Las Fallas de Valencia

This was unreal.

So every year in Valencia they create these sculptures that critique or satirize society and then they burn them down. The burning takes place at midnight and the early hours of the morning. These sculptures are placed throughout the city, in plazas, next to houses. It's quite dangerous; thus, the basis of it's appeal. It kind of feels like a war zone would, I imagine. All day when you are at Valencia there are firecrackers being set off every few seconds, the sound of each new one startling you more than did the last.

Anyway, before the fallas start you have to wait for the firemen to arrive on scene so they can spray the surrounding walls with water as a precaution. You know, in case the flames get out of control. It's not uncommon for spectators to get wet as well.

You would never see something like this in the United States. We just don't spend money on building beautiful things to burn them down later. Instead, we allow what we already have that is beautiful to burn down naturally, allowing Big Ears to justify it as a stride towards "hope." Words are so powerful. They elected our president and are what win wars. If I could build a war team, the most efficient one would be equipped with poets and Jews. Poets, who know the power of discourse, and Jews, who know the power of guilt. Besides, the Israel army is one of the toughest in the world... you just don't mess with the tribe.

"es verdad que las guerras se hacen por dinero que es poder, pero los jóvenes parten al frente y matan y se hacen matar por palabras, que son poesía, y por eso son los poetas los que siempre ganan las guerras ..." -Javier Cercas

(It's true that wars are carried out because of money which is power, but young people leave the front and kill and are killed because of words, that are poetry, and for this reason it's the poets who always win the wars.)