Eduardo Stefani

Thought is the most perfect form of the human intelligence, the only being present on the planet with this capacity. It made us dominant, however it costs a high price, because the smarter we are, more dangerous we become.

Maybe thought is the result of the conscious and intelligence, with which we can synthesize all perceptions about all that exist around us, bringing the past and future together.

It is most important to analyze the influences that the thought suffers, including religious, political and economic aspects, because the ideas are not so original as we might imagine. The question is not related only to the freedom to think, because everybody thinks. The question is what we think and what influences our ideas are subjected to.

Analyzing these ideas we tend to conclude that we do not have the freedom that we imagined, because we are connected to a big cultural and historical legacy, leading our thoughts to a predictable result.

To escape from the predictable is an encounter with thoughts uncontaminated by reality, then freedom can be envisioned. As an example we can use the attempt to try another societies way of life. How, if today all of us are impregnated by capitalism. There is no doubt that it will be difficult to exercise our freedom.

Finally it is important to not confuse freedom to think with freedom of expression. Always there was freedom to think, because the ability of thought is the most intimate human characteristic, but sometimes thoughts cannot be expressed freely, because of some particular interests and influences.

The discussion here is the origin of thinking and how much free our thoughts are.

[], Eduardo Stefani – 16/03/2005

The world is divided! On one side we have the developed and civilized society, however on the other side, we have people without expectation and forgotten by the developed world. Actually, since the capital has become the most precious good of the world, we have this situation.

Today, one more time, we watched in live a cowardice act against innocent people who were going to work. The saddest is that the authors and the victims, do not know what is happening.

We have an unjust world drawn! Somebody has too much and other has little. Some countries have force to impose their wishes, but others have only a escape, to obey to not be isolated and loose the little influence they still have.

From few years to now the way where the oppressed people found to say the massage, is the more coward possible, doing violence against innocents, against the civil people, while the really responsible for the inequalities in the world are protected in their comfortable rooms.

I do not wish to protect the authors of the coward acts, but show that the situation has two sides, where we can see only one, our side, the western side.

Attacks have been occurring every day, but the most of them do not happen in the cosmopolitan cities in the western world, but in some countries which do not have importance in our imaginary. Unfortunately the attacks have been normal followed of boring and predictable news as the situation has become.

We do not still know if it was a calculated act, or it was a coincidence. The attacks happened during the G8 meeting in Gleneagles, Scotland. One day before, London was elected the city to host the olympic games in 2012. Talking about games, I do not believe it was calculated, but about the G8 meeting, it is possible to have a connection, as a way to send a message, so to show the terror is still a shadow hanging the rich countries.

This article has not the objective to express an opinion, but to make a reflection in the day which one more attack happened. It is possible we have it as a routine, because other countries are on the list to be the next to “host” an attack.

The world has become a lottery and in any place, in any moment, we can cease to exist, not by an accident, but by a division we have built.

[], Eduardo Stefani – 07/07/2005

O amadurecimento na vida de um homem parece ocorrer lentamente e, segundo as feministas de plantão, em ritmo mais lento do que nas das mulheres. No meu caso, independente de ser homem, ocorreu de modo mais lento ainda, talvez pela minha estruturada organização intelectual de uma carreira tecnológica. Mas depois de superadas as limitações, comecei a descobrir um mundo do qual eu não tinha ideia.

Estou escrevendo estas linhas na noite do meu aniversário e mergulhado no furacão de uma viagem a trabalho a Santiago, no Chile. Depois de três horas escutando o castelhano chileno nas mesas a minha volta, com a alma hidratada por um delicioso Cabernet Sauvignon e observando atentamente os hábitos locais, comecei a ter lampejos inspiradores sobre o continente americano e as línguas que o nutrem.

Fico imaginando como seria se na minha infância eu tivesse recebido mais incentivo pelos interesses latino-americanos do que pelos europeus e norte-americanos. Nós, brasileiros, somos um povo que conhece o velho mundo e a sua história, porém quando falamos em América Latina, somos mal informados e carregados com preconceitos seculares.

Um fator que pode ter contribuído para isso e que me deixa em profunda reflexão é o fato de o Brasil ter uma barreira linguística com os irmãos da América Latina, como uma cordilheira imaginária separando dois mundos. Enquanto todos os irmãos se comunicam livremente na língua nativa espanhola e sem esforço, nós brasileiros precisamos recorrer a instrumentos de adaptação e improvisação da própria língua e de outrem também.

Se esse pedaço do continente tivesse a mesma língua, qual seria o nível de integração entre os povos? Será que teríamos mais livros na língua nativa do que em inglês, por exemplo? Por outro lado, será o destino do Brasil determinar um poder imperial com sua própria língua, digamos assim única, portuguesa, mas distante da portuguesa?

Somos de fato peculiares e basta uma viagem aos irmãos latinos para identificar tamanho distanciamento cultural com povos tão próximos. Se não fossem as similaridades coloniais e econômicas que nos aproximam, seríamos também distantes em espírito.

Penso que parece uma história de um amor impossível. De um lado há uma paixão que move a proximidade e integração, porém de outro a barreira linguística como a de um homem apaixonado e sem saber como dar o primeiro flerte. A frustração imediatamente toma conta e nos coloca no lugar de estranhos, pois precisamos primeiro aprender uma outra língua para nos comunicar com vizinhos que vivem há apenas duas ou três horas de voo.

Pode ser que meu objetivo pareça romântico, mas é a vontade impetuosa de uma nação se comunicar com seus vizinhos. Será que realmente teremos que impor a nossa língua aos outros com um poder colonial ou estaremos sempre tentando entender o que os vizinhos dizem naquela língua diferente.

De qualquer modo, devemos brindar a América Latina com suas belezas exuberantes, povos doces e promessas de futuros espetaculares. Se observarmos a qualidade e postura de nossos colonizadores, estamos em situação privilegiada. Espero não cometer exageros, mas em alguns setores até superiores.

Doce continente dividido por uma cordilheira lingüística, por favor, acorde e esqueça as rivalidades. Torne-se um único corpo e enfrente os leões do mundo. Pare de santificar o outro lado do mundo com seu crescimento megalomaníaco e olhe para si mesmo. Avante terra de praia, neve, desertos e vinhos.

Viva a América Latina!

Este texto foi inspirado e harmonizado com:

Veramonte
Cabernet Sauvignon
2009
Chile

[], Eduardo Stefani - 11/11/2009

In our world there has always existed an imperial figure, each one in his epoch, exercising the power using the tools they had in hand. Today it is no different, because we also have our contemporary empire, acting with all avaiable resources and exercising his influence in many ways.

The big question that remains unclear is the approach with other countries, some of them still rich and powerful, but without a global influence. Certainly the approach must be different from that of the past, which the use of the sword and territorial expansion, where the flag was stuck in each ocupied piece of land and the people subjugated or exterminated from his own history.

We must observe that the available tools today are different. A country is able to expand its field and influence over other cultures without one single shot being fired, or using an analogy with the past, without using the sword. Today the markets are globalized and information flows quickly, the conversations inside a meeting room can influence the entire world in a few minutes. A speech can lead a country to despair or remove it from the abyss.

It is to show the embarrassment we are living today, because despite all available resources we have a dominat power who fires shots for its voice to be heard. It does not have the elegance to convince its partner using dialogue, financial fascination and cultural influence.

When we observe the recent past, we conclude the world has been under the actual imperial figure, depending on economic and culture. In his wealth, everybody goes fine, however if something is going bad over there, fasten your seat belts here. The conclusion is that the world has been pre disposed to give in to its pressure.

Today we see an irritation with this approach. Unless the classic rebels, actually his allies subordinate themselves when they observe that have no escape, but all of them, almost without exception, are making plans to reduce their dependence. Its arrogant and agressive approch is not compatible with all the subtile resources available today to exercise its power, so in place of expanding its influence and using the admiration of its allies and colonies, we see a generalized embarrassment.

Taking a look at recent history, we also observe a need to have an enemy to keep his people apprehensive and to get easy money for military investments. In the past, an enemy really existed, with a fixed territory and a clear policy about how the would should be governed. Today, on the contrary, there is no enemy, but we do not know if it really exist, because it can be an illusion from the aggressiveness committed against all, because the target is not the entire world, but an imperial figure.

If we want peace, we cannot embrace the first cause against an enemy who we do not know, put the world against something unclear, without defined borders and normally caused by the violence and exploitation in places where its came from.

Perhaps the ideal imperial figure is one that recognizes himself as an empire and does not behave as a nation still evolving. He who already owns the domain does not have to shout to preserve his hole, just use the tools and work in a quiet way with others. Unfortunately we have the opposite , because it sounds like a nation liberated a few years from his colonizers and screaming for freedom how it discovered the meaning of this word recently. Sometimes I think if they forgot they have a lot of military bases around the world and a culture which influences all of them.

The moment now is to root to avoid radical actions. If not, do not drag the world on as an accomplice. We do not want to pay the price for a particular fight, because each one has his own difficulties and internal problems. In our coutry, to grow is more important than the black gold from the east.

[], Eduardo Stefani – 10/03/2005

During a beautiful party on a carioca winter night, between waiters serving champagne and the pleasant tinkles of glasses, I am alone for a few minutes so I decide to walk to the terrace. On the way, I pass some ladies with bright necklaces showing pictures to each other, about their travels around the world. On the other side, gentlemen looking concentrated on a small and nice portable computer, then they probably work with technology.

When I get to the terrace, I stand their with my glass, between sips, feeling the fresh air over my face. Effortlessly, I observe a constelation on the horizon, bright, with many disorganized lights and small color variations.

The difference is that there is life in that constelation, inteligent life, of people who are born, live and die. Sometimes die, even without waiting for it, in a quick and painless way. They do not know the cause, only live, with a small expectation and do not fear death, but fear life, which to them, is bitter and full of danger.

The beings who live in that constelation have experiencies which are hard to explain. There are curious and awkward situations, like reading looks. These people read the eyes of others and see silent prejudice, the pupil which dilates tells the entire truth which is systematically denied or forgotten.

The interesting thing is that parties are also happening in that constelation, however over there, there is the risk of being interrupted at any moment, by persons who represent the law or by persons who disrespect the law.

In the past there was a fear of an alien invasion, however today, there is some apprehension of beings from the constelation invading our world, through a pure revolt or some awareness about the situation they are living.

Everything is a celebration of ignorance, on one side by he who does not have the apropriate education and on the other side, by he who has everything, but contaminated by excessive radicalism, culminating in reactionary and impatient behavior. Sometimes I think they do not know that it is necessary to balance the forces in our world. We can not live alone and we are always influencing or being influenced.

After ten minutes have passed, I sense a sweet fragance enveloping the entire space. I am not a good connoisseur, but I think it is really embracing. I feel a light hand on my arm. When I turn, I see a pretty lady who calls me to the special moment of the party. With her nice eyes, I pay attention to see if she is looking with any prejudice. A few seconds later, I feel guilty, for how can a lady as beautiful as her behave like this. Between the flashing lights and the eyes of civilized beings, I enjoy the celebration, but I can not take the image of the constelation away.

[], Eduardo Stefani – 11/06/2005