It is impossible to avoid reflecting on the state of alarm caused by the coronavirus and its impact on our way of life. I invite reflection, to let yourself be carried away by lucidity and imagination without fears or prejudices. I have no doubt that a large part of the solution to this situation lies in the social capacity to understand what is happening and to anticipate measures that mitigate its effects. Let's not make the mistake of believing that this is nothing more than a specific crisis and that we are going to recover the life we had before. This is the first act of a very serious crisis that offers us a unique opportunity to prepare for the new world socioeconomic order.
Perhaps, perhaps understanding the depth of what is happening is easier for those who have been aware of the reality of the planet for years without sweeteners or cotton wool. This dystopian situation was within what was foreseeable, announced by wise men and environmental groups for years in documents, articles, studies... precisely because of this type of apocalyptic announcements, a large part of the population preferred not to read, not to see, limiting themselves to accusing the alerters of "pessimists". At this moment the pessimists are those who do not give credit and those who foresaw this situation are now visionaries. Having overcome generations of incredulous, followers, conformists, accommodating, incapable and various imbeciles, the history of humanity always imposes the logic of the facts.
Human foolishness revolves again and again on unreason, but reality is imposed again putting in its place those who, despite being ridiculed, warned that this capitalist system devouring the planet was going to revert in forms very similar to those that plague us.
We cannot validate the data being given by official, national or international organizations on the number of people infected by the coronavirus, we can only affirm that they are hiding the truth from us to avoid alarms, criticisms, demands for responsibility and political wear and tear. It is a daily mortal drip... do you remember when we watched over five European deaths with supportive and multitudinous funerals while we ignored thousands of deaths in the Mediterranean? When paying for medical insurance was sold as a lifeline in the face of the collapse of public health? Where are those pretentious distinctions and privileges now? Where is the difference in the face of death now?
Do you remember when the heroes were the soccer players, the thieves with seats, or the thimbleriggers of politics? When we lived normally with certainty and security? Even when they sold us insurance for falls or loss of luggage? Do you remember the advertising of clothing brands, faster cars or exotic destinations? When did the climate emergency have to be declared? We reached levels of unworthy frivolity.
We cannot miss this opportunity to reflect on the change of values. We supported those who privatized health, education, energy, public services for the elderly and dependents... without stopping to think about the value of health, education, care. Light, water and public services. And now, in times of survival, that frivolity checkmates us in the form of death because we play on the board of life.
We were so used to living under the dictatorship of contributions, capital gains and risk premiums that we forgot that death is the only sure thing in life. Nature puts order in chaos. The logic of liberalism pushed us to believe ourselves immune to love, friendship, respect, coexistence, courage, bravery, solidarity, affection or knowledge, as these are values that cannot be subjected to the rules of economic speculation. Do you remember ridiculing those who spoke of feelings? To belittle who was but did not have? To despise age, old age, childhood or illness? Now that we are a little old, a little young, a little children and we are all a little sick, will we learn something as a society?
The first victim of this pandemic is the economic system of the first world. The capitalist bubble burst at the dawn of 2020, the service sector will not feed us, the globalization of the market subjects us to the law of the jungle, the local industry is disarmed, the water remains in private hands and food sovereignty is limited to organizing tapas fairs or botellones promoted by public institutions. The good times will not return after confinement.
Allow me to be realistic. I do not obviate the displays of solidarity of the citizens, I do not ignore the examples of personal, professional, family sacrifice that society is demonstrating, I do not deny the personal effort of a large mass of the population, nor do I underestimate the emotion of the daily applause to the health personnel, to the caregivers, to the cleaners, educators, to the transporters, to the replenishers and to the cashiers. I only wonder how we are going to translate this applause into measures of real recognition: are we going to stop exploiting the resources of the planet as if they were unlimited? Will we understand that humans are subject to the laws of nature because we are part of it? Will we value care? Will we rebuild a new socioeconomic system putting life first? Will we respect the value of knowledge? Will we provide people with dignified means above the dictatorship of indebtedness? In short, after seeing and feeling death, will we put life at the center?
Again, it is not in society where the main responsibility lies to turn the tables and change the vital, economic, social and environmental rhythm of reality. It is the political leaders and their bosses, the economic agents, who must surrender to the evidence. And they are not going to do it, hence the pessimism. They will squeeze the cow until there is nothing left but bone and drag us to collective suicide. They are so convinced that their economic immunity can cope with survival that they will continue walking towards the abyss even when the void looms at their feet.
We are not facing an ideological crossroads, we are facing the real possibility of extermination. The response, from both the left and the right, is to put economic and political interests before the lives of people. Information is the best defense, but short-term politics imposes opacity. Our public representatives lie, falsify, silence, dismiss the professionals who are saving lives for not recognizing an evidence, that our public health service is underfunded. They protect certain industries (construction) against the isolation measures imposed by themselves. They prioritize public debt over survival, again Europe is wrong. Again left and right, trade and speculate with life.
As Harari says in El Pais: "There is no adult in the room" .
Let us reflect now that we all feel more human, more vulnerable, more real. It would be very absurd not to learn anything from this terrible experience. Let us make the effort to live up to the hero in the white coat who faces death to save the life of the anonymous. Let us not settle for the ovation, let us be worthy of his example.
