Foggy Future?

Brazil Prepares to welcome Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

It is expected to next monday, nov. 23rd, the president of Iran, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to visit Brazil for the very fist time. A visit that has been announced since early year and obviuslly will take most parte of nightly news throughout the week. Ahmadinejad is now coming to Brazil after an invitation made by President Lulla in 2008 to increase the relationship between both countries.

Brazilian foreign policy is building a real wide road into the international world. by picking assorted kinds of market that includes, African countries, Asian and east Europe, with a very logycal goal - To decrease the level of dependency from the richest countries seeking for other places and tradding with them have oppened a giant universe of possibilities, not only for traddings but international policy as well.

By taking some actions in Haiti, or claimming constantly a chair at the Security council at UN, or being a "star" at the reunion of the richest countries. it is no longer to see Brazilian presency inside of most part of gathering worlwide. what is really necessary to know is if this kind of "behavior" could qualify it to be an important actor in the whole new scenario, besides the advances made in different kinds of sectos in Brazil.

Technology for example and bringing this issue to the visit of Ahmadinejad. Iran is totally away more advanced in techonology (missile specially) than Brazilian. But that's not the main issue to be treated in this visit. Beyond than that. and that's not just pure coincidence to welcome both prime minister from Isreael and the palestine in the same month. it is just a demonstration to try to balance the forces between the american administration and Europe to put some new answers at the question.

Dealing straightly to the peace treatment at middle east and being an important piece trying to solve the iran issues with nuclear weapons could definatly guide Brazil to be one of the big listed countries in the matter of foreign policy. The problem is. Would Brazil be ready for this responsabiity?

Time will tell
by now, let's just see the Persians

Cordially
Rafael Gomes

A Grisly Genocide

What's on denying important facts of history?

May sounds an stupid thing to say, but normaly, it would be considered an insanity to deny great chapters of history that much, that if we all keep with our mouth shutted or even dare to say something about the holocaust or slavery, could seems to be an heresy. I'm not trying to be the devil facing the reality of these facts but, why we all keep closing our minds instead of accepting controversing opinions? wether living in a democratic country must we all be free and express our point of view?

Regarding the situation which I have been a witness about 7 years ago. A teacher was obviusly denying both slavery and abolition here in Brazil. As an Impact I stay on my own, figuring out why of that. Even for me, being a brazilian and with traces of being from a black and white family, it was such an impressive thing to say, not only because it was a teacher, but it was from a law school, which, supposed to teach us better manners to treat others and get rid of old-habbits. (prejudice mostly)

Brazilian History has such important gaps, Firstly with the idea of the “discovery of Brazil” something that keeps being taugh all around Brazil and it is absolutely untruth. For those who doesn’t know, a settelment made by Portugal and Spain government stabilished limits of possession of Lands for both countries. At the time, It had been known that there wasn’t a hill far away at the sunset. So, in 1500 the Portuguese Crown was in a recognizing mission just to point its mark on the land and leave in a route to India. I wonder at the time in school if it was so.. “amazing” the discovery of Brazil but no teacher could ever answered me why they leave the country an throw it away for almost 50 years.

Another importat figure of Brazils history, “Tiradentes” considered as a hero becuase he had his body ripped up and exposed in a Square in 1791, After the crown pledged payment for sort of tax such as “derrama”. Those who were disapointed with the regime, get together and tried to defeat themselves from the crown. Tiradentes was not the leader of the group not even one of those who leadered some riots at the time. But still, I was just able to figure out that while in college because in school, never heard about it.

Just a couple months a father from the Catholic Church was obligated to apologize for his speeches of denying the holocaust. As I said in the beginning of the text, Im not denying as well. But my question is: Why we shouldn’t say no and not agree, without consider everything as a worldwide true. Controversy is necessary to build strong arguments, When we all accept what it is spreaded all over as the truth, we may get cheated for the little lines..

We must accept history facts, but not agree with all of them.

Cordially
Rafael Gomes

Nature and Enviroment

Are these two so tied up?

Have you ever noticed how delined most part of speeches concerned about enviroment issues are all so connected? Sometimes I get myself wondering wether it all of this come from. Kindness and sorrow for destroying and killing forest, waters drooling out from hoses, and some group of funky-trend-people, (a few of them are just worried about preserving but don't even know what the differences between nature or enviroment). Even scientist well-schooled, still faces some hardness trying to define it.

Just a couple weeks ago I was reading an article in a journal. An alert about the whole trend adopted by some countries, just to sparkle (and I mean that) in front of others abour their actions in a way to perserve it. As a matter of fact not even those well-intentioned guys are completely right at all. Hearing out some big shot, from a counrty saying that to save our enviroment is a better way to future generations find a place to live, it's not even slighly a real truth

Example: change car for a bicycle, or green energy, sustainable sources, acting like that instead of doing what you and I regularly do, or randomly, would probably better our way of living. Behind of that, there are too much that it meets the eye, and just like others who I keep talking about that it is a better way to renew the capitalism, find some better way to sell a product with a respectfull dutty to our enviroment.

And what kind of enviroment we are all trying to save it? Forest? Jungles, Green, Water, Air? is that all? and what about cities?! to perserve out there just show us how distant we are all from. Even the word Nature, defending for all us with a pure and romantic vision of fields, waterfalls and birds flying around and a blue sky. why facing that we still idealize How we want the nature to be, but we aren't nearly close to face the reality.

That's why I'm still worried about the whole discussion about saving our planet. How do we save what we idealize? I think that if we don't get back to our origins, to rescue a past that are still in all of us, specially us from Brazil, at the same time, blessed ofr all the resources we have but also doomed by a colonization interested to take it out. We've herded but can't even give a damn deal. Children, youngers, olders... have the enviroment as a worry but, a big number of that, can't do anything to really save, including me.

I guess it is time to do something or I'll just agree and become a passive outline of a greenpeacer.

Cordially
Rafael Gomes

Diplomacy

A matter of Conscience

After logging myself with books, surrounded by famous names from Henry Kissinger to others of Brazilian literacture as much as Machado de Assis or even Boris Fausto and Roberto da Matta. I could noticed how important our history is delegated to some straps of history and the model of education still applied on our schools are vintage. Pure elements of an olf-fashioned way of filling minds of childrens with tales of glory and heroism. However, Brazilian history could be traced by unlucky citzens whom wished much more than the truth, unfolding what should ever be hidden.

That's not a peculiar thing happened in our lands. I supposed that every trace left behind for some historical facts or most part of them are filled with misunderstoods.and due to those who win their lives, living the present figuring out what happend on the past, it is possible to visualize that what could be mantained as some universal true, could be questioned. What will books tell us within a hundred years about the holocaust or, the cold war, and so many other events of our present day.

What all of that has to do with diplomacy? absolutely everything. From pointing our portuguese lessons to calculate tax of investments or the new global movement after the crisis, or the political issues envolving global warming, alternative fuels,an ordinary day-by-day circle of people talking about economics or soccer or tradings and marketing. in some of their ways, there is something of diplomacy nearly the surface.

Betting with me that I couldn't mend the whole time losted by studios of my college. I could see how hard it its to pass in one of the most hardest contest of Brazil But I think I can get over that. As much as what diplomacy was made by: to overcome what seems to be impossible. To unite what was aparted.Althought sometimes still keeps away better to stay apart than get together. it is a challenge to be in contact to other countries with so many different peoples ina constant exchange, delivering and receiving culture in any way os aspects.

Praising the day when I can get pass the contest which, I hope that can't take that longer, I must keep roughling a battle with my own throubles with studios, college, and work. A carreer that still drive a lot of people because of its charming and high salaries is not all that glamour after all. working more thatn 10 ours a day, travelling throughout the day, weeks, in countries states. repairing possible damages done by brazilians (as much as the Brazilian case in Switzerland) or First scale authorities that mess up a great deal.

There are surely uncountable obstacles, But I feel totally ready to break all of them. Just wish It couldn't be that hard!

Cordially
Rafael Gomes

A Traditional Value?

Shopping Malls: An American Affair that will not fade away

If you ever had any thought about the american people. Shopping would be easily pointed as, probably, the very first thing that comes up to the mind of everybody else in the rest of the world. Worldwide known as a compulsive shoppers, it's not any surprise to see assorted kinds of trademarks and stores selling whatever thinkable - From eletronic gadgets, high tech stuffs or even, pure air.

In times of crisis, saving money seems to be one of the hardest thing to do, specially when you have a country which offers you credit cards with thousands of dollars limit, and a culture that motivates you to keep changing anything you got to something higher and better. no matter if you buy the last model of your GM today, you would be introduced to another model n the next day and stimulating the desire of getting something better, usually takes most part of the americans on a hole.

As I keep constantly saying here over and over, that is pretty much the main reason of why the american economy are melting out. Desire and possibility. Sometimes it looks like impossible to concieve that the whole world is now dragged to the edge because of the expenses provided by the market of good and Benefits of the US.

It's getting annoying to hear everytime on the news. That "X" Company fired thousands of workers or "B" bank declared bankruptcy. The way which most part of the news are stamped the situation, you start thinking that all the country is now lead to a time of darkness and people will be driven to fight with rocks to keep alive

Well, The landscape is not that bad after all (at least, so far), Shopping centers are still rising up. Indeed, there are a lot of malls that are closing their doors, or now becoming offices of companies. Besides all of that, they seems to be unstopable. There are nearly 1500 shopping malls working in US offering as I mentioned on the title, all kinds of service.

The new one? Marriage.. Odd?? Totally, but in some cities, you can get your marriage as quick as you get your meal at McDonalds. Who is the Blame? Capitalism or the church? One thing noone can deny. You will only find this in the US. A wishfull thinking for those whom are now getting married and also, enjoying some retails.

Cordially
Rafael Gomes