think there is not much to celebrate. Alas, as the French say, ce la vie. So have fun, enjoy your friends and families; celebrate and be happy. I’m betting we won’t have many opportunities in 2006. Until then, your friend at Back to Enlightenment wishes you all a



Happy New Year!

Friday, December 30, 2005

HOW TO LIE AND GET AWAY WITH IT


“All this was inspired by the principle — which is quite true in itself — that in the big lie there is always a certain force of credibility; because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus in the primitive simplicity of their minds they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie, since they themselves often tell small lies in little matters but would be ashamed to resort to large-scale falsehoods. It would never come into their heads to fabricate colossal untruths, and they would not believe that others could have the impudence to distort the truth so infamously.” Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Thursday, December 29, 2005

IRAQ: LAND OF OPPORTUNITY












Are you a former Delta Force, SEAL, Commando, or other military operative? Is life mind-numbing, with no prospects, just miserable, ever since you’ve left the Force? Worry not; we have an exciting, trilling, momentous job presently waiting for you!

In Iraq, the land of opportunity, we have plenty of exhilaration, cool proceedings, and fantastic courses in violence for you to attend, and we will pay you handsomely too!

Come and join us, help US protect Halliburton, Brown Kellog Root, General Dynamics, and other fundamental companies in developping Iraq; remember, we are truly soldiers of Peace and, with the blessing of our president Bush, we will not only kill “insurgents” but, more importantly, get our hands into a pile shit load of money!

THE MERCENARY ARMY IN IRAQ


Thought of the day...


“Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it.”

Mark Twain

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

Nuclear power? Listen to women



A poll conducted yesterday in the UK revealed that the country’s public opinion is extremely divided regarding this affair of building more nuclear power plants. 48% are against, 45% in favour and 7% don’t know.

However, a dramatic change occurs when we scrutinize the numbers of the poll by gender. In the group of those who support nuclear expansion males represent 57%. In those who oppose it, women represent 57%.

Why is there such a difference between males and females when it comes to nuclear power expansion? Why do women seem to dislike the idea so much? Maybe because, unlike men, they actually give birth to their sons and daughters?

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

THE RULE OF LAW, UNDER BUSH


As you can read here, “the National Security Agency has traced and analyzed large volumes of telephone and Internet communications flowing into and out of the United States as part of the eavesdropping program that President Bush approved after the Sept. 11, 2001.”

What is worse, “the volume of information harvested from telecommunication data and voice networks, without court-approved warrants, is much larger than the White House has acknowledged, (…) it was collected by tapping directly into some of the American telecommunication system's main arteries”.

In the US, discussion about this somehow made a pathetic turn, for the Administration is claiming that all it did it did legally. Bush claims that spying on your fellow citizens is legal and I’m sure there is a gigantic team of layers at work, right now, in finding a legal way to corroborate Bush’s argument.

When Hitler came to power in Germany he also did it legally. Everything in Hitler’s Germany was legal. The trick was to turn illegality legal. Racism was legal, (Nuremberg laws) the trade unions were illegal, the Fuehrer’s infallibility was legal, etcetera…

Monday, December 26, 2005

"FASCISM IS NOT RACISM"


For more than once has Paulo Di Canio, Italian footballer for Roman team Lazio, treated viewers to the fascist salute; Yet, Di Canio happens to think that it is pretty much acceptable to act so, because "I'm a fascist, not a racist".

Can someone tell this obtuse idiot, Di Canio, that there is no such thing as a non-racist Fascism? What are FIFA and the Italian Football Association thinking of doing about this trivial matter of giving us all the fascist salute?

Probably nothing. You see, as Berlosconi, Italy's President says, people shouldn't think hill of Di Cannio, "he is really a nice lad".

THE CHRISTMAS GIFT


In a true Christian spirit, and working hard to demonstrate us all how kind, gentle, republican senators are, four days before Christmas the U.S. Senate voted 51-50 in favor of a brutal budget package that cuts funding for health care, student loans, child support enforcement, foster care funding, and other programs by $40 billion over the next five years. Details here.

And...can you imagine who casted the tiebreake vote? Here's a clue: he can't live without his Ipod.

Friday, December 23, 2005

Closed for the Holidays

Back to enlightenment is closed for the holidays and will re-open on the 26 of December.

That is, if the other two guys who supposedly contribute to this blog maintain their current abundant contribution…

So have a nice Holiday, everyone, and enjoy yourselves!



…Er, don’t mean you George, you Cheney, you Rumsfeld, you that Portuguese wancker that wishes to californicate Europe, you Arnie, oh…fuck it! If I was to go on I would still be writing this list by Christmas/2006...

Thursday, December 22, 2005

DICK CHENEY - THE IPOD FREAK


On his flight back home from his tour of South Asia and the Middle East, Dick Cheney, US vice-president, a.k.a, the IPod freak, showed us what a compassionate munificent human life form he truly and undeniably is:

Now, I wonder, why such an urgency? Oh, I know. the IPod freak couldn’t wait for a minute eavesdropping on his favourite songs: “White Power”, “Fuck Democracy”, “Spying is Beautiful” and, most of all, “America Ubber Alles”…

Wednesday, December 21, 2005

Rumsfeld, the mastermind!



Donald Rumsfeld, the whiz kid in American politics has just made a capital breakthrough in terrorism handling:


"The US Secretary of Defence has said he doubts Osama bin Laden is in a position to assert full command over the global operations of the al-Qaida network.
"I have trouble believing that he is able to operate sufficiently to be in a position of major command over a worldwide Al-Qaida operation but I could be wrong. We just don't know," Rumsfeld said."

This is a remark that reveals what a connoisseur of terrorist modus operandi Mr. R in fact is. We need more men like him leading the way for an enligthened world!

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Rise of fascism in America - III



In all past dictatorships control of the media was a central feature in perpetuating the power structure. Traditionally, the policy would be to apply the tools of censorship and propaganda in a coercive manner. These days in America the tools have somewhat changed:

"The media crisis is not due to incompetent or corrupt journalists or owners, but rather to a highly concentrated profit-driven media system that makes it rational to gut journalism and irrational to provide the content a free society so desperately requires."

So says "Tragedy & Farce: How the American Media Sell Wars, Spin Elections and Destroy Democracy," written by media activists John Nichols and Robert W. McChesney.

Now if you want to control your citizens the best way to go about it is to keep them uninformed. That is the role of mainstream media in the present day America.

The media is more concerned with "filling time and entertaining the audience," says Nichols, "than informing them and getting to the truth". He adds that knowing what's going on with Michael Jackson or the Laci Petersen trial does not provide you with sufficient information to act as a citizen.

Indeed true. In "1984" the “proles”, i.e. the vast majority of the citizens who lived in miserable conditions, were continuously feed with sentimental, futile and vain media cultural products. Are we the “proles” of Bushism?

Monday, December 19, 2005

Rise of fascism in America - II



In 1984, the book, the ruling political structure was a self-perpetuating dictatorship. This was achieved by putting into action several thought control devices. However, another important tool for the maintenance of the fascist regime was the fact that it was in a perpetual war against some other fascist regime.

For those in power a perpetual war was an absolute necessity. In fact they were not aiming at winning the war, just in perpetuating it. There are several advantages in a never ending war.

Firstly, you have an external enemy and this binds your citizens together, under your leadership. Secondly, because there’s a threat you can always have "traitors" in your midst (i.e. those that oppose your policies), and blame them for whatever goes wrong in your country. Thirdly, since there’s a threat you can enforce a policy of spying on the citizens, of restricting their liberties and argue that it is for their own good.

This is what happens in 1984. Now I ask you: What is happening in America today?
Can the war on terror be won? Can it possibly end? It cannot: there will always be terrorists.

What are those who are against the continuation of the war on terror? Un-Americans, "traitors". What is the Patriot Act? Legislation aimed at locking up the “traitors”, spying citizens, restrict their liberties, ergo, control them. Am I wrong?

Sunday, December 18, 2005

Rise of fascism in America

President Bush admitted yesterday that he himself authorised secret spying in American soil. Not only that, he also seemed almost proud of it: "The American people expect me to do everything to protect them and our civil liberties".

The statement is of course an absurdity. How can you claim to protect the liberties of your people and simultaneosly enforce a policy of massive spying on phone calls and email trafic of americans?

It would be a laughing matter if it was not happening before our eyes. It is so grotesque that uninformed people would just laugh and say: you're joking me! No way can what you say be real!

What is happening in America is not a laughing matter at all. As senator Edward Kennedy puts it, "this is big brother run amok". Too true. More people should be reading Orwell's 1984. The political irony of the Age is that common citizens think they know everything about big brother; the TV show, that is.

Huey Long, governor of Luisiana and a politician of relevance until his assassination in 1935, once said: "Of course we will have fascism in America, but we will call it Democracy!" Now his prophecy is on the verge of fulfilment.

Saturday, December 17, 2005

Nuclear power? Lovely...

Radioactive alert in Chechnya

"Investigators have found nuclear material capable of being used in a dirty bomb in an abandoned factory in Chechnya.

It was not clear why the radioactive source had been kept in the factory in Grozny, but officials said it posed a severe threat to anyone who came near it. Site contamination was found to be tens of thousands of times more than normal levels.

Valery Kuznetsov, a Chechen prosecutor, told NTV television: 'This is above all now a threat to the population, because the leadership and officials of the firm did not take the necessary steps to isolate the isotope'"

Friday, December 16, 2005

Nuclear power? - The cocktail

Recently, Mohamed ElBaradei said:

"The surge in global energy demand will require continued usage of most, if not all, available energy sources. But with the reduction of carbon emissions becoming a top priority, increasing emphasis will be given to energy conservation and 'clean' energy sources. Within this array of choices... countries are increasingly looking to nuclear as an important part of the future energy mix."

I’m fine with mixing. I just love cocktails. The trick of a cocktail lies as much on how you do the mixing as on the proportion of the ingredients used in the mixture. My problem with cocktails is that I’m a bit of an alcoholic, and always get so much greedy that I use a greater proportion of the heavy stuff. In the end I just get totally drunk and because of that my health is ruined.

Let’s hope that in the energetic cocktail the barmen are not alcoholics for money like I am for booze. I’m a drunk I cannot fight the allure of intoxicating drinks; Let’s hope that the world’s leading politicians and business men don’t get too high on this idea of cheap, clean, safe nuclear power.
Let’s hope that the allure of an easy way for solving global warming while simultaneously cashing in on big time nuclear deals does not lead to our ultimate intoxication.

Californication- The final result


A Portuguese presidential candidate, Mr Anibal Silva, proclaimed Europe’s Californication, by way of turning Portugal into Europe’s California. This is the first palpable result…

Thursday, December 15, 2005

Nuclear power? - III


I know nothing about nuclear power. Nuclear waste? If it is waste just store it where I cannot see it; since I cannot have children and have no family nor friends I have nothing to worry about.

Chernobyl, Three Mille Island? Probably the names of some beautiful flowers. Radioactivity? That one I know: It’s my local nightclub where they play my favourite music: “chain reaction”.

“Meltdown”? Isn’t that something they have on the menu at McDonalds? If it isn’t it sure sounds nhumy… Kursk, USS Thresher, USS Scorpion? What is a Russian city mingling with a scorpion and a guy called Thresher?

Hiroshima? Nagasaki? The first one I know about: It’s also a nightclub I’m keen on; the second…Hum…maybe another flower?

So, as you see, I’m completely uninformed when it comes to nuclear power; what shall I do regarding this debate of building more nuclear power plants? As I always say, when in doubt check what the two clowns above think on the matter and decide the opposite way…

We, the terrorists



There are three intellectual terrorists in this pic. The one on the left is me. The one on the right is Goncaluskas. And the third one? Why, it’s the one taking the pic, of course, Arrebenta himself! We lot are the contributors for this blog.

Why have we embraced intellectual terrorism? Well, we were forced to do so. With Bush’s legislation on terror (The Patriot Act) and Blair’s ideas on the subject (arrest people for 90 days without having to provide any justification) we realized that free thinkers had no choice to express their views unless they went underground.

What do you think?

Europe's Californication




Finaly! Finaly!

This is the face of the candidate in Portugal's presidential election that says that Portugal is to become Europe's California!

For days we have hosted a poll (first box on your right) on the ethical, philosophical and political implications of the project.

Now you have a chance to look at at a pic of the man, we hope it will help with your choice. And yes, he really exists: his name is: Aníbal Silva.
If you’re not satisfied with the choices on offer, fell free to toss in your suggestions. Any thing goes; even this one takes the biscuit for European political anecdote of the Year!

So watch out Spain! On your guard France, Britain and all you other European Iowa’s! California is coming to town!

commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

Californication - The missing link


"Aníbal Silva - The man that will change the face of Europe and the USA"

"The man in this picture is the single most original politician to emerge in Europe’s public life for the decade. He is advocating a major geographical shift in bilateral relationships between California and Europe.

In a stratospherically brilliant insight of things to come he is backing the immersion of California in the Western tip of the European Continent, namely in a place called Portugal.

Mr Silva is running for president there ( in Portugal not California nor Europe) and latest polls show that there's a strong possibility that he might get elected.

We support him too: he is the missing link in Europe’s Californication!" The Sunday Times

Wednesday, December 14, 2005

Thought of the day...

Never lose Hope. When fighting stupidity and ignorance Hope is the strongest of your allies.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005

Nuclear power? - II


In a recent entry I was perhaps a bit hasty in jumping to conclusions on the nuclear energy debate.

Some of the things I said were that accidents happen; terrorists can target nuclear plants; the positive aspects of nuclear energy do not counterbalance the risks of nuclear disaster.

On the other hand, some people, much better qualified on the technical side than I will ever be, happen to think differently. A man of science, Stewart Brand, published an article that you can read here, where he says:

“Now we come to the most profound environmental problem of all, the one that trumps everything: global climate change. Its effect on natural systems and on civilization will be a universal permanent disaster.”

He further argues that the risks involved in perpetuating dependence on "dirty" energy are higher than those involved in embracing "clean" nuclear energy. The argument can be subsided as follows:

The World needs energy. Our current sources (oil, gas, coal) are "dirty" and will destroy the planet. It is extremely urgent to get an alternative. We have one already available: nuclear.

Finally he adds:
"Nuclear certainly has problems—accidents, waste storage, high construction costs, and the possible use of its fuel in weapons. It also has advantages besides the overwhelming one of being atmospherically clean. The industry is mature, with a half-century of experience and ever improved engineering behind it. Problematic early reactors like the ones at Three Mile Island and Chernobyl can be supplanted by new, smaller-scale, meltdown-proof reactors like the ones that use the pebble-bed design.”


Well, I for one (sorry that I’m such an ignorant) happen to think that there is nothing human-made that can be “meltdown-proof”.
Nevertheless, we cannot ignore the strong argument that it is urgent to cut down on oil, gas, and coal dependence. Is it to late to conduct massive research into renewable energy? On other techs that could extract carbon from the atmosphere?
Prove that it is and I have no problems in embracing nuclear power.
Until then, I will stick to this: If you were to put more of your mental energy, and money, and time, into researching renewable, instead of nuclear, the World would be a much safer place.
You see, we think that the bottom line for all this lies elsewhere.

It’s the almighty dollar is it not? Renewable is a costly affair and does not provide the bucks that some people can get straight away from big time nuclear business .

Thought of the day...

Sex, books, wine. The three best things in life... after bloguing.

The wine producer from Saudi Arabia says:

There is only the One true God - Allah. All others are but futile imitations, and Allah will soon enlighten you about it. That said, never get in a fight with a Rastafarian gal, you are bound to lose.

Monday, December 12, 2005

Nuclear power?



We live in a World where the need for energy is growing exponentially and where at the same time carbon emissions are threatening the stability of the planet. Our main source of energy is oil and this source is a very “dirty” one.

Many are now advocating a revived turn towards nuclear energy. Supporters for nuclear claim that renewables "like solar, wind and biomass can help. But only nuclear power offers clean, environmentally friendly energy on a massive scale."

And what is more they say that,“Fortunately, this urgently needed expansion can now build on a half-century of tremendous advance in the safe and secure operation of nuclear technology.”

The argument is a very simple one: it is cheap, it is clean and it is safe. Sounds almost perfect, does it not? Well, like always, it is not simple at all.

The pic that comes with this post depicts a recent disaster at an oil depot in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. You might have heard about in the news. Nobody knows what happened, but detectives are treating the case as an “accident”. Whatever it was it is clear that something went wrong and the consequences, albeit not dramatic, are not pleasant.

Now, nuclear energy promoters would take this example and say: see what happens when you use oil? This would never occur in our state of the art, ultra safe nuclear power plants. What they claim is that the new generation of nuclear plants have so many security checks that it would be almost impossible for an accident to happen.

Need I say more? The trick as you see is in the “almost” word. In its day the Titanic was considered the almost unsinkable ship, and we all know what happened next.

Also, I’m wondering what the people in charge of the oil depot in Hertfordshire would have replied if someone asked them about their security checks, the day before the accident…

Another issue of a somewhat relevant nature is what terrorists are thinking on the matter of creating accidents in the vicinity of a nuclear power plant…

Supporters for nuclear say: "We are confident that an informed public debate - focused on facts rather than myths - will demonstrate that nuclear energy is indispensable to sustainable global development."

You want facts? Here are a few: shit happens, accidents happen, terrorists happen. You want cheap and clean energy? Put your money into researching renewables sources; in the end of the day it will still be cheaper than a nuclear disaster.

Treze Razões para não votar Cavaco

As mencionadas atrás e esta: estou em cuidados com a sanidade mental do candidato. Então não é que, com o professor na Presidência, o País rapidamente se transformará na "California da Europa"? Isto, cá pra mim, será sinónimo de loucura, só poderá ser. Quem pensa que isto do Portugal-California é normal deverá estar forçosamente doido, louco, doido varrido, tadinho...
Er...Sorry for the "Califórnia" without the "´". One of the desvantagens de blogar en muchas lenguas. Seguiremos Californicando!

Super Mário, ou a vã glória de levar nos cornos :-)


Nada melhor para medir a vitalidade de um político do que o seu à-vontade ao levar nos cornos.

Fantástica, aos 80 anos, a longevidade política do nosso Bochechas, o terceiro melhor ícone mundial de Portugal, depois da Amália e do Eusébio.

Força aí, seu maganão!...
Os caceteiros voltaram a sair à rua: está na hora de repor a Liberdade!...

SOARES É FIXE!...


Somehow we don’t think he can…

But it’s a good thing that finally Americans are beginning to realise it .

Thought of the day...

Ask not what your blog can do for you; ask what you can do for your blog.

Sunday, December 11, 2005

The wine producer from Saudi Arabia says:

There are two certainties in life: first we will all die; second, don’t get in a fight with a Rastafarian gal, you will lose.

What will happen if...


The West allows this guy to carry on with Iran’s nuclear program? Look at what he thinks about Democracy: "We did not have a revolution in order to have a democracy." Recently he has been a bit more accurate on the subject: “Religious democracy is the only path toward human prosperity and it's the most advanced type of government that humans can ever have.”

Now take a minute and consider what he thinks about Israel: “Israel should be moved back to Europe”; Israel should be “Wiped out of the map”.

Furthermore, take a quick glance of how he sees the West and the relation between West and Muslin World: “We are in the process of an historical war between the World of Arrogance [i.e. the West] and the Islamic world, and this war has been going on for hundreds of years.”

Now Iran is a country with vast oil and natural gas reserves. Why is it then that they want to go nuclear, if there is no real economic necessity for it?

Thought of the day...

“A fig tree looking at another fig tree becometh fruitful”, an old Arab proverb.

Saturday, December 10, 2005

The sacred book of the Bloguing religion

Even though I blog through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil, for you (THE BLOG) are with me.
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.



Thought of the day...

Sum, ergo blog

Doze razões para não votar Cavaco

acerca desta não tenho muita certeza. Há uns anos atrás, já não me lembro quem, confesou-me em surdina que o professor tinha mau hálito. Em abono da verdade, nunca cheguei a confirmar e portanto não sei. Mas a ser realmente esse o caso...

Friday, December 09, 2005

The horrors in Pandora’s box


Before the invasion of Iraq most of Europe’s public opinion “knew” that going to war was a bad move and that it would lead to more violence and hate; more problems and no solutions. That was the reason why millions of demonstrators took to the streets of Europe’s cities and protested against the oncoming conflict. Unfortunately, it didn’t make any difference, for two reasons: public opinion in the US had been worked up into a different mood and, secondly, the people with power, both in Europe and the States, disagreed with public opinion.

Bush, Blair, Berlusconi and Aznar (this one sacked and good ridings too) forged an alliance against public opinion and, since they had the power to do it, they pushed for war. The consequences were predictable. In those days the expression “opening Pandora’s box” was a perfect synthesis of the things to come.

Pandora’s box was opened and we haven’t seen half of the horrors that will come out of it. What we have seen so far is that Iraq is in a chaotic state, that there seems to be no end for the war and that the dead tool just keeps mounting up. The consequences for this are also predictable: hate towards the US has increased and will increase; the probability of more terror attacks, possibly of the nuclear kind, is higher than it was before the war.

Meanwhile, western capability to deal with real threats, namely Iran, is lower because the necessary strength is already deployed in Iraq. That’s the reason why that bizarre president of Iran keeps saying that “Israel should be wiped out of the map”. However daft his proclamations might appear, underneath lies the important and threatening fact that Iran’s nuclear program is being revived.

This begs the issue: when shall western leaders realise that a major shift in middle-east policy is necessary if we are to build a suitable peace? What kind of lunacy is going on at Number 10 and at the Whitehouse? Surely by now even Blair and Bush should have realised the failure of their policies. Politicians like them give the West a bad name. Back to Enlightenment will humbly chip in to see them thrown out of Office.

The Media On Western Society...



"Be prepared: 2006 will be a year of living dangerously. American soldiers will struggle to prevent civil war in Iraq. Nuclear brinkmanship will intensify in Iran. The global economy will slow, perhaps sharply if any of the mounting risks to stability hits hard. Those risks are many: a house-price bust, higher oil prices, a dollar collapse or—a looming nightmare—a bird-flu pandemic."- Editorial.


This one I pinched from here http://www.bichos-carpinteiros.blogspot.com/

Onze razões para não votar Cavaco

O cavaquismo corrompe o espírito, o cavaquismo absoluto corrompe o espírito absolutamente.

Post-modern views on the Media

According to post-modern thinkers
like Bob Franklin, John Pilger and James Curran
the Media In Western Society can crudely be defined as this....





And the effects Media has on society are somewhat like this….

On the other hand, Back to Enlightenment

views on post-modernists akin to the ones mentioned above are….

Thought of the day...

let the one who has never sin cast the first stone

Thursday, December 08, 2005

An Orwellian reading of Christianity


There you have it: the people sitting down with no uniforms are Orwell’s “Outer-Party” members; the ones with white-green and the ones with yellow uniforms are the “Inner-Party” members; and I guess you don’t need me to tell you who "Big Brother" is…

The relation between chastity and orthodoxy


"There was a direct, intimate connection between chastity and political orthodoxy. For how could the fear, the hatred and the lunatic credulity which the Party needed in its members be kept at the right pitch, except by bottling down some powerful instinct and using it as a driving force? The sex impulse was dangerous to the Party, and the Party had turned it into account.” George Orwell, 1984.

....Now, this got me thinking that there are several organizations that look on chastity as a value of the greatest importance. Namely the Catholic Church…
Coincidence perhaps?

Dez razões para não votar Cavaco



Cavaco é feio, incrivelmente feio. Apenas uma opinião. Minha e de milhões de pessoas!

Cavaco nao lê jornais, não tem tempo para uma actividade tão mesquinha. Se ele a acha mesquinha ou não não sei mas deduzo.

Cavaco nunca se engana e raramente tem duvidas. Ora aqui, permita-me discordar caro professor: enganou-se da outra vez com o Sampaio e, estou seguro, vai enganar-se de novo com o Marocas.

Cavaco não é uma vista bonita quando se põe a comer bolo rei. Penso que disto poucos discordarão.

Cavaco acha natural que num país laico se ostentem crucifixos nas escolas. No problem man, tudo na maior, somos católicos, não é? É, pois é, por isso é que eu vou com o Mário, ele ao menos sabe dar o devido valor àquelas frasezitas sem importância na Constituição sobre a separação entre a Igreja e o Estado.

Cavaco não fala muito e quando abre a boca é pra dizer coisas que deixam o cidadão comum perplexo, como a tirada célebre da Californicação Europeia.

O homem tem uma visível dificuldade em lidar com críticas; vide a forma como respondeu à crítica que Soares lhe fez sobre ser ou não um político profissional...


Esta lembro-me eu do meu passado, bajo el cabaquismo: A resposta do homem à contestação, invariavelmente, era o cacete; assim foi no buzinão da ponte, assim foi na manifestação frente à Assembleia Nacional de milhares de estudantes, assim foi quando mandou polícias dar noutros polícias no Terreiro do Paço e provavelmente noutras ocasiões que não recordo; admito que o cavaquismo me foi pessoalmente traumatizante.

Quanto a esta razão, qualquer estudante do terceiro ou mesmo do segundo ano em Ciências Políticas a poderia dar: O homem vai criar problemas ao Sócrates, vai arranjar sarilhos, mesmo que diga que não, mesmo que a princípio não o faça; o seu próprio campo não lhe perdoaria um exercício saudável dos poderes do Presindente.


Por último: este iluminado, este salvador da pátria, representa tudo o que não quero para Portugal. Encarna os valores de um Portugal autoritário, provinciano e bacoco.

Wednesday, December 07, 2005

Dickinson or the art of poetry



I died for beauty but was scarce

By Emily Dickinson

I died for beauty but was scarce
Adjusted in the tomb,
When one who died for truth was lain
In an adjoining room.

He questioned softly why I failed?
"For beauty," I replied. "
And I for truth,--the two are one;
We brethren are," he said.

And so, as kinsmen met a night,
We talked between the rooms,
Until the moss had reached our lips,
And covered up our names.


I'm nobody! Who are you?

By Emily Dickinson

I'm nobody! Who are you?
Are you nobody, too?
Then there's a pair of us -- don't tell!
They'd advertise -- you know!

How dreary to be somebody!
How public like a frog
To tell one's name the livelong day
To an admiring bog!

I've posted this specially for u...

Melville: a few quotes from Moby Dick

“….it pained me, very badly pained me, to see him now so deplorably foolish about this ridiculous Ramadan of his. Besides, argued I, fasting makes the body cave in; and all thoughts born from a fasting must necessarily be half fed.”

“There are certain queer times and occasions in this strange mixed affair we call life when a man takes this whole universe for a vast practical joke, though the wit thereof he but dimly discerns, and more than suspects that the joke is at nobody’s expense but is own.”

“…be a man’s intellectual superiority what it will, it can never assume the practical, available supremacy over other men, without the aid of some sort of external arts and entrenchments, always, in themselves, more or less paltry and base.”

“An utterly fearless man is a far more dangerous comrade than a coward.”

“When a man suspects any wrong, it sometimes happens that if he be already involved in the matter, he insensibly strives to cover up his suspicions even from himself.”

“Who has once dinned his friends, has tasted what it is to be Caesar.”

Tuesday, December 06, 2005

Hate on a Sunday morning



By coyhot

I write in hate and hate consumes what I write
I write as if shaving words with the sharpest of blades
And letters bleed and thoughts cut
for what I write
Is sharp and acute as only hate itself can be.

All things resume to a maddening polarity
There is no brightness in dark words
There is no darkness too. Nothing but Hate.
Inflamed hate until havoc and oblivion alone rule.

Flowers are to be crushed love despised friendship scorned.
Life? Life is to be trapped in a coffin, suffocated
In existence, overwhelmed by the meaninglessness
Of all things that are, were, will be and are not.

My quest? To be content with this dead life of mine
I Hate myself and all of the rest.
I hate what made what I am,
I hate both god and the devil,
my Hate knows not boundaries:

I’m the most hateful man there ever was.

What I touch becomes dead. My breath is foul.
Give me a nuclear device and I’ll crush thee like insects;
With a smile. I crave for the end of Mankind.

And yet…there are tears in my eyes
They carve red scars in the face and all hate is gone.
And I cut my wrists and think only of green pastures
And peace finally overcomes.

As Time Goes By

By Dooley Wilson


This day and age we're living in
Gives cause for apprehension
With speed and new invention
And things like fourth dimension
Yet we get a trifle weary
With Mr. Einstein's theory
So we must get down to earth at times
Relax relieve the tension
And no matter what the progress
Or what may yet be proved
The simple facts of life are such
They cannot be removed

You must remember this
A kiss is still a kiss
A sigh is just a sigh
The fundamental things apply
As time goes by

And when two lovers woo
They still say, "I love you"
On that you can rely
No matter what the future brings
As time goes by

Moonlight and love songs
Never out of date
Hearts full of passion
Jealousy and hate
Woman needs man
And man must have his mate
That no one can deny
Well, it's still the same old story
A fight for love and glory
A case of do or die
The world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

Oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers
As time goes by

El velo islámico: un ataque al Iluminismo


En Francia el gobierno ha decidido prohibir el uso del velo musulmán en las escuelas públicas y, en mi modesta opinión, no podría haberlo decidido mejor. En verdad, el velo simboliza no sólo la discriminación de las mujeres que se da en la religión musulmana, sino también un claro ataque al carácter laico del estado francés. Así, el hecho de que se cubra una mujer de los pies a la cabeza no puede jamás aceptarse en nombre del “multiculturalismo” o del “derecho a la diferencia”, del mismo modo que no es aceptable la mutilación genital femenina o los matrimonios arreglados con la justificación del carácter cultural de ese tipo de prácticas. Se podría argumentar que son cosas distintas: la Mutilación Genital Femenina se refiere a una mutilación física y las otras dos no. ¿Pero no es el velo un símbolo de una mutilación del espíritu? ¿Y qué decir de los matrimonios arreglados? Francia fue, en el siglo XIX, uno de los primeros países en establecer el carácter laico de la enseñanza pública. Esa medida representó un avance muy importante en la dirección de una sociedad abierta, tolerante, donde los progresos científicos ya no estaban coaccionados por el poder eclesiástico. En verdad, un estado laico no es enemigo de la religión; tan sólo se trata de un estado que eliminó de la esfera pública lo que no cabía en ese espacio y sí en la esfera de lo privado. Así el estado laico estimula la tolerancia, la comprensión de la diferencia, la libertad de culto y el desarrollo del espíritu crítico. Esa tolerancia y libertad ya no sucede en una sociedad donde religión y el estado se confunden: en esas sociedades la libertad es mucho menor que en los estados laicos.
¿Las chicas musulmanas quieren ir a la escuela usando un símbolo que atenta contra el carácter del estado laico? Pues que se marchen a escuelas privadas donde las acepten y en ese caso tales escuelas deberían ser objeto de riguroso escrutinio: seguro que no queremos en Europa la proliferación de las “madrasas” (escuelas islámicas) más radicales y fundamentalistas.
No se trata de atentar contra los que creen el Islam; ni tampoco de atentar contra los valores y cultura musulmana; lo que pasa es que un estado laico no puede jamás permitir en sus establecimientos de enseñanza, pública y laica, tal ostentación de símbolos religiosos que nada tienen que ver con el ambiente ideal de esas escuelas, es decir, un ambiente científico, donde las creencias Religiosas deben dejarse de lado. Es posible interpretar que soy intolerante en mi análisis, pero no lo creo; lo que pienso es que hay valores fundamentales de Occidente que están bajo crítica y que hoy más que nunca es necesario defenderlos.
Para terminar, les dejo con unas palabras quizás todavía mas sencillas o quizás no. Las escribió Mario Vargas Llosa: “Las niñas a las que sus familias y comunidades envían ornadas del velo islámico a las escuelas públicas de Francia son algo más de lo que a simple vista parecen; es decir, son la avanzadilla de una campaña emprendida por los sectores más militantes del integrismo musulmán en Francia, que buscan conquistar una cabecera de playa no sólo en el sistema educativo sino en todas las instituciones de la sociedad civil francesa.” (Mario Vargas Llosa, artículo publicado en 22-06-2003, en el periódico “El País”).

F____ Snow White



Snow White is the fairy tale that I abhor the most and the one I’m always more prone to scorn. There is not a single positive thing about this tale, from its false ultra-romantic depiction of love, to its embarrassing representations of women. Love in Snow White is something that doesn’t exist and never will. Starting from the end, what could be more false than “and then they lived happily ever after”?
Taking this a bit further, what can be said about the notion of the “prince charming”, who will come to the rescue and save the day? Actually if there’s something I can say about it, it is that, not having the looks of a charming prince, much less the behaviour of one, in my teen years my romantic life was extremely affected by this “prince charming” notion: it was so inculcated in the minds of the girls back at secondary school that when it came to love they would all be in la-la-la land waiting for their “prince” to come…
Another characteristic of Snow White that makes me go completely round the bend is the way in which women are depicted. We either have this vain, arrogant, cruel, monster-Queen bitch that will stop at nothing to be the unrivalled beauty of the realm or we have this beautiful, ignorant, good for nothing except house-work, daft princess, with a howwibly – sorry – horribly disfiguring speech impediment, Snow White. I mean she even takes food from strangers for goodness sake!
In contrast, look at the men: The gallant prince who comes to the rescue; the dwarfs that work for a living and take poor, helpless (gasp!) Snow White under their protection, even the hunter, which takes pity on the maid, and lets her go…
To sum up, I would say that Snow White conveys a negative (because of its ultra-romantic implications) notion of Love while at the same time it illustrates women as being either downright devious and cruel or dumb wits good for nothing except cleaning after men.

Lenguas minoritarias: la falsa cuestión




Que las lenguas nacen, se desarrollan y mueren es un hecho indudable. El fenómeno de la desaparición de una lengua, su muerte, es algo perfectamente natural: las lenguas son “seres vivos”, que nacen, cambian y mueren. El criterio más importante para el nacimiento y manutención de una lengua es el de su utilidad. Una lengua tiene como función fundamental servir de medio de comunicación entre los miembros de la respectiva comunidad lingüística. Cuando el criterio de la utilidad pierde su valor la lengua respectiva está condenada a morir. Eso fue el caso del latín y de muchas otras lenguas que en un determinado momento de la Historia eran habladas y escritas por vastas comunidades lingüísticas. Si le pasó al latín, que tenia tantos hablantes y una tradición literaria tan fuerte, ¿cómo impedir que le ocurra a las lenguas con pocos hablantes y la mayoría sin tradición literaria en el contexto del mundo como “pueblo global”?
Los defensores de la preservación de las lenguas minoritarias argumentan que, con cada muerte de una lengua, un valioso patrimonio cultural desaparece. Sin embargo, de qué patrimonio cultural hablan en concreto es algo oscuro. ¿Qué importan las lenguas de las poblaciones de Papúa, o de los indígenas de América Latina? ¿Qué tienen sus lenguas de importante para mi comprensión del mundo? En rigor, muchas de esas lenguas no tienen siquiera registro escrito, su vocabulario es ínfimo y la visión del mundo que comportan reducida y incompleta. Lo diré de una forma quizá más clara: ¿dónde están los Shakespeares, los Cervantes, los Tolstois de esas lenguas? Pues… no están.
El ejemplo de España es paradigmático: el gallego, el vascuence, el catalán sobrevivieron bajo la opresión franquista por una razón simple: tenían un criterio de utilidad. Funcionaban como instrumento de resistencia, de independencia a la opresión de Franco. En democracia, y a pesar de todo el dinero que se inyectó para la promoción de esos idiomas, sólo el catalán presenta señales evidentes de vitalidad. ¿Y por qué? Porque el Catalán (al contrario de los otros idiomas) tiene una fuerte tradición literaria que se remonta hacia el siglo XIII. También en España, los defensores más acérrimos de las lenguas minoritarias no olvidan la necesidad del bilingüismo entre la lengua minoritaria y el español moderno.
Los que defienden un esfuerzo social y económico para la promoción de las lenguas minoritarias tienen una visión estática del mundo: “condenan” al inglés, al español, al francés y dicen que esas lenguas son “culpables” de la muerte de las minoritarias. Afirman que se está perdiendo “diversidad cultural” y sólo se puede concluir que desconocen por completo el fenómeno de “variación” en el ámbito del mismo idioma, fenómeno que no es más que la evidencia de “diversidad cultural”… Olvidan que, en los fenómenos lingüísticos, criterios de “culpa” no son aplicables. ¿Desean mantener esta u otra lengua minoritaria? Pues que la hablen y que la escriban y que no vengan pidiendo dinero para preservarla.

Assertive Sentences


Life without sex is like food without salt; you can live on it but it tastes like crap.

A man of wit can’t be a knave or a villain.

“I spent a lot of money on booze, birds and fast cars; the rest I just squandered”. George Best.

Christian gals go to heaven, bad gals go everywhere…

Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder and…In Playboy magazine calendar.

“You could fool some of the people some of the time, you could fool some of the people all the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.” Abraham Lincoln.

The blues ain’t nothing but a woman on a poor boy’s mind.

Fuck Xmas! I’ve got the Blues!