Participative democracy

Today, we are back, beer at hand, ears in music, so we are back.

It displeases me and makes me bored, but I guess further comments on the demonstrations in Spain are due, illegal demonstrations, as we speak. I told M. last night that I was not getting any emails from a common acquaintance, but I was mistaken. I got their mails and learned about the actions in the move. Now the mass is calling for an organized event against the banks consisting of withdrawing 155 euros on May 30th, all within the very same day. It is an organized gang-action -by who?-, albeit different messages claim not to be organized.

All of us to withdraw 155 euros at the same time? What for? To fuck our fellowmen? To pull the strings and do other people -who?- a favor? "Vanitie of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanitie of vanities, all is vanity", sings the Ecclesiastes. Many years ago, a saying was enlightening: daring is ignorance. Again, the banks. Why the banks? I heard a financial crisis has stricken globally and so I shall believe, but the current situation in Spain is only partially due to it. It is a matter of management, a matter of poor, very poor management. Good manager would have not gotten us into this. Even more, did you not see a year ago the PM and all the rich, powerful bankers meet up together? Why did you clap then your hands and not scream your heart out? The rich and the powerful together! Oh, God. How can you be so gullible!... Oh, you did not clap... Just stayed quiet.

The Movement -as the demonstrators call themselves- aims at solving problems by means of participative assembly. But what if I am not good at assembling? What if I am a stammerer? What if I am shy? What if I am ugly and, worse, unappealing without sex? What if I don't know anyone in the assembly? Will I be treated as fair as the rest? What if I have to take care of my ill, old aunt? Oh, what if my ideas are opposed? Will that not be a hen house?

Of course, it is cool to get together and be around people you are fond of when you happen not to have anything  more important to do. But what if you have to work? What if you like doing dancing afterwards? Will you have time? What if you have to practice your piano lesson? What if you have a woman to love? What if you like having a drink at La Amistad and then walk slowly down the river to your place before you cook your own dinner? Will the sacrifice be worth the price? We are all getting old enough to reckon how our friends change when their lives change. What makes you think this time will be different?

Fortunately, there is a system to participate entirely of democracy by oneself, away from the charms and toothmarks of the mass: voting, the most egalitarian of all the shots. I certainly praise each individuality and his freedom of action.

That's why I despise so profoundly such Movements. That and that I deeply disagree with their old-fashion and confused ideas. Stinks.

Their short-sightedness towards the case of ETA supporters -renounce to ban pro-terrorism political parties or accept debating with terrorists- not only stinks, but hurts... And gets one savagely enraged... At this hour in the night.

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A few days back I came across this nice place... At least, look nice to me, first sight. Liked this song by Yael Naim. Precisely, yesterday at lunch time, while wandering up and down Tottenham Court Road in search of "some optics specialties" -if you believe that-, we entered in Pret-A-Manger to grab a sandwich and, I think this was the song being played. The video is kind of... But it is ok. The problem is not "making every possible mistake", but to be trapped always in the midst of the same mistakes.

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Speaking about coming across, I did discover today When the sidewalk ends, one of Shel Silverstein's poetry books for children. I was enjoyably touched; the mind of this man was entirely creative and brilliant. Years ago, then my friend B. took me to a the theatre in Huntsville to some alternative performance of Silverstein's stories for adults. B said: "I used to love his children stories when I was a baby girl and I am curious to see how his adult stories look like". Well, his children's poetry and drawings are amazing!

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My last words tonight are actually collected to set a recommendation. Give a try to Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Brodie. It is a vast luminous sky over the mysterious, unassailable waters of femininity. A well-written, delicious short novel.

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