There are revolutions that arise from hunger or need, from desperation and the urgency to change things. Others seem to be born from the need to debut expensive sneakers.
I have seen actions by groups of young people that fill me with pride. There are many, and not a few, who are aware of their social class and the need for political commitment, who employ all their effort and courage in helping this society advance on the path of progress.
Now we are witnessing scenes starring groups of young people who take to the streets, confront each other, smash shop windows, and loot stores. They speak of rage, of discontent. But it is enough to observe what they look for among the broken glass to discover that there is no demand, no collective consciousness, or even a material need behind it.
They do not seek bread, but brands. They do not raid supermarkets to fill their families' pantries, but luxury stores to fill their closets. They do not question the economic model that turns them into compulsive consumers; they aspire to get the best products for free.
It is a false rebellion. What has been born is a monster fed by consumerism and capitalism that now attacks its own society. It is an autoimmune disease that is strong enough to fight all the security and state forces.
It is a revolt without ideology, without collective goals, and without a social horizon. A kind of "shop window rebellion" in which the only inequality that seems to bother them is not being able to afford what others display.
Among its participants, we find well-off young people, children of a consumer society that has taught them to desire everything, but to understand nothing. They are not people with the capacity to empathize. They group together, act in packs, and confuse impunity with freedom and looting with protest.
True rebellion does not consist of breaking the shop window, but of asking who built it, who profits from it, and who pays the price. Nor does it consist of changing the owner of a pair of sneakers, but of questioning the conditions that allow some to buy them without looking at the price while others cannot afford the essentials and remain poor, even with a regular job.
In the end, perhaps the saddest thing about these riots is that capitalism doesn't even need to defend itself against them. Although it never hurts to show off special forces (like the recently recreated UNIPOL of Santa Cruz) or justify brutal interventions broadcast on television.
While the assailants appear in the news making free advertising for the brands that can best pay for it.
Now, it turns out that the culprits found by the official investigations are a few minors active on social media and with influence capabilities.
Although for some it is evident that the system itself is devouring itself from within.
Although it is clear that, in states like Spain, in the pre-election period, there is a sector very interested in destabilizing society and instilling fear and demanding a strong hand that was never applied to them and that they have not stopped demanding for others.
The ugliest actions of the Spanish right clearly bear their mark.
Add La Voz de Lanzarote as a preferred Google source.
Stay informed with the latest current news.