Birds of a Feather Flock Together / Rebeca Monzo

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Many years ago, while studying journalism, I had a teacher who taught Marxist philosophy, in a totally original way. At the beginning of each class, writing a saying from a popular Spanish proverb on the blackboard and taking that as a point of reference, he would explain the philosophical categories that related to that issue. He also told us that all wisdom was present in the chosen proverb. Thus I also acquired the habit, which I am rarely able to abstain from.

Once again, yesterday, listing to the shortwave, I was amazed by the statements about the dictator Gaddafi made by the Venezuelan leader — “I cannot condemn him from a distance, he is my friend, my friend forever, the friend of our people, Gaddafi is like Bolivar” — and other nonsense. Now that false news that leaked last week that said the country had offered asylum to the tyrant made sense. Then came to mind two very wise proverbs: Where there’s smoke, there’s fire, and another that says, Birds of a feather flock together. Paraphrasing the title of a popular TV program here on my planet, I say: You can draw your own conclusions.

March 2 2011