Silencio es peor
i just had a long conversation with my neighbors, a older man and his middle-aged son, in the driveway as i was returning from getting my bike tires re-inflated (they'd gone a little flat during my 3 month absence) and a brisk bike ride...
i never cease to be amazed at how much more the average person in a country other than the u.s. knows about what's going on in the world, and how much more astute they are in making sense out of it than the average, dumbed-down, american idol-watching american...
for instance, they totally understand that we are ALL propagandized up the you-know-where... it doesn't matter which country you live in, we ALL have it shoved down our throats... it may (and often does) LOOK somewhat different from country to country, but it's propaganda nonetheless... they don't trust their government any further than they could throw it... they clearly see that the u.s. is in iraq and the middle east for three reasons - money, power and oil... when i mentioned i publish a weblog and what it was about, the father's eyes widened and he asked if, by speaking out, i was afraid for my safety... i laughed (HA, HA!) and said, "to hell with it, silence is..." he interrupted and finished my sentence, "silencio es peor" ("silence is worse")...
the other thing that i never cease to be amazed about is when you make it clear that you have no intention of making a case for your own country, that you have no intention of attacking theirs, that you not only want to hear their views but also that you respect them, that you have concerns for the people in your own country as well as theirs, the walls come down quickly and REAL conversation ensues, and THAT'S when things get interesting...
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i never cease to be amazed at how much more the average person in a country other than the u.s. knows about what's going on in the world, and how much more astute they are in making sense out of it than the average, dumbed-down, american idol-watching american...
for instance, they totally understand that we are ALL propagandized up the you-know-where... it doesn't matter which country you live in, we ALL have it shoved down our throats... it may (and often does) LOOK somewhat different from country to country, but it's propaganda nonetheless... they don't trust their government any further than they could throw it... they clearly see that the u.s. is in iraq and the middle east for three reasons - money, power and oil... when i mentioned i publish a weblog and what it was about, the father's eyes widened and he asked if, by speaking out, i was afraid for my safety... i laughed (HA, HA!) and said, "to hell with it, silence is..." he interrupted and finished my sentence, "silencio es peor" ("silence is worse")...
the other thing that i never cease to be amazed about is when you make it clear that you have no intention of making a case for your own country, that you have no intention of attacking theirs, that you not only want to hear their views but also that you respect them, that you have concerns for the people in your own country as well as theirs, the walls come down quickly and REAL conversation ensues, and THAT'S when things get interesting...
Labels: Argentina, Iraq, oil, United States
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posted by profmarcus at
7/29/2007
