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| I look at what I have drawn. I like it. One day people will say: contemporary painting. But much rather would I paint eight or ten billion of us, along with flying lightning bolts that bring death to tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands; possibly all of us. Plus famines, rapes, misery and violence. |
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| And there are many other things I would like to draw – as a warning to those who will live after me. But how do you paint stupidity, envy, greed and similar abstract concepts? Ah, my contemporaries wouldn't understand it anyway. And so I prefer to indulge in the joys of love... well aware that it will end badly if we continue to reproduce so unrestrained. |
It's too much at the moment ... we all need to do what we can for each other ... I can't think beyond my own horizons - far too depressing. The worst barbarians of all time ... very sad. Very great post - we need peace, understanding and a lot of kindness - for us all - Hilary
ReplyDeleteHi Sean - I presume you've been up there: Roca dels Moros? ... rock art is fascinating ... cheers Hilary
DeleteFirst to answer your question, Hilary: No, I have not been to Roca dels Moros. Carme's photos inspired me.
DeleteAs for the "worst barbarians": Did you ever read Coetzee's "Waiting for the Barbarians"?
The peace of the night.
Malgrat que fóssim capaços de representar aquests conceptes a la perfecció, hi continuaria havent gent incapaç d'entendre'ls. La nostra societat s'està tornant cada cop més egoista i això ens porta cap aquest fatalisme que expresses en el teu relat.
ReplyDeleteCoincideixo amb el diagnòstic, però discrepo (una mica) amb la conclusió. Jo soc dels que pensen que no és que hi hagi massa població pels recursos disponibles, sinó que el problema de veritat és la manera com es reparteixen aquests recursos.
Un text que fa pensar. Felicitats!
As far as the (unfair) distribution of resources is concerned, I completely agree with you and Paula (see below), dear Mc.
DeleteHowever, I think that given there are now around five times as many humans as there were in 1945 – in other words, in less than a century – even a fair distribution of wealth and resources would not solve the problem.
As a co-author of the Club of Rome 40 years ago analogously wrote: ‘Let us be glad that all Chinese people ride bicycles. Imagine if they all drove cars.’
Una abraçada, dear Mc!
S’explica que a la primera conferència internacional d’urbanisme celebrada a Nova York l’any 1898, alguns experts van predir que en poques dècades les ciutats estarien literalment cobertes per metres de fems de cavall, ja que la quantitat de carruatges augmentava d’una manera que semblava imparable i inevitable. Segurament és més llegenda que realitat, però crec que il·lustra molt bé com els problemes del present poden semblar irresolubles si només es contemplen amb les solucions que coneixem avui.
DeleteNo et dic que no tinguis raó, només que tot es pot mirar des de diferents punts de vista. És tan vàlid l’experiment mental que preveu una Terra amb 50.000 milions d’habitants com aquell que confia que hi ha altres maneres d’afrontar-ho, com per exemple amb un repartiment més just dels recursos, amb més educació o amb innovacions que encara no hem imaginat.
Una altra abraçada també per a tu.
You're right, Mac: Like New York isn't buried under a layer of horse manure X metres thick, 50 billion people probably won't be FIGHTING over increasingly scarce resources in the truest sense of the word. I was exaggerating. ;-)
DeleteAt the risk of seemingly jumping from one topic to another; I am convinced, though, that, given the enormous complexity, everything in a way affects everything else:
Many people say that the end of the oil age is near. But how does that fit in with the fact that one airline after another is ordering 50 or 60 aircraft to expand its fleet, and that new, even larger cruise ships are still being launched on a regular basis?
And: People say that something must be done to mitigate the effects of climate change. And yet more (long-haul) flights are being booked than ever before, and more cruises than ever before.
Okay, the poles may melt, enabling oil and gas extraction and the mining of other ‘vital’ natural resources. The expected profits will not only make rising sea levels easier to bear, but also ensure that all the microplastics are better distributed.
End of this rant.
Now imagine, Mac, we could sit opposite each other and continue discussing for hours, perhaps even days. ;-)
Thank you for your objections. It is my pleasure.
La pau de la nit.
Malgrat les objeccions, estem bàsicament d'acord i crec que trobaríem un consens si afirmem que la solució pot passar per aconseguir que els "pobres" no tinguin tants fills, però sobretot exigeix que els "rics" deixin (deixem?) de fer l'imbècil en aquest tema i ens conscienciem tots plegats d'una vegada. Això sí que ha sonat excessivament utòpic, oi? ;-)
DeleteSempre és un plaer parlar amb tu. Salutacions!
;-)
DeleteHooray, now we completely agree!
Here's to an august September, Mc!
Si et serveix, pots pintar una senyal de perill a sobre d'un cartell que anuncii "Humans!" .
ReplyDeleteBona setmana, si pot ser ! :)
"Vorsicht, Menschen!" ;-)
DeleteUna abraçada, dear Artur!
Moltes gràcies per participar, amb un relat tan intens i amb un protagonista tan clarivident. Les persones humanes no tenim arreglo, som el pitjor que li ha passat a la Terra. I jo crec que té raó el teu protagonista: acabarà malament si continuem reproduint-nos desenfrenadament.
ReplyDeleteUn aplaudiment agraït, Sean!
Oh, Carme, aren't those sad thoughts? And that from someone who – if at all – would build a temple to but one ‘ism’ – optimism.
DeleteTot i que som molts (o massa), penso com en Mac, crec que en el món estan mal repartits els recursos, hi ha gent (poca) molt i molt rica i massa gent molt i molt pobre, per tant aquests darrers sense possibilitat d'educar-se en temes com la reproducció i en molts altres importants...
ReplyDeleteBon text, punyent i realista.
Aferradetes amoroses, Sean. ;-)
Continuing with the thought experiment. Allow me to play devil's advocate. 20, 30 or 50 billion bipeds. What then with all the fairly distributed resources? Peace, joy and pancakes? More likely waves of refugees, war(s) and even more misery.
DeleteRather I do prefer your "aferradetes amoroses", Paula. ;-)
How do we draw a warning about human nature, and the turns it can take?
ReplyDeleteAch, Mimi, not even my caveman knew ...
Delete