ASTB and politics

[kasche]

It had been strange reading Gordie's letter and Chapter Thirteen, with today being the day of the national funeral and all. It was strangely fitting, and obviously unintended, since I couldn't have any clue about the incipit of Part II.
On Sunday the subject of Nassirya went touched briefly. With a friend of mine telling she cried, when she heard the news on TV, telling about the private stories of each soldier. Now excuse me, but it made me somewhat upset, and that's why I didn't tell a word on the subject. Because I saw that very show, and it didn't touched me, but it made me feel quite sick. Call me cynical, if you want. The idea of talking about their life may not had been that original, but surely wasn't all that bad either. What was nauseating was the way they worked the idea out. The words they used, the language, the style. Every very comma was meant to make the whole story heartbreaking. And if you want people to be touched by what you say, you better not make the tricks you use so clear. Honestly, if I could point them out, everyone else could too.
And yet, when I see people take for sure truths every word the news spill over them, without bothering to at least try to think about them, I can't help but get angry. But with my diplomacy skills being what they are, I prefer most of the times just keep silent. I am very aggressive when I'm angry and it proved to be quite counterproductive.
And the Nationalism! The Patriotism! Dear God, how much false is all that! Italians never bothered with Patriotism till now, till the "war" they were anyway so keen on promoting actually produced some effect on them. If this is not hypocrisy, then I honestly don't know what it is. What were the WarSupporters thinking, that it was something far from them? That the bombs exploding would kindly spare Italian soldiers, because they are so nice, and only blow up the rest of the army?
Now don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't care about the 19 men died in Nassirya. But I can't just watch all the apparatus built around them without saying anything.
God. I've never heard of Homeland once in twenty years.
And it's because of what I've said, and not in spite of it, that I feel that those death had been absolutely wrong, and unfair.

(Yes, the icon is ironic.)

Ok, this is very little about At Swim and very much about my own quirks. I apologize, because I'm liking the book in an almost disgusting way, so I will be talking a lot about it. Oh, and Jo? I should thank you. Your positive review (ok, your worship) had been one of the things that had me buying it.

Comments

[gothikmaus.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes, patriotism (snorts Snape-style). You know what really gets on my nerves? People saying: "Let's put a flag outside our windows (toh, un tricolore. Abbiamo vinto i mondiali per caso?), let's celebrate our heroes, I'm proud to be Italian." Excuse me? You're proud because our dear nation sent 20 young men to die without a reason? Because, let's face it, their deaths have been useless. Absolutely useless. They're not heroes. They weren't defending the Iraqi population, they were keeping them under control. They weren't on a peace mission, they were on the invaders' side, because the Americans are invaders. Yes, they fought against Saddam because he was a dictator, I agree with that. But there are dozens of dictatorships in the world, are they going to eradicate every single one? Or just Iran, because they're Muslim, and China, Korea and Cuba because they're communists? Or none at all, because there's no oil there?

*goes on ranting against Bush and oil companies*

But anyway, about the show you watched. I didn't watch it, but I can very well imagine it. You say the tricks they used to touch and cause emotions were obvious. Well, I can assure you that for most people they are not. I don't want to sound elitist, but we both go to university, we both have a good education (e se studi matematica all'università, devi avere un cervello grosso COSI'! ^_^), we are quite open-minded (we know a foreign language, we like slash and accept homosexuality) and have a certain dose of cynicism running through our system (which isn't a bad thing at all), so their tricks don't work with us. But we are a small, tiny, portion of the population.

I'm going to stop here, I don't want to become mean. But YAY! for At Swim! McEmm was my favourite character. ^_^

[kasche.livejournal.com]

I don't want to sound elitist, but we both go to university, we both have a good education
I don't really agree, here. Culture is not enough. The persons I was talking about are going to university. They are good people, they have a good education. Yet they don't give a thing about anything remotely close to what they call "politics". (Che poi non è tanto "politica" quanto "partitica", secondo me. Ma sto divagando.) I think it's more a matter of forma mentis, of being more open-minded, as you say.
Culture is of very little help, if one's not going to use it.

[gothikmaus.livejournal.com]

Yes, culture alone isn't enough. And culture for culture's sake is even useless. What I meant to say is that, usually, people who haven't got a good education are tricked more easily into believing what the media want them to. But there are a lot of other variables playing as well and political creed (or lack thereof) is a very important one. I think that knowledge is important, but as in knowledge of what happens around us in the world: if you only know what happens on your balcony or believe blindly in what the tv tells you, you'll never be able to understand what's going on. It's difficult even if you try to search information and compare different points of view, but if you just say "Well, who cares, they're all the same, they're all just as bad, why bother?" you won't go anywhere.

I'm biased because I'm so anti-Bush and anti-Berlusconi it's not even funny, but I don't think that all the people who voted them are bad or stupid. They must've had their reasons, but I sincerely doubt they're all happy about their choice right now.

[kasche.livejournal.com]

"Well, who cares, they're all the same, they're all just as bad, why bother?"
Exactly. This is exactly the point.
And then - I bet it happened to you too - when time for elections draws near, they come and ask "what's the matter?" Which is the same as asking "What should I vote?" And when you tell them what they want to know, trying to give the whole picture, they say "Ok, so I should do this, then. But you're not biased, are you?" Honestly. If you're worried for something like this, given that I try to be as objective as I can, you shouldn't ask me (or everyone else) in the first place. (The "you"s are not directed to you (http://www.livejournal.com/~gothikmaus/), it's.. impersonal. ^^")

You know what I think is the problem? That often people think politics is something detached from them. While "politics" mean what you eat for lunch, how much you spend for your shopping, when you'll be able to retire and how much you'll receive in your pension. If you'll be able to find a work. The amount of your University taxes.
Things quite down to earth, if you ask me. And not exactly far from us.

Ok, I got carried away and I ranted all over you, I'm sorry, really.. ^^"""""

[kasche.livejournal.com]

E non è vero che ho un cervello grosso così!!! ^^"""" Chiunque mi conosce te lo può confermare!!
La matematica non è niente di davvero astruso, si lavora di fantasia in un modo che neanche ti immagini.. XD;;; Un minimo di intuito aiuta davvero tanto!

[gothikmaus.livejournal.com]

>>La matematica non è niente di davvero astruso, si lavora di fantasia in un modo che neanche ti immagini.. <<

Hehe, io ho fatto solo un esame di matematica all'uni (però 2 di statistica =P), ma la mia esperienza con la materia alle superiori è stata un po' traumatica. Avendo fatto il liceo linguistico avevo solo 2 ore di matematica e 2 di fisica la settimana, ma il prof (laureato in fisica nucleare) era fuorissimo: faceva gli esempi con carote e patate come alle elementari e per spiegare il piano inclinato metteva i libri sulla cattedra e la sollevava x vedere quanto ci mettevano a scivolare a terra. Io ero una delle poche che riusciva a capire qualcosa, quindi ho passato 5 anni a spiegare matematica ai miei compagni durante l'intervallo. ^_^' In quinta poi è arrivata una nuova prof che credeva di essere allo scientifico e quando si è accorta del nostro livello spaventoso di ignoranza è rimasta sconvolta.

Però è troppo bello finire un esercizio e accorgersi di averlo fatto tutto giusto, è una soddisfazione vedere che sei riuscita a domare tutti quei numerini stronzini. ^_^'

[kasche.livejournal.com]

faceva gli esempi con carote e patate come alle elementari e per spiegare il piano inclinato metteva i libri sulla cattedra e la sollevava x vedere quanto ci mettevano a scivolare a terra.
Ma che spettacolo!! XDD

Però è troppo bello finire un esercizio e accorgersi di averlo fatto tutto giusto, è una soddisfazione vedere che sei riuscita a domare tutti quei numerini stronzini. ^_^'
Non dico niente XDDDD
Cmq, l'ho detto e lo ripeto, quelli che fanno i "conti" sono gli ingegneri. Noi pensiamo alla teoria. *grin*
Vabbe', dobbiamo anche saper fare i conti, ma questo e' un altro discorso. ^^"""""

Precisazione...

[(Anonymous)]

Riguardo al post sul lj di Kagome: sì, sono italiana anch'io ^^;; Non ti sei sbagliata...

ops

[(Anonymous)]

Sono Poggy... scusa, mi ero dimenticata di firmare il post precedente.

Re: ops

[kasche.livejournal.com]

Tranquilla, avevo capito. ^^
Come sta Kagome? Un po' meglio..?