Sanctity of Life & Desecration of Death

The Cemetery Entrance by Caspar David Friedrich

What a week! Since last Tuesday, a lot has happened: a political promise has been fulfilled, the fulfilment of another political promise has been announced and a criminal authoritarian has been killed.

The Sanctity of Life
Gilad Shalit was released a week ago (on the 18th of October). PM Netanyahu had vowed to bring him home and he did. He put Gilad’s life in first place, period.
But what interests me the most, right now, is the symbolism behind the whole event: Gilad Shalit was released on a Tuesday – in Judaism, Tuesdays are auspicious days. Gilad was freed from captivity on the 18th – the number 18, in Judaism, is the numeric value of Chai (Life). And if we add October to the equation, the 10th month of the Solar calendar; we will have the number 10 that corresponds to the Wheel = moving forward, new beginnings, expansion, big break-through. Is it all a big “coincidence”?
In Judaism, Life is more valuable than gold, silver or even diamonds; simply because Life was created by El-Shaddai and therefore it is every Jew’s duty to respect, value and sanctify it.

President Obama announced, last week, that the US will withdraw all of its soldiers from Iraq until the end of the year.
Now, many theories have arisen to justify this decision: some say it is because the Iraqis, inspired by the Iranians, will not extend US soldiers’ immunity from prosecution; others say it is to save money the US so desperately needs; others utter the move is intended to draw liberal votes...I tend to think it is something more complex than that, however I’ll go in a different direction.
President Obama’s announcement can be viewed as a way of Life preservation. Violence is growing in Iraq and since this country seems to be associating itself with Iran, it would be most likely that violence would soon turn toward US soldiers; therefore it could be said the US is anticipating itself and preserving the Life of those who fight to keep the lives of not only US citizens, but of all citizens in the world, safe.

The Desecration of Death
Muammar Gaddafi is dead. I won’t pretend that I feel sorry for his demise, because I do not. However, I do not rejoice over it either.
Gaddafi was a murderous authoritarian who bitterly failed his people. The NTC claims to be different than the previous regime, but when the time came to prove their inclination for the rule of law, they failed by allowing their “soldiers” to execute Gaddafi on the same day they captured him. I did not enjoy witnessing them treating Gaddafi’s dead body with that amount of disrespect. By doing so, the NTC proved to have little respect for Life and even less for Death.

The Libyan utter disrespect for a dead body reminded me of the disrespect the Congolese showed for the dead body of Laurent Kabila (in 2001); the lack of respect the Angolans showed for the corpse of Jonas Savimbi (in 2002); and the disrespect the Muslims in the Middle East show when they use dead bodies for propaganda purposes.

God exhaled life into flesh and it became Man. God inhaled life from flesh and it became Soul. Thus, Life and Death are extremely sacred...

Occupy Wall Street, Rome, London...Occupy yourself!

Distribution of white bread by Otto van Veen

Last weekend, the world witnessed a series of protests organised by the “Occupy X” Movement: Wall Street, Ottawa, Berlin, London, Madrid, Rome, Tokyo and so forth.
It is said that people participating in these protests are mad about social & financial injustice, about not having jobs or money.

Then Portugal had its version of the movement, “The Indignants” (to emulate the Spanish “Los Indignados”), organised by the Far-Left (in a poor attempt to regain the votes they lost in the legislatives and in Madeira [where it lost all representatives, in the elections, last week]). This version was so poor - in rhetoric - that international News Networks didn’t even mention the event.
Lisbon indignados hit the streets to shout “Sack Passos Coelhos [the Portuguese PM elected last June]!!” and “No more austerity measures!” plus “You are condemning us to poverty!”...The indignants did not go to the streets to demand, from the government, details on how exactly the previous socialist government caused a €3,4Bn budget deviation right under the MPs’ nose. The participants of “Occupy Lisbon” did not demand to know how the previous government could have spent 70% of the 2011 debt ceiling by June, of the current year. No, the so-called indignants were too occupied protecting their iPhone, flat TV, Levi’s, Nikes, clubbing and marijuana purchase power – that is the only explanation to the amount of irrationality, and lack of political wit, I witnessed this past weekend.

Berlin occupiers said, “Capitalism is a Religion”. And they were so mad about capitalism and social injustice that they danced the occupation away.
London occupiers are also mad about everything that is going on and they decided to clash with the police in order to express their discontentment toward the establishment.
Rome occupiers were peacefully expressing their worries about the economic and social crisis when leftist thugs hijacked their movement to disturb peace and spread destruction.
Wall Street occupation is a protest against capitalism disguised as social preoccupation, but I think if it were intended to express a sincere social-political discontentment, they’d all march to, and occupy, Washington. Ottawa occupiers claim to be in solidarity to the “Occupy Wall Street” movement (read: emulate the Americans)...

I acknowledge the democratic right to peaceful protests, specially when politicians are not serving the People. However, what we have been seeing lately is not a war against politicians and their bad service; it is certainly not a demand for jobs; it is rather a war against banks, corporations and rich people.

I have a question: are there really no jobs or people are not willing to do just any job? I ask this because in Portugal there are several industries that see themselves forced to “import” workers because the Portuguese do not want to fill those positions. I can imagine the same happening in other countries.
Another question: are these people really angry at capitalism or are they furious because deep down they’ve realised that re-distribution of national wealth doesn’t work?

Occupy Movements say “It's time to put people before profits & communities before corporations.” then why don’t they all occupy themselves by volunteering?
They must prove they put people and communities first. Lead by example.

Brazil: Quo Vadis?

Brazil is a wonderful country: rich in culture and art; adorned by a happy, generous, people and submerged in positive vibes. The way Brazilians speak Portuguese is sweet, mellow, with an accent that assures us tomorrow will be a better day.

This nation has marvelled the world with its economic success (which was paved by the Plano Real, created in 1989 by centre-right Minister of Finance, Fernando Henrique Cardoso), with its ability to reduce the huge gap between rich and poor and to stand out in the international community.
Yet, Brazil chose to tread in perilous political grounds.

Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff, assumed office early this year. She fought against the military dictatorship, she fought for democracy; she was arrested, allegedly tortured for 22 days, and survived – all in the name of Freedom.
Yet, her government legitimises terrorist & oppressive groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah; her government refused to impose sanctions on Syria (whose leader is a dictator that so far has murdered 2,900 people fighting for democracy) and her government’s buddy is Iran (whose authoritarian leadership oppresses, imprisons, tortures and rapes members of the opposition). President Dilma Rousseff speaks of democracy and equality but then her government engages in orgies with the Red Dragons (a honourable animal that insists on refusing freedom of speech & equality to his cute offspring).
Brazil is spitting on other People’s freedom and, indirectly, it arrests and tortures the opposition of its political friends (to protect, what it believes to be, Brazilian interests).

“There is an intrinsic loss, for the country, whenever the experience of a youth (that dived into the fight for democracy and into combat to build a better country [...]) is destroyed by death” (Dilma Rousseff, in 2008, during the memorial to 11 students that died during the fight against the military regime) [Translation by Max Coutinho]

The persecuted Syrian Youth, being presently slaughtered, would definitely agree...

Quo vadis, Brazil?
Brazilian’s Ministry of Women ran by Minister Iriny Lopes; banned a TV ad, starring Gisele Bundchen, claiming that it “reinforces the erroneous stereotyping of women as sex objects” and it “ignores the progress made in ending sexist practices. It also represents discrimination against women” – Feminist hysteria used to implement censorship.
One of these days, the Ministry of Women will suggest Brazilian women to cover their bodies with burkas.

Brazilian Evangelicals could also be behind their government’s odd support to Islamic radicals and dictators. All the Brazilian evangelical churches, I visited, expressed their anti-Semitism through that dangerous rhetoric “Jews killed Jesus Christ, our saviour! And the Star of David is a demonic symbol!” – how much weight do they have in the Brazilian foreign politics?

Of course, Brazil is surrounded by countries with Leftist governments, which may have influenced its silly and perilous political choices.

Is this the rise of dictatorship of the proletariat  in Brazil?

Max Coutinho: shiiuuu...hush up!

Seated Cupide (detail) by Étienne-Maurice Falconet

I have been blogging in a free world, yet some people suggest that I hush up. Should I be surprised at such chutzpah?

In April 2008, I wrote a post about a specific People Republic. Some people implied that I shouldn’t speak of that thriving country lest their hackers would attack my computer. What these folks were basically saying is that I should silence before violations of Human Rights and pseudo-communist authoritarianism in order not to suffer an attack...

In October 2008, I received a very interesting email, by a fellow blogger, where he demanded that I’d immediately remove a certain post from my blog. I was disappointed to realise that a citizen from the Land of the Free (where even paedophiliac literature is protected under the first amendment) would want to suppress my right to Freedom of Expression.
The post that raised such despotic behaviour, also led other people to question my right to criticise Republican presidential candidates. Well, since the Presidential elections are coming up, I would like to clarify one thing: I am following the Republican primaries, I will follow the Presidential campaign and if I see fit I will pronounce myself on it. Do I have the right to do it? I do, because not only I invested in US Bonds, but also my family (including American citizens) have business in the US and thus the political designs of this country are also my concern.

In September 2009, I also received interesting feedback on an article about my biggest disappointment: I was to be very careful not to depict the Mother Land in a negative, and unfair, way. Apparently, I was to perpetuate the poverty campaign and not to mention the political obscenity going on there.
I have much respect for NGOs that assist the sick and the poor people in that continent, however I cannot pretend that African Leaders are not responsible for that social tragedy. NGOs do their job (non-politicised) and I do mine (politics).

In June 2010, I spoke of a very inconvenient truth: some individuals didn’t like it and reacted to it.
In May 2011, I questioned a certain catastrophe: it sparked a fiery, yet marvellous, debate. Yet some leftists began looking at MAX with suspicion.

My name is Max Coutinho and I am a Modern Right Winger. I uphold Law & Order. I am against censorship and self-imposed gags (i.e. PC). I do not support abortion; I do not appreciate Contemporary Hysterical Feminism; I am not afraid of publicly talking about and supporting Israel; I am totally against Islamic, Christian and any kind of Radicalism; I abhor Homophobia and I have an issue with the Left Wing, specially when leftists betray their own people and do their politics under false pretences.

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” (article 19 of The Universal Declaration of Human Rights)

No need to agree but let me be free.