And That's My Take...(Her Name Is Rio And She Dances On The Stage)

AND THAT’S MY TAKE… (HER NAME IS RIO AND SHE DANCES ON THE STAGE)
© 2010 by Curtis Sagmeister. All Rights Reserved.


Ah, yes. The city of Rio de Jeneiro. Oceanside playground famous for sunshine, sandy beaches, and dental floss bikini clad beauties. Party Central for its nightlife and Carnival. An overpopulated and crime-ridden city towered over by the iconic open arms statue of Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain. And the next victim to be beta tested for the complete robbery of personal rights and freedoms.

Personal rights and freedoms might not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about any country in South America, however, that is precisely what makes this advanced phase of beta testing so pivotal, as Rio is about to dance on the world stage as host city for the 2012 Earth Summit and the 2016 Olympic Summer Games.

What we have learned from recent world events is that they have been used to violate and severely restrict our personal rights and freedoms overtly and covertly. We learned that the police have employed fascist tactics such as the use of agent provocateurs to further their own agendas. We have learned of laws enacted in secret. And we have seen the corporate media conspire with the puppet masters to manipulate public image. All this, and more, in countries such as Canada, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, and Denmark.

Imagine what can happen in a country like Brazil, where, for all its positive attributes, the ability and motivation for its citizens to stand up to a government and police force known for their selective abidance of human rights, is dangerous and ill-advised. Being ‘disappeared’ is a fact of life in all of South America.

There is plenty of time for Rio to ready itself for the advanced beta testing. With several world events and summits occurring between now and the River of January’s turns in the spotlight, there is ample opportunity to craft changes to legislation in place and tweak any rough edges before anybody realizes what is happening. Of course, there is the added bonus of being able to be schooled by those preceding events in modern stealth subversion tactics. The citizens of Rio and Brazil won’t even know what hit them.

This same time span might also represent an opportunity for those who value personal rights and freedoms to act on behalf of Brazilians who are not in a comfortable position to do so, despite their probable desire to protect what little remains of their personal rights and freedoms.

While the world is dazzled by performances under the spotlight, remember that rehearsals leading up to the well-choreographed puppet show include set design and placement of lighting. The star is Rio, and she dances on the stage. Watch what happens.

And that’s my take.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photographer. Author. Poet. Songwriter. Student of Human Behavior. Community Activist. Social Commentator. Environmental Steward. Wage Slave.

Visit Curtis Sagmeister online at www.sagmeister.ca
Visit EarthFootprints.com at http://earthfootprints.com
Visit Redacted Copy at http://redactedcopy.blogspot.com