A menudo se declara que «Occidente» ha llegado a considerar cada vez más la guerra como un espectáculo. Los informes sobre la muerte de la realidad —como la muerte de la razón, la muerte del intelectual, la muerte de la literatura seria— parecen haber sido aceptados sin mucha reflexión por las personas innumerables que intentan comprender lo que parece mal, vacuo o estúpidamente triunfalista en la política y la cultura contemporáneas.
La afirmación de que la realidad se está convirtiendo en un espectáculo es de un provincianismo pasmoso. Convierte en universales los hábitos visuales de una reducida población instruida que vive en una de las regiones opulentas del mundo, donde las noticias han sido transformadas en entretenimiento; ese estilo de ver, maduro, es una de las principales adquisiciones of 'modern' and prerequisite to dismantle traditional forms of politics based on party, which holds the real debate and dissent.
assumes that everyone is a spectator. Hints of perverse way, the light in the world there is real suffering. However, it is absurd to identify the world with regions rich countries where people enjoy the dubious privilege of being a spectator, or to refuse to be, the pain of others, as it is absurd to generalize about the response capacity the suffering of others from the disposal of those news consumers who know nothing first hand of war, injustice and widespread terror. Hundreds of millions of television viewers are not all hardened by what they see on TV. They can not afford to underestimate the reality.
has become commonplace in the cosmopolitan debate about images of atrocities presumed to have little effect, and there is something inherently cynical dissemination. Although people today believe that the images of war matter, this does not dispel the lingering suspicion about the interest in these images and the intentions of those who produce. This response comes from both ends of the spectrum: the cynics who have never been near a war and weary of the conflict endure their misfortunes when they photograph.
citizens of modernity, consumers of violence as spectacle, adepts of proximity without risk, have been taught to be cynical about the possibility of sincerity. Some people will do everything within their power to prevent moving. How easy it is, from the couch, away from danger, sustain a spirit of superiority. In fact, deride the efforts of those who have witnessed in areas of conflict, calling it "war tourism" is a trial of this appellant that has invaded the debate on war photography as a profession.
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Editorial Alfaguara, Madrid 2003.
PD. Photographer Manu Brabo
, arrested along with 3 other journalists, by the Gaddafi regime. His work can be seen here
. Encourage your family and hopefully soon Manu may still show through your photos a few layers of reality. Latest
