Art, truth and politics
December 9, 2005
Harold Pinter’s Nobel acceptance speech is one of the best things I have read all year. Powerful, poised and measured. He reminds all of those with some insight into what is really going on in the world to be relentless about exposing it, to speak truth to power.
I love his description of Britain as a “bleating little lamb”. I have always seen the country as a damp sock, really, but that phrase captures Bliar’s Britain perfectly.
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Thanks for the link to some important ideas and information. How’s this for synchronicity: I have been re-reading “The Poisonwood Bible” (the Congo being a nice example of ‘low intensity conflict’), just finished Asne Seierstad’s ‘A hundred and one days – A Baghdad Journal’ (she too reports on the Iraqi boy who asks,”When do I get my arms back?”) and watched ‘Motorcycle Diaries’. Although a bit disappointing as a movie, that journey which exposes young Che to the reality and injustices of peasant life and thereby changes the direction of his own life.. and history, illustrates the power of ‘truth’. Its references to Pablo Neruda are another connection.
Harold Pinter wants the truth to be known. But when the truth is so outrageous, so improbable, it’s easier to believe the lies. And anyway, who wants to know the truth – if we do and yet don’t act, we too are culpable.
Hey, nice to see you blogging, amongst other things, about SA. Really like your blog. It made me think. Do drop in on mine sometime.