The impertinence of the usurpers

A system of personal ownership of production means, commonly called capitalism, is a very effective one. Initiatives usually become reality, once a source of financing is found. Countries’ economies under these circumstances grow quickly, poverty diminishes, a big part of the population feels their lives enhanced. The ugly side of this system is that much too often people with low character attributes take advantage over the rest, the honest, law abiding and decent majority. Using the loopholes, tricks and power plays, they become rich and a powerful, leaving the rest puzzled why they have to tolerate that.

Another system tested the last century is called the socialist, where the means of production belong to the state. This system is not effective. It does not generate much growth. However, it ensures, more or less, the equality among people, a social good cherished by many. The ugly side of this system is that much too often people with low character attributes take advantage over the rest, the honest, law abiding and decent majority. Using the loopholes, tricks and power plays, they become rich and a powerful, leaving the rest puzzled why they have to tolerate that.

Now imagine a transition from one system to the other. When the direction is going from capitalism to socialism they call that revolution. In Venezuela, where I lived many years, the leaders say they are in a revolution. Guess what kind of people is taking advantage now there?

Or take the transition to the other direction, from socialism to capitalism. They call this the turnaround. This has occurred since two decades in East Europe, as here in Romania, where I happen to live now. And who is pushing themselves to the places where the big cakes are? Mostly, the same people that did so in the former socialist system, people that were criticized for a lack of humanity, decency and respect to their fellow beings. Formerly, their lifestyle was hidden, but during socialism there were enough leftovers from the previous prewar capitalistic season, so they took possession of that to live a pretty good life. Now, there is a difference. Now they show to everybody what they have: their villa, their luxury cars, their watches and jewelry. And that they do not need to care about others.

A little boy from a lower income family was invited with his mother to a friend’s house in a nice neighborhood. He was told to bring his bicycle. He parked it, while saying hello to his friend’s parents, at playing ground behind a sidewalk. A lady from a nearby house lost control of her big last model luxury SUV while turning it, went backwards crossing the footpath, into the playground and finally over the boy’s bike. Luckily no kid was hurt. However, the bike was completely destroyed. She impolitely blamed everything on the kid and, asked by the mother if she would take her responsibility for the damage, she said no and went away. The mother did not want to embarrass the family she was visiting, and took the sad kid and his now unusable bike home.

This is an everyday story in this country. People that have much more than they really need are not even willing to help to remedy a little bit the pain they have inflicted on someone that does not have that much. And this is a reason many countries stagnate – and may look from revolution to turnaround to revolution to turnaround, without addressing the real problem: the care and respect we all have to and can show for each other.

The particular story here had a good ending. The bike got fixed. Some friends, also not so rich ones, put their working skills and the necessary money together to give to the bike its previous shape. But this result is, unfortunately, the exception. Usually the decent people, the big majority of Romanians around me, have to suffer the impertinence of the usurpers.