Sad fence friday...

C'est vraiment sensationnelle et j'aime ce que vous écrivez,
parce-que tout semble en adéquation avec cette cage .
Bonne et agréable fin de semaine.

Merci Malik, comme à tous vos si sympathiques commentaires.
Excellent week-end à vous.

That’s very touching, Eric ! Have a good weekend, too !

I wish you a nice week-end, Ulrich. And thank you, long overdue, for your kind comments.

Wonderful composition of image, text and music!

Well, Eric, I do not like to disillusion you,
but even ipernity is not always a place of bliss
where freedom of expression persists for everyone,
for here, too, many people apply double standards.
But surely you know that as well as I do.

Anyway, thank you for all your work for ipernity, for all the precious time you invest in this project, and for your efforts to achieve the greatest possible freedom of expression.

Have a wonderful weekend.

I thank you, ઇઉ.
At my age and experience, I can no longer be disillusioned. I have to be aware that even outside the influence of financial centers and places of influence we remain captive to the economic contingency to which we belong. But also of guidelines of thought that serve as a self-censor. I am Charlie, and I deplore the fact that his spirit has lost some of its aggression, that the homage paid to this form of press has somehow signed his denial (in a complex and singular intellectual alignment...).
But as you mean it is also played out in a community as small as ipernity. We don't target anyone in particular because it's up to us to stop this process, if necessary.
It is a never-ending debate that I am having with friends who are party to popular initiatives: where does it stop, where do the limits of democracy stop? Is freedom of expression compatible with it? For my part, but that remains between us, I do not think so, from the moment when said democracy becomes really effective, when its stake becomes the real well-being of all, without exception:
a compromise is necessary and indisputable, because individuality can only harm it. It remains to define this compromise, you will tell me: for me it must impose itself, as - temporarily - the fight against climate degradation today. It must not be allowed to suffer from contradiction, and this one must be doomed to silence, since it can only hamper the implementation of the adopted compromise.
Long debate, to which I invite you, dear friend.

Thanks for the invite, dear Eric.
For me, the question is, what is democracy as most of us know it, really? And can it, as it is, really serve the well-being of all? Can it really live up to this claim - and does it live up to this claim? If these questions have been satisfactorily answered and the democracies of this world are renewed from within, whenever and wherever necessary, it would be possible, under the most favourable circumstances, to work together on mutually acceptable compromises, but without falling into old patterns.
It is a long way, and it is a hard and tiring way. But it's worth it - and you won't walk it alone.
So never give up, dear friend.

:-)
Despite my advancing age, like everyone else, I am not able to resign myself - hence my compositions which, in spite of myself, become each time more demanding. In spite of myself, indeed, and no doubt thanks to the general awareness that helps me to believe that our future is not drawn by the dominant powers.
"Working together on mutually acceptable compromises, but without falling into old patterns" is only partially my line of conduct: we must work together, that's for sure, but reinventing a future every year, as we have known it in France and elsewhere, by trying to impose it like the Indignados or "Nuit Debout" in Paris, has proved its obsolescence/caducity. Our struggle is nothing new History teaches us, if we do not allow ourselves to be dragged along by the timeless media that permeate our daily lives, as you know...
I learned at the age of 20 that my inner revolt dated back to the 19th century and that I had to learn the theories that had been elaborated since then, then that despite what the existing powers try to make us believe, nothing has really changed apart from means implemented by the dominant classes.
Democracy... This is a vain word that I learned to put into perspective as soon as I got a bit of education, like you. At least the one we're presented with. There is one, certainly, but it must be conquered by the one it designates as such, namely the people. Even the concept of association (in the French sense but not only I presume) requires a delegation of powers that opens the way to its abuse - as is so often demonstrated.
"Order without power" is the slogan that I make my own; and which requires a complete reversal of the relations of domination - which I will never cease to believe in and defend, if only by my speech, then by my actions. I think we're in agreement, dear friend. As more and more people do. But the means of implementing radical reform is not accepted by all: only the unacceptable conditions of our survival lead us to extreme acts. We have not yet succeeded in doing so; and therefore the conditions do not seem to me to be right today. This is due to the growing appetites of those in power. But, at least in France but also elsewhere, the so-called counter-powers still lead the dance that contributes to the resignation of the greatest number. The premises are palpable, but not yet operational: each day of struggle demonstrates this here...

"(...), but without falling into old patterns", refers to "compromises" that are based more on the search for one's own advantage, on corruption than on consideration and fairness, on the advantage for all, because I think that corruption cannot and must not be the means of choice. I think that even in the perpetual struggle between good and evil, there is a need to learn to use the right techniques - and to apply them correctly.
Good you believe in the possibility of reversing the balance of power, Eric. This belief can and will move mountains if it is strong enough - and it is strong enough. :)

All right, butterfly, about rejecting past compromises, such as corruption. And which has always led astray, hijacked the popular will without which he could not have come to power. By delegation, which today is still in place. The dismissal of elected representatives or delegates is the sine qua non condition for the seizure of power not by the people in reality but by their general interest. All we have to do is to convince it, by opening their eyes, that the assumption of responsibility by the greatest number is its only sustainable future, an enlightened, thoughtful assumption of responsibility that is at odds with the particular interests that have never ceased to govern the world until today. Which would have prevented us from running into the wall as we are doing today. Perhaps you will tell me, and I am not far from agreeing with this, that this awareness is being born before our very eyes. And that the ancestral powers don't have long to live in front of it. You don't tell me but I'll answer anyway: we can see precisely the deviousness, the resilience of the powers in place which, in any case, will in the short term, save their privileges and find the means to channel the people's major claim; as they have always done.
I therefore believe, in fact, that only the ever-growing appetite of the latter, as we know it, will lead to living conditions - already well deteriorated today - intolerable and even unbearable, to the point where the vital instinct will take over.
This belief can move mountains because it is strong enough, you say. I think that this is not a belief, but the fruit of an observation and an inference to which I only subscribe, matured in the 19th century as I was saying. And which materializes every day a little more - with fluctuations that each time differ its occurrence but which seems to respond to a determinism that escapes totally, because of its timelessness, to the short-sightedness of those who are the cause (the possessors).

The term "belief" often reveals itself as an innermost conviction, ideally the result of one's own conscientious, repeated observations, so that one could also state that convictions, if they are strong enough, can move mountains. Perhaps or hopefully this differentiation clarifies what I wanted to say with this sentence. Apart from that, I can only agree with you, Eric.
Wish you and yours a wonderful weekend.

THE PHOTO SND TH EWORDS ARE IMMENSELY POWERFUL.

YES!
fences can be sad!

tu t'exprimes c'est bien ,, ca permet de vider toute cette ambiance mortelle pour tous oui vive à IPERNITY, ou je croise des gens merveilleux ,,

Excellent capture, well done ;-)

Politically we have been reigniting for years. But now the world is really on fire, and the mighty ones who could stop it, deny the reasons. The doomsday clock shows two minutes to midnight: weltuntergangsuhr.com/bilder/weltuntergangsuhr.png

What can we do? I don't think we can do much. But in our very real, everyday lives, many little things. And many little things can become big things. I like to stick to this:

"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,
Courage to change the things I can,
And wisdom to know the difference."

(Reinhold Niebuhr)

I had forgotten the song, and never liked Genesis anyway. (Like Yes, too pretentious for my taste) but The Deezer seconds I was allowed (thank you Deezer) made me think that perhaps I should have a re-listen (but it won't be a priority right now!).
Your shot, however, is superb!

Thank you, Andy, for the visit and the comment + your Like.
For my part, this photo from my "second zone" has the only objective to illustrate as well as possible this song among my favourites of the band. "No one is a prophet in his own country" ;-) Genesis was often more triumphant in France and elsewhere than in England, I think. Tales and legends are perhaps less imbued in English minds? (only you can tell me). But Genesis remains - in my opinion - an emanation of the pure English musical juice, which is of a unique richness - if we consider the baroque age and the 20th century and after!

Hi Eric,
It is a matter of personal musical taste I feel; most of my school friends were heavily into Genesis. But I had spent time in France with my school exchange partner and his older brothers in the early 70s who were into Hendrix, The Doors, The Stones, Beatles, Dylan, etc (in other words about 5-6 years behind England - I don't know why that was always so! - ) and I quickly grew to love what they loved and when I heard the music of Genesis, Yes and other 'Prog-rock greats', I was immediately turned off by their pretentiousness. I also had a classical musical training (I am qualified to teach the piano) and for decades (and even now), I mixed my listening between classical and classic rock).
I know what you mean about an English quality but I think you recognise that there was very little of intrinsic musical worth in England between Henry Purcell and Elgar (we were too busy trying to emulate Händl and later Beethoven, Brahms and especially Queen Victoria's favouroite Mendellsöhn). Maybe it's a quasi-folksy element that can be detected, but I found that done better (or, at least more pleasingly to my ears) in the music of Jethro Tull and much later XTC.
I would like at some future stage to add my 'ha'porth-worth' to your interesting discussion with * ઇઉ * and Bernhard but it will have to wait. I'm far too busy today and need to get on with preparing my classes for next week!
All very thought-provoking anyway and I'm broadly in agreement!
More later, I hope.
Best wishes and bye for now!
Andy

Dear Andy,
unlike you my classical experience was not previous but parallel to my discovery of the Prog-Rock bands and I did not try to make any parallel between the two - until the day I knew the classical roots of the main members of this bands. But even today I want to consider them as totally divergent branches (apart from Rick Wakeman, perhaps) which prevents me from seeing any classicist pretensions in Genesis or Yes.
Concerning the intrinsic musical worth in England, I totally agree, and I still have a hard time understanding why Mendellsöhn was so revered, especially by Queen Victoria - but maybe that explains it all?! ;-)
I put Jethro Tull on the same level as Genesis, as a worthy musical illustrator of the (social) tales and legends I was talking about. Peter Gabriel (or Tony Banks) did not, unlike the legendary Ian Anderson, reinterpreted any Bach piece - did he? ;-) Well, in fact, my approach to this (these) group(s) was apparently quite different and proves how much subjectivity in this matter remains decisive.
It's no longer a debate about musical quality and its intention, but an analysis of our respective backgrounds that is emerging... I think. This would merit a discussion that perhaps goes beyond this comments place. For my part, I am ready to pursue it "off-camera".

Even if I can't translate this weird 'ha'porth-worth' (even with the help of Deep-L), the same as you: I'd love to contribute to this discussion with * ઇઉ * and Bernhard, but I had to postpone my answers for a long time ; so many external constraints... Maybe this weekend, and your contribution will be welcome, even if it's contradictory!

Sorry for late reply and no poss of replying in full now (beauty sleep required). But just to say for now that 'ha'porth-worth' is a contraction of 'halfpenny's-worth'. A halfpenny was half of one pre-decimal penny and there were 480 in the pound (I think it went out of circulation in about 1968). I remember it well as a child.
The expression relates to the hesitation in offering your own opinions where you suspect they are of moderate and modest quality compared with the superior intellection contributions of others!
When I can, I'd like to re-visit the subject(s) in question!
Bye for now!

bien dit et bien vu*********************belle semaine mon ami ! bisous♫

C'est d'une grande Beauté***********************

HFF Eric

Que de belles couleurs au delà de cette cage virtuelle !