STUPID VS STUPID: WHEN PEOPLE DON’T WANT TO SEE THE BOMB THAT IS IN FRONT OF THEIR NOSES.

I have been stuck in Peru for almost 2 years. Yeap, not that I want to be here but I had to be for family reasons demanding my presence. So, in the meanwhile, while trying to survive and keep my sanity among this bunch of really crazy people - if you live in Lima, Peru’s capital, for more than 3 months you’ll understand – I have been watching how Sendero Luminoso (Shining Path), yes, the same bunch of delirious “we are the 4th sword, we’re going to make the Leninist-Stalinists-Maoist-President Gonzalo struggle into reality” of the 80’s come back. And what the Peruvian society is doing about? Nothing. Worst of all: What the Peruvian government is doing? Nothing. There are many reasons. First, the usual Peruvian structural stupidity. Second, a society that never tried to understand what Shining Path was and why they came to bombard the country and third, a governmental and military structure so corrupt, so unstable and so far away from reality that it’s not capable to understand the society they’re supposed to live in and protect. Peru, with all those structural weakness, is doomed. O.K. First, indeed, Peruvians are deeply stupid. If you’re and educated person who give your seat in a bus to an old lady… you’re a fool. If you see somebody’s dropping a 20 bucks bill and you shout “hey, a bill has fallen from your pocket”, you’re a big fool, if you deal with your partners in a company or whatever in a cordial and educated manner, you’re the king of the fools. You shout orders, you don’t ask. Peruvians believe that to do the right is a symptom of hardcore foolishness. How the same-old Shining Path is gaining terrain again. Actually they don’t have to make a big effort. Former SL leaders, who were on their late 30’s when prisoners now are free. A bit chubby, better seasoned ideologically, but ready to Rock and bomb. The authorities can’t do anything as they’ve already “paid their due to society in jail.” Well, sorry, SL does not think about time like the common people do or less the authorities: For them, they lost a battle; the war stills and is a long one still to win. In SL ideology, their war is one that can go for over a century. They’re sure they will win, no matter how many millions of people could die. Peruvian society never intended to learn what happened and don’t care what could happen. It’s a society where the people in the top just ask for another Margarita, the people in the middle for another Chilcano and the people in the bottom ask for another beer. Peruvians are proud today – and there are good reasons – for their cuisine and chefs. They have humongous food expositions, like “Mistura”, with an attendance of hundreds of thousands PER DAY. However, none of them, as usual, care that everything happens in Lima. What about those provincial cities that had grow so much in the last years? Where are the “Mistura?” They don’t care. Fine, great, enjoy. But that goes with what I mentioned as the 1rst Peruvian stupidity. Peruvians are like those animals that you just point them with a flashlight and they go mesmerized. So now everything is alright, basic groceries prices grow every day, but who cares, we have great food. Then, if you ask anybody in the streets about SL, you can get 3 responses: a) what you’re talking about? Denoting the failure of the governments to teach the kids what happened and why happened. b) Oh, those were freedom fighters but with a bad strategy. Between these people the new SL is harvesting. c) Kill them all! People who lived the SL times and before getting them back they are willing to allow a “go kill, I won’t tell” policy. Of course, there are people in the middle of every position, some even with clear mind. But in general, the majority, and the governments uses the majorities to justify any kind of action, lives like if they’re all in some kind of drug, like in a lot of ecstasy mixed with beer. SL is growing. Slowly but nonstop. They’re recruiting a lot of kids while other portion of the kids are, or trying to get, a job or having a lot of booze. In the meanwhile, what the Peruvian society, or the “thinkers” of it are doing? Nothing. And now we have a president who is a big ass, who's only merit was a stunt of rebellion when the Fujimori government was falling (before... he keep quiet.) He wants to please anybody that can helps him to stay in power, so, like the 3 monkeys, he let the corruption go forward and the big money make their day. So, get ready foreign journalist, in a short time you’re going a lot of work here. Luckily, now we have malls!