“Left to himself, Man can in a matter of minutes justify the incineration of populated cities; the deportation, slaughter, disease and starvation of inconvenient people and the mass murder of the unborn. I have heard people who believe themselves to be good, defend all these things, and convince themselves as well as others. Quite often the same people will condemn similar actions committed by different countries, often with great vigour. Continue reading →
Argentine singer Haydee Mercedes Sosa (July 9, 1935 – October 4, 2009) was dubbed “the voice of the voiceless ones” for her socially conscious music. She became popular through out Latin America as a leading exponent of nueva cancion , a type of song that combined Latin American folk music, rock rhythms, and highly politicized lyrics, and was often associated with left-wing politics. Many nuevo cancion artists went into exile in the 1970s and 1980s, when right wing military dictatorships came to power in their countries. Sosa herself went into exile in Spain.
Solo le pido a Dios
Solo le pido a Dios
I only beg God Que el dolor no me sea indiferente
To let me not be indifferent to pain Que la reseca muerte no me encuentre
May death never find me indifferent Vacio y solo sin haber echo lo suficiente
Empty and alone without having done enough Solo le pido a Dios
I only beg God Que lo injusto no me sea indiferente
To let me not be indifferent to injustice Que no me abofeteen la otra mejia
So I don’t turn the other cheek Despues que una garra me arane esta frente
When a claw has already scratched my face
Chorus: Solo le pido a Dios
I only beg God Que la guerra no me sea indiferente
To let me not be indifferent to war Es un monstro grande y pisa fuerte
It is the great monster that tramples Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
The poor innocence of the people Es un monstro grande y pisa fuerte Toda la pobre inocencia de la gente
Solo le pido a Dios
I only beg God Que el engano no me sea indiferente
To let me not be indifferent to deceit Si un traidor puede mas que unos quantos
If one traitor is stronger than the rest of us Que esos quantos no lo olviden facilmente
May the rest of us not forget too easily Solo le pido a Dios
I only beg God Que el futuro no me sea indiferente
To let me not be indifferent to the future Deshauciado esta el que tiene que marchar
Helpless are those who are forced to leave A vivir una cultura diferente
And live in a foreign land..
“I have only one firm belief about the American political system, and that is this: God is a Republican and Santa Claus is a Democrat. God is an elderly or, at any rate, middle-aged male, a stern fellow, patriarchal rather than paternal and a great believer in rules and regulations. He holds men strictly accountable for their actions. He has little apparent concern for the material well-being of the disadvantaged. He is politically connected, socially powerful and holds the mortgage on virtually everything in the world. God is difficult. God is unsentimental. It is very hard to get into God’s heavenly country club. Santa Claus is another matter. He’s cute. His nonthreatening. He’s always cheerful. And he loves animals. He may know who’s been naughty and who’s been nice, but he never does anything about it. He gives everyone everything they want without thought of a quid pro quo. He works hard for charities, and he’s famously generous to the poor. Santa Claus is preferable to God in every way but one: There is no such thing as Santa Claus.”
“When I think about religion at all, I feel as if I would like to found an order for those who CANNOT believe:the Confraternity of the Faithless, one might call it, where on an altar, on which no taper burned, a priest in whose heart peace had no dwelling, might celebrate with unblessed bread and a chalice empty of wine. Everything to be true must become a religion. And agnosticism should have its ritual no less than faith. It has sown its martyrs and it must reap its saints, and praise God daily for having hidden himself from man. But whether it be faith or agnosticism, it must be nothing external to me. Its symbols must be of my own creating. Only that is spiritual which make its own form. If I may not find its secret within myself, I shall never find it; if I have not got it already, it will never come to me...