live to fight another day...

[asakiyume]

In 2018, Wakanomori and I went for the first time to Colombia. We went just as an election was happening. We were in Bogotá, and we ended up walking through rallies for both candidates--the progressive ex-guerrilla and the conservative son of privilege. We ended up with some of the flyers for the progressive guy--they were bright and optimistic, and I made them into postcards:







We didn't know much about Colombian politics at the time, but we hoped he'd win:

But he lost. The conservative candidate, Iván Duque, won.

But then in 2022, the progressive ex-guerrilla won. And that's Gustavo Petro, who's in office now. So you know ... change does happen.



Candidate Anaue's rally ended abruptly with his arrest; now his political flyers were #forlorn confetti:

“We’re fighting the rising cost of living. Never again will you have to choose between food and meds. This isn't the same old politics. It's an end to them! Join us in schools, streets, fields, factories! Replace weeping with singing! Victory will bring a better tomorrow!”

Nawee made a blackout poem:

We're rising again
This isn't the end
Join us
Singing Victory tomorrow

Comments

[sartorias]

Hope things are better for the people there!

[asakiyume]

I hope so too! It's hard for me to tell. It's a VERY diverse country and some parts are pretty majorly left behind compared with other parts, and in some there's still low-grade conflict happening. Petro definitely wants to do good things, but whether those good things are actually happening or not, I don't know.

[f0rrest]

The pendulum always swings back and forth, until the rope gets cut.

[asakiyume]

Or until it gets tangled up in something, or people replace it with an atomic clock.

[f0rrest]

Or they nuke you from orbit, or they control the mainstream media outlets, or they spread malicious disinformation on purpose, or they just start sending the goon squad into your neighborhood, or or or

[asakiyume]

The possibilities are truly myriad.

[sonia]

From the blackout poem to the Universe's ear!

[asakiyume]

Here's hoping!

[smokingboot]

Change does happen, and hope is mighty. Love the blackout poem!

[asakiyume]

Yes and yes! And thank you.

[sovay]

We ended up with some of the flyers for the progressive guy--they were bright and optimistic, and I made them into postcards

They still look relevant.

[asakiyume]

Yeah, they're eminently desirable! Or at least, I sure do think so. And until about 10 years ago, I thought everyone thought so. I thought the problems in achieving them came from systemic inertia or habit or the unwillingness of some to give up benefits that accrued in their absence. But now the leaders of my own country actively oppose diversity, equity, and inclusion! And people support them! So now I see that, e.g., equity, which I would think would be a universally desirable, truly in any country, is not. Not! Liberty and justice for all? Nope! Equality under the law? Nope! It's given me a new, unpleasant sense of why these worthy goals remain hard to obtain.

But not impossible. Places improve. Nothing's permanent and there's no happily ever after, and sometimes the improvements are only partial or it's two steps forward one step back, but things can get better. That's why we keep trying.

[light_of_summer]

Thank you for your glimpses of Columbia and (its? her?) people, on the ground.

I share your dismay at the mean-spiritedness currently obvious in the USA, and the way it echoes with so much horrible history, worldwide.

I'm trying to keep up my hope and do positive things, and every reminder of successful positive change helps a bit—thank you for contributing to that!

Columbia is one of the countries I've been seeing lots of satellite photos of, in the past six weeks or so, since I started doing online volunteering via MapSwipe, which helps various nonprofits locate and reach the people who need their help. I'm finding it a very satisfying and manageable way to help a bit, even when my energy is low and it's the wrong time of day for realtime interactions with others.

I quite often wish I knew more about what I'm seeing in the satellite photos—in particular, there are sometimes big stretches of green on the earth's surface that look almost scaly, as well as other stretches that are obviously forest, or farms, or desert, or mountains. I really wonder why the scaly-looking patches look that way.

Maybe I'll take a screen shot, next time I see that, and make a blog post showing that and some other mysterious features seen from orbit. So far, I haven't found a polite and effective way to contact anyone who might be able to satisfy my (somewhat contextually frivolous) curiosity, but it would be good to have my questions and illustrative example screen shots gathered together, in case I get a good chance to ask.

(Meandering comment is meandering. I'm sending you good wishes, despite meanders!) 🤗

[asakiyume]

Meandering comment is delightful, and what a great volunteer thing! A whole lot of Colombia is rain forest, but I have no idea why some parts of it would look, from space, scaly while other places are more clearly forest. Maybe certain sorts of monoculture plantations look that way? I have no idea... If you find out, I'd be curious to know what it is!

[mallorys_camera]

Yr redacted poem is great!

[asakiyume]

💛💛💛