Opinion Sur
Those who say we all suffer from the crisis are lying. Some not only do not suffer, but they profit from it. And what is terrible is that those who profit have been directly or indirectly responsible for this crisis that is striking affluent western countries and affects the rest of the world.
While unemployment reaches dramatic levels in Europe (a fourth of Spain and Greece’s population is unemployed; more than half of those countries’ youngsters do not have a job, large financial groups gain fortunes mercilessly speculating against the countries in trouble; on top of that they heavily evade paying taxes that are more necessary than ever in order to face the chaos. Financial capital has taken the steering wheel of the global economy imposing a fearsome adjustment that only serves them; punishes their own people just like it has done historically with Southern Hemisphere populations. While the crisis skyrocketed to unsustainable levels the interests Italy, Spain and Greece pay to allocate their debt, Germany gets close to zero percent interest rates so it saves in the midst of the European crisis around 10 billion Euros a year. On their part, those who produce luxury goods and services get substantial profits since that segment of the market has strengthened like it never has before. The fact is wealth and income concentration has accelerated reaching outrageous levels: the privileged have become much wealthier while the rest, the immense majorities, are left with grief, suffering and indignation.
This concentration process is global because of its reach as well as for the way of operating and the mechanisms used. Thus, for instance, (i) in that ‘Far’ and nowadays closer East it occurs that in five years Singapur’s millionaires will double in comparison to 2010 and China’s will triple; (ii) in the international basic foods markets, prices climb at a steady pace much less due to the increase in demand than to speculation conducted by financial capital which compromises entire countries with famines and malnutrition. And if this were not enough to stir consciences, it should be stated that those wildly profiting tend to fall into crime offenses and corruption while operating with no economic responsibility that expresses some degree of solidarity to those left behind (see among the thousands of cases the one denounced while this Note was being written included in a footnote of one of this issue’s articles).
All this hurts, but we already know indignation or an astonished glance is not enough. We must mobilize just as it is happening in several countries to adopt other trajectories than the ones imposed in Europe: no more adjustment nor concentration but a sustainable course anda just transformation of the way of functioning.
Cordial greeting,
The Editors
