Super Cities Vs Global Unification: will either replace Nation States?

Super City: a large metropolitan area comprised of, at least, 8 million people, undergoing rapid growth in population and urbanisation.

A priori, this sounds a rather interesting concept, but in truth it is one that masks a series of social and economic problems; that in the long run, may reveal to be catastrophic.

The first impact of mass migrations (to the megalopolis) is chaotic: usually these cities are not prepared to receive such a huge number of people, which could result in illicit “urbanisation” (ex: the “favelas” in the São Paulo metropolitan area, and the “barracas” in the Lisbon metropolitan area, during the 80’s), thus causing environmental pollution (due to poor, or no, sewage system); high rates of unemployment (since there may not be enough jobs for all) that will lead to low human development, which in turn will result in high crime rates.

("Favela" in São Paulo)

If we think of it from the city management point of view, more chaos could be generated; for imagine that most of the population is fully employed (in a perfect scenario), thus having favourable living standards: if they all own cars and the majority drives to work (due to lack of proper public transportation planning) the super city will suffer from consistent congested traffic; air pollution; it will have to invest a lot in the maintenance of the heavily used pavements; focus in the potholes and other asphalt defects.

Super cities may help decrease life expectancy.

("Barraca" of Lisbon, in the 80's)

Now think with me...even if a genius comes up with a way to surpass these disturbing issues and actually organise the super city in a way that its environmental and common health impacts are favourable to us all (thus rendering the megapolis huge economic and political power); there are nations that will never be able to form super cities (ex: Portugal, Israel, Belgian, Luxemburg, the Netherlands etc) so, where would they stand in the new political scenario?

Moreover: would the present alliances (EU, Arab League, Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperation, AU etc) end, so that new ones (based on the super cities) would emerge?

There is the danger that these powerful megalopolis may, in the long run, aim at replacing state nations (due to their organisational autonomy), which could lead to civil wars all over again.

However global unification (despite its imperativeness to development) can never substitute state nations because of one crucial factor: cultural identity.

The culture of any nation, and its traditions, is part of a people’s identity, which is what glues them together, to fight for the national common good and interests.

Small cities are easier to administrate (in every sense), they are environmentally healthier and generate sane individuals.

Super cities promote estrangement, lack of sense of community, loneliness, depression, suicide.

Global unification should foment cultural exchange (which incites understanding, mutual respect and tolerance) and not acculturation.

Nations states are more than monetary fortitude and political strength; they are the land, the people, their history, identity, values and sense of belonging.

For further reading on this fascinating subject, please beam over to LS' realm: Here.

The Lusosphere: Mozambique

Mozambique has a rich pre-colonial history that is worth reading, if you’re interested: Here.

But since the purpose of this series is to focus on the Portuguese discoveries, we shall immediately address the Colonial History of my birth country.

1497: Vasco da Gama arrives in Mozambique; more specifically in the Inhambane Province – to which he calls “Land of the good people” (since the natives were so welcoming).

1530-1544: The first Portuguese settlements were built in Sena; in Tete and in Quelimane (in the coast of the Indian Ocean), which took over the path between the mines and the ocean.

1600-1607: Portugal starts sending to Mozambique settlers that started getting married to the daughters of the local chiefs, thus creating powerful lineages (due to their commercial and agricultural ties).

Portugal had a hard time controlling Mozambique because this region was composed of 3 main empires:

The Empire of the Mwenemutapas (that were located at the South of the Zambezi River - between the Plateau of Zimbabwe and the Indian Ocean - and controlled a lot of mines, and the metallurgy of gold and iron).

The Empire of the Marave (located at the North of the Zambezi River; known for being a matrilineal society, for its agriculture and its organised army).

The Empire of Gaza (that covered the whole coastal area between the Zambezi and Maputo Rivers; and had its capital in Manjacaze [in what is today Gaza]. This empire controlled the commerce of ivory and did not engage in the commerce of slaves, like others did).

Meanwhile (during the XIX century), several European companies are established in Quelimane to buy peanuts, sesame and copra (to supply the new-born industries of oil and soap mainly). In the third quarter of the century, slavery is abolished (by royal decree) and, thus, Mozambique is transformed into a producer of goods (both for local consumption and exportation - to the metropolis). The British and the Dutch express (in the Berlim Conference - for the apportionment of Africa) the desire to take over the territory.

Portugal only takes absolute control of the nation, as a whole, in 1900 (after it fights against Gugunhana - the last Emperor of Gaza - for 6 years, since he did not sympathise with the Portuguese and, on top of everything, granted the rights to explore his mines to the British Company, base in South Africa.)

During the first ¾ of the XX century, Mozambique sees its natives being disrespected (ex: each recruited worker, by South African mines, had to give half of its salary [in gold] to the colony; they were not to profess animism any longer [the Catholic Church had task of educating the indigenous, i.e. assimilating them]; the natives were repressed while the poor citizens in the metropolis were encouraged to emigrate to Mozambique); it witnesses a mild industrialization; it goes through a liberation war (1964-1974); and it achieves its independence on the 25th of June of 1975 (under the rule of a communist leader - Samora Machel, that nationalised any and everything). Most Portuguese citizens (and Mozambicans who didn't identify themselves with the new regime) migrated to Portugal, South Africa, Brazil and England.

1976-1990: Civil war.

(Train Station in Maputo)

Population

Mozambique has approximately 19,286,000 citizens (1999 data) - and its population growth rate is high despite the war, the natural disasters, endemic diseases and the epidemics.

It is a multiracial nation where multiple religions are professed (being the most common: Catholicism, Anglicanism, Evangelism, Islamism, Hinduism and Animism), notwithstanding it is quite customary to resort to witchcraft (there isn’t one Mozambican family that hasn’t, at least, one witch – either by lineage or by “trade”).

Language

The official national language is the Portuguese.

Other spoken languages are the Mozambican dialects: xiRonga (Maputo province); xiChangana (Gaza province); xiChope & biTonga (Ihambane province); xiSena (Beira province); eChuwabo (Quelimane); eMacua (Nampula, Nhakala, Mozambique Island) and kiSwahili (Cabo Delgado and Niassa).

Music

The national musical identity is the Marrabenta. This word derives from the Portuguese word "rebentar", meaning "to break" - a reference to guitar strings that snapped quickly (the instruments was made out of tin cans and pieces of wood).

Marrabenta is usually sung in xiRonga, although nowadays singers mix in the xiChangana, and its theme varies from social criticism to love. The most known Marrabenta singers are Fany Pfumo and Wazimbu (the purists, i.e. they sing in xiRonga only).

Nevertheless Mozambique also produces other traditional genres: Xigubu (warrior music/dance), Makwaela, and the Marimba (from Zavala – Ihambane Province).

Nowadays the nation also enjoys (and produces) Zouk, R&B, Jazz, Passada (a cousin of Kizomba), Kwaito (from South Africa), Kwasa-Kwassa (soukous) and Dzukuta.

This week, we will begin by listening to Wazimbu singing "Nwahulwana" (Night Bird). I had to ask my mother to translate this song for me, so that I could offer you a synopsis of the story he is telling:

“Maria is a beautiful young lady, who has a different man every night. So, Wazimbu asks "my sister, until when will you count men in the streets? If you continue like this, my darling, who will want to marry you?” And so he continues to express his sadness at her life style, and how she is wasting her life.”

Enjoy!

Next Stop: Brazil

Musical Video: Ludo

I decided to share some Zouk this week.

This genre stems from the Islands of Guadalupe, Martinique & Haiti (for more information, please, click the link above); and it is widely known in Africa and Europe [mainly in France and Portugal] (although it is spreading to Brazil as well).

I will introduce you to Ludo - one of the greatest Zouk artists (his songs are so intense, that one friend of mine told me that one can get pregnant just by listening to them lol). This song is entitled "Soleil" (= Sun) and it is one of my favourites.

Enjoy and fill your life with music and love!

Analysis: "There is no God"

“There is no God” – here’s a sentence that shocks any servant of God. It is a phrase proudly uttered by most atheists.

I call upon the servants of the Lord not to be shocked for our atheist brothers/sisters, when systematically denying God, are in truth acknowledging the existence of our Creator.

There is only One God. The Lord Is the Ultimate Balance in whom the opposites dwell in Perfect Harmony: light/darkness; male/female; positive/negative; water/fire; peace/war; construction/destruction; love/severity etc.

As the Perfect Balance that Hashem (one of God’s names) is, He is both the Creator and the Non-Creator.

“Non-Creator”…this sounds rather heretical, doesn’t it? But after I explain what I mean by this, you’ll see that heresy is not born by my words.

The Lord Is the Creator (i.e. the living God in His action), whom we choose to acknowledge and serve. By doing so, we have an idea of whom He Is, what He wants and what He doesn’t want. We also bear idea that He is Light, incorporeal, that He thinks and feel not like us (although there are many attempts to exercise anthropomorphism). This living God is “known” to us.

Hashem Is the “Non-Creator” (God in His occultation), whom Exists in Himself and Is concealed from the creatures. Since the “Non-Creator” is in occultation, there is no way that we can acknowledge Him, let alone get to “know” Him.

When our mind ignores something it fails to acknowledge its existence.

“God Exists” – this is true. We look at each other, we look at nature, and we intrinsically know the origin of all things (even if our Ego denies it). Whenever we behold the humanity, the compassion, the love in somebody’s eyes, we are immediately reminded of the Father (even if it is not our mission to consciously admit it).

“God doesn’t exist” – also true. The occulted God doesn’t exist in our minds (thus we acknowledge it not), because not only He is hidden from us but mainly because it is impossible (for the human mind) to grasp the majesty and significance of the occulted One.

Could there be darkness without light? Could there be male without female? Could there be negative without positive? Could there be peace without war? No.

Therefore when atheists affirm that “There is no God. He doesn’t exist” they are, in fact, proving that He does exist (that is, by denying the Lord they are admitting the reality of the God in occultation, the Non-Creator; hence, without realising it, they express the recognition of His opposite “The living God”, the Creator).

Image: The Martyrdom of St Matthew (detail) by Caravaggio

Racism's head on a platter

I tried...I really tried to get into a racist’s mind (in order to comprehend it) but I had no success whatsoever: I failed in yielding to ignorance.

Whenever I hear, watch or witness racist remarks and acts, my heart saddens and my intellect repudiates it.

Portugal is a country that takes pride in its cultural diversity and ethnical blends. After the US 2008 elections people would participate in forums stating that we are the country of the “Barack Obamas” (I’d beg to differ for although we have plenty of mulattoes here, it must be said that, generally speaking, they are hardly like President Obama).

Racism dwells in Portugal.

It is not blunt, it is not loud; it is as quiet as the Angel of Death.

It all starts in school: teachers will refer to the minorities as “You people” (Jewish kids are excluded for, in Portugal, they make a secret out of their ethnicity); they’ll flunk minorities living in poor neighbourhoods, with the poor excuse that “what chance do they have anyway? Let’s not elude them!”. These teachers will prove innumerable times to be exactly what they are – a bunch of ignorant low-lives who contribute to the economic regression of our nation.

Then it continues in universities: Professors will still be treating the minorities as “you people” and they will go even farther – they mistake black student A for black student B and when a correction is made, the sub-human professor will shout that he has no obligation to tell black students apart for they are all the same, they all look alike...I rest my case.

I could go on and on with examples, but what I’ve just shared offers a pretty good idea of how rotten the foundations of this country are.

Yes, we all dance Kizomba now; yes, our most internationally known artists stem from the minorities (ex: Mariza and Buraka Som Sistema); yes, the nation is eating Muamba (an Angolan dish) and Cachupa (a Cape Verdean dish); yes, the Portuguese youth uses the African interjections; yes, the Portuguese marry East-Europeans; yes, the Brazilian rhythms & cuisine are much appreciated; yes, yes, yes....but no, no, no.

If one the foundations of any economy (Education) suggests that racism (thus the humiliation of human beings based on their ethnicity) is acceptable; and brainwashes kids into thinking that they’re nothing, that they do not stand a chance, that school is not for them and delinquency is the only way out...this country deserves to be the laughing stock of Europe.

I have a Portuguese friend who was infatuated by a Jewish young man. I encouraged her to pursue a relationship with him, because he struck me as a delightful human being. A minute passed and she decided to appal me by saying that despite her feelings she could never introduce him to her family...God forbid that she’d introduce a Jew to her father. I vomited...in shock I wondered what kind of sub-human dared to call herself my friend...obviously, I had to tell her off.

I am multi-racial; my skin is fairer than many caucasian’s; I was victim of racism only once in my life (I was 7 years old and a little dark white girl [in private school] called me "nigger" – I didn’t even know the meaning of such word, for my parents never made use of such language at home, yet I felt the hate in her mental-diarrhoea [of course, my mother managed to get her expelled from the school]) but from that day onward I pledged myself to defend the defenceless...and for that reason:

I want the head of racism on a Platinum Platter!

Image: Salome with the head of the Baptist by Onorio Marinari