Politics and my inner policy

Whenever you want to learn another language, the worst part is when you have similar words to yours, but with different meaning. All languages have that case unfortunately, and in English I find the case of "politics" and "policy" (if you are puzzled about their difference, check it out here).

Due to the politics, I live in a region of constant tension and conflict. I've come to Colombia about 17 years ago, when the relations with one of its neighbor, Venezuela, not only were good, but excellent. The deterioration is being huge and as I don't believe in blaming anybody, I can say it is because of politics.

The damage it is causing is beyond repair now I guess. Just a small example: last year, whilst travelling to Portugal, I went to Caracas to take my plane (TAP, excellent airline by the way). I think it was some kind of "revenge" by local TAP, but they made me go through luggage manual checking, which meant GETTING OUT to the luggage area. I guess it was about 40 C at least and people there were quite ruthless... until they hear I was not Colombian, but Brazilian. The change was visible, and no damage happened except a shaving cream which was thought to be a drug container...

The damage in the relations of these two countries is beyond economic effects (most of the food Venezuelans used to consume came from Colombia, and many Colombians used to go for holiday there); it is psychological, it is going inside the heads of people who start to really believe Venezuelans or Colombians are bad people.

In these cases you always find exceptions. They are people whose heart is not in politics and their inner policy is to keep a distance of all that noise. I lived a similar situation in Brazil, when our dictators decide Argentinians would be our "bad people". We learned to really hate Argentinians (and not for the same reason some LatinAmericans do), and with no reason, really. Even though I have been working in my own self, I can't say I did not feel a little pleasure with their defeat by Germany which tells about the good job our dictators did.

I feel it is important to create an inner policy, to avoid being influenced by silly or serious things that can damage all of us in the short or long term. And hating another people because their language, religion, skin or government is different, it really has a bad effect on the soul.

When I am able to do it, then I can see things in a more neutral way. I can make decisions with more accuracy. And the results promise to be much better.