Civilization

Our civilization is at a crossroads. I do not mean the changes that social networks have already introduced or that robotics will introduce into our lives. I mean those who, really, define civilizations, which is their spiritual health. Greece was its philosophy, Rome its legality, medieval Europe Christianity, modern Europe science. Naturally they are not incompatible findings, but the current Europe is Greek, Roman, Christian and rational. But it is also sophistic, bellicose, pagan and irrational.

A part of Europeans lives luxuriously, another comfortably and the rest acceptably. I will not go over the advantages of being European. We Europeans ask ourselves why when things can go better, unforeseen problems increase. Well, the explanation is because a feature of reality is that differences tend to be reduced by good or bad. And in today’s world, the goodness of communication makes them know, to the part of the planet that has not been able to reconcile population growth with economic advances, that there is a world whose crumbs are better than their daily lives. And they have decided to come and try their luck.

They are millions and can destabilize Europe. But not yet, because we are aging and new sap is needed to maintain the productive system, which will gradually change as robotics is disappearing conventional jobs to emerge the care as the great social task, along with the development of talent.

Naturally it is necessary to get to fix the Africans in their territories with countries whose development allow decent lives to their inhabitants. Although some news about the expansion of a new colonialism owner of immense tracts of land can create new forms of social tension. But it is also necessary that Europe with five hundred million inhabitants maintain a certain homeostatic balance, except for the risk of collapse. But European policies to stop migration are not useful and Africa is especially incompetent in establishing stable and non-predatory political regimes. We europeans, to some extent, are to blame for our merciless action and bordering on stupidity for the way in which we administer those countries with our supposed intellectual and economic superiority. But it has been too long for it to continue to be the excuse for the more intelligent Africans not to find a way to exploit their wealth in favor of their populations, instead of accepting corrupt elites in collusion with global corporations for the looting of commodities. premiums and arable land.

We Europeans also forget that we are an immense mixture in which migrations have played a fundamental role, no matter how much the society of each time believed that it was the end of the world. At this point, of all our inheritance, what suffers the most is not legality or rationality, but philosophy and religion. Our world is based on important philosophical findings about the dignity of each human being and powerful religious proposals about mercy and peace. But while legal regulation and science progress steadily, the problem of mass migration puts us to the test in ethical and religious matters. While we continue with our sophisticated rites, our hearts have hardened and we turn fearful back to the concrete problems of specific people.

It is a curious case that those who wait to be judged in another life for their actions, in this life reject with a gesture of disgust and determined political action accept refugees and those who do not believe in another life consider that it is a due act of mere humanity. Obviously the opposite positions are also given, but they are more rare. The Christian heritage of Europe can not be maintained exclusively and shamefully in the struggle against the presence of minarets, synagogues or Buddhist temples. It has to recover its origins based on the protection of the weak.

At the same time, the Enlightenment tradition of Europe must seek solutions to the structural character of these migrations other than paying corrupt in the coastal countries to cruelly contain the migratory pressure. Can the Christian soul of Europe allow the Mediterranean to be a cemetery? Can the rational soul of Europe abandon the search for a solution? The answer in both cases is that no. And, of course, we must reject both the progressives who do not come with a letter of acceptance in their refugee house, and the enemies of what they call contemptuously «beauty soul», unless they come with the apostasy certificate signed by The Vatican. That is, masks out !.

These individual attitudes are reflected in political positions. It is also necessary for the political parties to seek a better agreement between their underlying doctrines and their political actions. If some choose religion and others opt for illustration, both must be coherent. That is, from incense to the exercise of charity and from the revolution to the exercise of humanity.

As in almost all cases, between the extremes is the possible solution. We must take a step forward when there are dramatic cases as in these years and, at the same time, look for solutions at the heart of European governance. That is why I congratulate Spain and the city of Valencia for receiving the Aquarius and I hope that the Spanish government will achieve decisive political actions with the help of the rest of the countries bordering the Mediterranean that should not only expect tourists on their beaches.