The terrible wildfires currently ravaging the world—and France in particular—are a manifestation of today’s generation’s lack of respect for the past, the present, and the future. For the past, because these fires are the result of excessive human interference with nature and the destruction of natural barriers that once prevented the spread of flames; as for the present, because they are exacerbated by global warming caused by rising daily emissions of greenhouse gases; and as for the future, because water is becoming scarcer and because today’s generation threatens, through its actions, to turn the planet into a hell for all future forms of life. Finally, arsonists—whether they act out of madness, malice, disrespect, or recklessness—do the rest.
Faced with this, what can we do? Heroic firefighters—both professional and volunteer—with insufficient resources, battle the fiery monsters; anonymous people plug the gaps. In France, the government, still strong, coordinates the effort and, with its democratic police force, prevents acts of vandalism and stops panic from spreading. Finally, Europe, called upon for help, provides some of the missing resources.
And then what? Once the fires are brought under control, we’ll forget about them; we’ll push aside the terrifying images of panicked horses galloping through the deserted streets of evacuated towns, of firefighters trapped in their vehicles. We won’t reflect on the causes; we’ll blame bad luck; we won’t do anything to prevent this from happening again. We’ll dismiss those who say, “We told you so”; we won’t protect biodiversity or water sources; we won’t reduce land development, nor will we change the types of plants we grow; we will not restore wetlands; we will not conserve water; we will not reduce greenhouse gas emissions; we will not declare a state of emergency to accelerate fireproofing of buildings. We will not provide civil defense with more substantial resources.
And when it happens again—even if firefighters are more seasoned and procedures are more refined—the fires will be far more severe; cities will not be spared; the flames will kill not only panicked animals or firefighters trapped in the line of duty, but countless people, caught off guard in their homes or stuck in traffic during a belated evacuation. In deserted cities, acts of vandalism and looting will multiply. Elsewhere, people will fight over water and food. Faced with this, we will end up entrusting the military with all powers to maintain order—just as we have recently begun to do—forgetting about democracy.
Is this an exaggeration? Is this too bleak a vision of the future? No, this is exactly the current dynamic—one that could have been foreseen ever since it all began, more than thirty years ago.
Moreover, these fires are merely a metaphor for a much broader phenomenon: Yes, the world—and France in particular—is burning with many other fires. For flames are not the only means of destroying a society.
To speak only of France, this country is consumed by public debt—at first creeping, then scorching, then explosive—fueled by spendthrift governments—that is, arsonists—whether through negligence, recklessness, or pyromaniacal desire. It is also consumed by an Islamism that is less and less concealed; by an increasingly unbridled anti-Semitism, unabashed xenophobia, and an open rejection of any future European solidarity. It also burns with a lack of respect for the past, which leads to the destruction of biodiversity in the name of urban expansion. And more generally, it is fueled by a lack of respect on the part of each individual for everyone else—a lack that leads to littering wherever one pleases, to spreading and consuming products that are toxic to oneself and others, to flouting every law for one’s own pleasure, and to accepting the tyranny of “every man for himself.”
In the face of this, just as during the wildfires, there are people (doctors, teachers, police officers, public administrators) who do their jobs to the best of their ability; there are citizens who make up for the inaction and disrespect of others; and still others who volunteer when budgets fall short; finally, there is Europe, which helps plug the gaps by financing public debt, covering part of the agricultural and defense budgets, and which, through its legal framework, upholds the fundamental principles of democracy.
Nevertheless: if we do not take all these other forms of “fires” seriously, if we do not drastically reduce flammable areas, if we do not bring public debt under control, if we do not impose uncompromising secularism as soon as possible, and if we do not see a positive national project emerge, soon it will be cities that are destroyed by the riots of a rebellious youth; the entire country will descend into violence. Repression will take hold. The police will hand over power to the military, not only to manage the fires, but to maintain order. Democracy will be a collateral victim of all these fires.
There is still time. But not for long.
Picture / Maxime Lamy. AFP