DISHONORABLY INNOCENT

A few days ago, I was talking with friends about this worldwide economy crisis. I was pointing out that, in spite of what people generally believe - thanks to biased media reports - this crisis isn't just due to a down-sloping of the economy but rather to an implosion of the actual economic system. 

I also expressed the opinion that the consequences of such a situation will have a devastating impact on the whole world. There is no need to go into the meanders of the economy to understand the reason of it;  it is much simpler to make a basic equation: while the world population keeps growing, resources keep running shorter. To make things far worse, our capitalistic economy based on continuous growth and all out consumerism, can only radicalize the problem.

Briefly, I said, we cannot afford this kind of economy anymore. We cannot afford free rein capitalism.

The present situation requires a drastic political change, but unfortunately the constituted power (bluntly put, those in charge) is a creature of this economic system - ie. the political power is totally in the hands of corporations, financial groups, big banks, credit institutions etc. and none of them is willing to forfeit their privileges and power. 

Mind you, they might succeed in patching up the situation - making the man in the street pay for their malpractice and greed - but the result will only be a new and even more devastating crisis in a few years time.

In the course of the conversation, I expressed the opinion that in spite of everything, as there is not an honest will to accept the truth of that simple equation and make the necessary steps, all efforts are irrimediably doomed.

Using quite an overexploited image, I said that humanity, like the Titanic, is heading towards its demise... "I wish" I added "to live long enough to see it."

Predictably enough, one of my guests resented these words and made me notice that on the Titanic there are also ordinary people like himself and me, who, having nothing to do with the present crisis, are totally innocent and shouldn't deserve such a caustic comment.

I didn't reply, but perhaps I should have. In fact I wonder: is there something like innocence in human things? I don't know about the rest of humanity, but as far as I am concerned I certainly cannot protest complete innocence. I lived and grew fat at the border of a rotting system, I saw its greed and stupidity, I accepted it and thrived on it. 

Surely I didn't commit anything evil, but is this enough? As I never really did much in order to prevent others from committing it, perhaps not.

Therefore, as a full-fledged passenger of the Titanic, I cannot claim any right to safety and I won't, but at least I can claim a spectator seat, possibly in the front row.