I am Charlie - I follow Charlie

It is no secret that I live in a country geographically, politically and culturally near France. And as 99,99% of my country men, I dare say my fellow Europeans I was utterly shocked by Wednesday's news of an attack on the redaction of the French political magazine 'Charlie Hebdo'. Shocked twofold.

First of course because of the attack itself. Even though I regret to say such a thing is to be expected, every religious, political or cultural view (for lack of a better word I had nearly written 'genre') has it's fanatics and it is only luck that most extremists are simply too stupid to organise their thoughts into actions that saves us from an attack/ killing spree/ threat of violence every day. But I like independent journalism and I'm an artist (though be it in training), it is almost as if some far of relative or that guy you used to know but never kept in touch with just died. You fear for the end of everything you think important or take for granted.

Secondly the reactions to the attack. When a killing spree of this size is claimed by any organisation or made in the name of such and such beliefs a strong antipathy against that group is the usual and predictable response. And it has been so now,... marginally. Marginally from my point of view.  Even in the non-extremist camp of the intellectual spectrum the stupid are in a vast majority but no longer overwhelmingly so and what pleases me most. The media are seen to write sense.

#jesuischarlie = I am Charlie and for me means that I feel for every family member, every colleague, every friend lost to a lack of selflessness.

#jesuischarlie = I follow Charlie and that means for me be bold. Be bolder than ever, fight with words, with pictures, with laughter, with music with everything you have. Fight for ever against violence unprovoked by other violence.

Regional Holiday

I just love excuses for parties. Don't confuse me with the people who would like to call today 'National Holiday'.

Vote!

In the course of three or four days, every adult in Europe has a chance to chose a future*. Being Belgian I don't have the right to vote but the duty to vote and also for a regional parliament. A duty that I love.

My political views are not always so clear, least of all to myself but I hoped that my vote for a strong and unified left in the political spectrum and a solidary unified Europe would be one of many. Alas.

In the prelimenary results I find little reason for joy safe that the extremest right party loses badly. Every other party in that part of the spectrum gains at the cost of aforementioned but gains nonetheless.

* I don't care if this is an oversimplified rendition of what I suppose elections for the EU Parliament are.

Rubber Dodo Awards '08

It's politics again but... seeing that I love a joke as much as the next man, I might have posted this also in the unlikely event that I was a republican American.

The End of the World is at Hand

I often have to control myself not to start political discussions on this blog, however from time to time I come accross someone else's opinion, or a quote or an image such as the above that so well describes how I feel about a certain subject that I cannot but post it here. Rest assured I'll try not to make a habbit out of it.

May 1

My heart too beats left, my blood too is red.

Independance Day

Yesterday, the wonderfull town in which I am happy to live and walk around miserably declared its independace. And so for a little while I've walked the streets a a free citizen of city state Ghent. Here's a link for those who speak Dutch and some video's for everyone else.

Politics Explained

FEUDALISM: You have two cows. Your lord takes some of the milk.

PURE SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and puts them in a barn with everyone else's cows. You have to take care of all of the cows. The government gives you as much milk as you need.

BUREAUCRATIC SOCIALISM: You have two cows. The government takes them and put them in a barn with everyone else's cows. They are cared for by ex-chicken farmers. You have to take care of the chickens the government took from the chicken farmers. The government gives you as much milk and eggs as the regulations say you need.

FASCISM: You have two cows. The government takes both, hires you to take care of them and sells you the milk.

PURE COMMUNISM: You have two cows. Your neighbors help you take care of them, and you all share the milk.

RUSSIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. You have to take care of them, but the government takes all the milk.

CAMBODIAN COMMUNISM: You have two cows. The government takes both of them and shoots you.

DICTATORSHIP: You have two cows. The government takes both and drafts you.

PURE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors decide who gets the milk.

REPRESENTATIVE DEMOCRACY: You have two cows. Your neighbors pick someone to tell you who gets the milk.

BUREAUCRACY: You have two cows. At first the government regulates what you can feed them and when you can milk them. Then it pays you not to milk them. Then it takes both, shoots one, milks the other and pours the milk down the drain. Then it requires you to fill out forms accounting for the missing cows.

PURE ANARCHY: You have two cows. Either you sell the milk at a fair price or your neighbours try to take the cows and kill you.

LIBERTARIAN/ANARCHO-CAPITALISM: You have two cows. You sell one and buy a bull.

SURREALISM: You have two giraffes. The government requires you to take harmonica lessons.

Originally found hereabouts.

Erik De Bruyn

Admittingly, he may not be so very handsome, nor as charismatic as I nearly made you believe, that what he has to say attracts me enough.

Nearly

I nearly cycled into a fellow bipedalist this evening. I also nearly bumped into a car. I nearly got in at the annual FK Samba de Janeiro Party. And I nearly threw myself at the feet of a man very likely twice my age. But what a handsome charismatic man. Had I been ten years older I would have thrown myself at his feet naked.

The people's flag...

... is actually a red T-shirt.

L'Internationale

Where left ideology and kitsch meet.



For the few hours that it lasts: Happy First of May everyone.

And now let's chceck which of my comrades has thought of it likewise.