[spectre] Tracing Undercurrents

[sam langford]

hi
Messy is how it is, like Perry Bard states. An interesting conversation but 
i'm a little disturbed by the political correctness and dogma contained.
I live in Lisbon and last year i came across a busker (albeit with the voice 
of an angel) in Chiado called Reza (i think this is the correct spelling). 
Reza is a product of two opposing cultures and although he was very 
apprehensive talking about the situation in Isreal, he did on occasion speak 
equally dismissing both Sharon's policies and the actions of HAMAS and 
others as 'total hate'. I have also heard him in conversation describe 
himself as an Isreali. I haven't seen him for around 6months but he comes 
from the south and i wondered if he'd returned there in light of the recent 
evictions of the Jewish settlers, although i'm not sure why i think this - i 
don't really know.
The story is not really important however, what it does illustrate is that 
things are not always clear, Reza's cultural position is unclear, and it is 
in this unclear zone, in my experience anyway, that art is at its most 
effective.

Patrick Courtney
ps. i don't recall any boycott of any kind resulting in any positive action 
anywhere - it's a negative action.