EYE OF THE BEHOLDER

                                                                          by MÁRCIO SALERNO
 

    THE DOOM THAT CAME TO...US

First of all, let me make quite sure that I’m an Anarchist. That being stated, I have to let you know that I am also a fanatical reader of H. P. Lovecraft, who has been dead since 1937 and had, during his lifetime, little, if any idea of where is Brazil and who are the Brazilians. Unfortunately, knowing Lovecraft’s writings and being acquainted with his ideas, he would probably think of us as one more of those minor races he conveyed to paint some of his lesser villains, i.e., us human beings.

But let’s forget of racism, after all, Lovecraft’s doom had to do with immortal races, unnamable ones who wait in the depths of the ocean and at the bottom of the Earth, expecting the right time to come back to the surface and take our world by storm. However terrible a fiction, I doubt that The Doom That Came to Sarnath is as worst and as horrible as the doom that came to us, specifically meaning the Brazilians. Lovecraft’s monsters existed only in his imagination. Our monsters are real, comprised of real human people, who want to held control over our lives and, man…but they are getting away with it!!!

We just had an election today, choosing our new president. I don’t know the result of the poll yet, but it doesn’t matter anyway. Most of the people was willing to vote for the man who held presidency of this country over the last four years, although much wrong done by his compañeros was condoned by him. And yet, people want him controlling their lives once again.

There’s an old joke around here, that one day St. Peter was chattering with God and asked him: ”But, Lord, how come you let so many natural disasters and wars happen to most part of the world and leave Brazil unharmed, with not as much as volcano here and there, to balance things somehow?” And the Lord turned to him, smiled and stated: “Oh, but haven’t you paid attention yet to the quality of the people I’ve put there?”

Amen, bro! It’s a joke, it’s supposed to bring about laughter, but really…do I look like I’m joking? It only serves to make me sad. There’s another old saying around here (at least 500 hundred years old) that brazilian people are, in their core, good people. Very good people. I’m brazilian and I’m sorry to say that we’re not.

I’m not saying that people elsewhere are better, after all people are the same wherever we go, there are good and bad, even Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney knew that much, when they’ve filled their pockets with dollars back in the 80s, singing together Ebony and Ivory. Man, John Lennon would probably never be so gullible, but…who am I to say something?

No sir, we’re not good people. We were colonized by the worst of the Portuguese people of that time, who we’re sent here by the Royalty and, among Brazilians today, it will be very hard to find someone who’s not willing to get away with something, money, power, whatever, if there’s an edge of some kind for him. And trust me, ‘cause I know that. I’ve worked ten years as a journalist in a fifth rate newspaper back in my hometown, controlled by a mental handicapped moron, and people there tried to stumble me down ever since day one, because I wrote about the fallacy of politicians and, by doing so, prevented some of my ‘colleagues’ from making extra money given by the politicians, so that good articles were published about them and their good deeds.

Well, guess I only wrote about their bad deeds, that’s why I’m out of a job today. Not that it was all that much as a job, anyway, and man…I’m glad I’m out of there! Anyway, it is an example of how things are around here. If this happens in a small town, whatever else and worst may happen in big cities?  

I’m an Anarchist, man, but I did vote today. To try to shun away that moron, but I don’t think it was worthy the try. You’d say, so why don’t you leave everything behind and go to Christiania (the Anarchist State, somewhere around the Norse countries)? Well, things are not as easy as that. I guess I’ll have to stick around, for the moment, and see what’s gonna’ happen with all this mess. Things are bound to get worst, but hey…here we are, right?

Lovecraft state, in The Call of Chtulhu: “It is not dead what can lie forever…And, in strange eras, even Dead can die herself”. Yeah, and the same goes for that and those who lie, and I mean the verb to LIE, to tell wrong stories, et.al.

Who’s gonna’ win the poll today? It doesn’t matter, man. Whatever happens, wherever you are…don’t you forget about me! 

                                                                                  October 29th, 2006

Simmetry is an absolute condition of order. The whole concept of western art is based on this principle. Man bases his conception of space in terms of a plain surface, perfectly measurable. Take vision away from westerners and their perception of the surrounding areas will be maculated forever. 

I don’t remember exactly who said that. Marshall McLuhan, probably. But what applies to art should also be good for life as a whole. I don’t know also what happens to people in general in your country, wherever it is you are now, while reading this. Well, people are the same, wherever you go. There are limitations, however…or should have!

I’m writing from Brazil, on the verge of a re-election of our president, a burly, uneducated man who, alongside several of his compañeros, ripped this country apart, and we, the people, are willing to let him continue to do so for the next four years. Or is it 40? I guess he appeals to the majority of our people, also uneducated, and this is dangerous. Remember Castro…There may be people who admire communist states, but I’m not one of them, and I wouldn’t like to see this land go commie, if you get my meaning…

Today is October the 21^st. We vote again on Sunday, October 29^th. The rival, the other party, had hold the power in this country for 8 years and no, things where not so good, and if they come back, they shouldn’t improve much, but hey man…There are limits, for Pete’s sake!

I was watching a movie the other night, The Mask of Zorro. At a certain point I said to my wife: “Should this guy live in today’s Brazil, he would probably be a member of our president’s party”. She said: “No, he wouldn’t. Zorro is a lonesome rider. The people of that party won’t fool anyone else with their leftist speech”.

I do hope she’s right. However, you would never understand why a gorgeous woman loves a bald and ugly man, unless you’d see him with her eyes, and vice-versa. The vision, the eye of the beholder, there’s the rub. When the political party who’s driving this country  errs, it is perceived as just that, a mistake. There are no prisons made, the bad guys walk away with the glories, as heroes. Such is the way most part of the people of this country sees them, or else they wouldn’t return to public political life after so many scandals. 

If the president uses his status to promote his friends and family, hey man, that’s only normal, right? Who wouldn’t arrange overpaid jobs for their relatives if they had a chance, huh? Well, I’ve dealt with people who thought this very same way, and I’m out of a job, today, exactly because of it. I’ve been a journalist for 10 years and hey man, I tell you, our president’s political party is buying as much professionals as they can to stand by their side. I didn’t accept the bargain, if you get my point…

Well, maybe I behold things with different eyes…What can I do except ask you people, wherever you are, to pay attention to this country, Brazil, and what’s happening to their governors and to we, the people? Take it from me, things are not as marvelous as they are painting for you, outsiders. It all depends of the eye of he/she who beholds…

Whatever happens the next October 29^th, whatever the result of the poll, the eye must remain opened. So, wherever you are, please keep paying attention to what happens in this land, whoever gets elected. Don’t let smooth talk deceive you and please, oh please…don’t you forget about me!

                                                                                    Sunday, October 22^nd, 2006

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