We would like to take advantage of a summer post to take a break and neither talk about the comedy of public debts in Europe nor the near bankruptcy of the United States, nor the endless war in Libya, nor the horrific massacres in Syria, nor the merciless famine in Somalia, in Ethiopia and elsewhere, nor the radioactive leaks still very disturbing in the Fukushima power plant. Nor so many other misfortunes which are, today, the everyday life of billions of human beings.
From all this, it is in fact impossible to escape. Wherever we may be, in the French countryside or on the other side of the world, we cannot fail to see that history does not take a vacation. The executioners do not go on paid leave; there is no 35-hour working week for torturers, children are starving in the month of August, loans must be repaid in both summer and winter, tragedy has neither respect for Ramadan nor Yom Kippur nor Christmas, nor any Chinese and Indian feast. History moves forward at its own pace. And it requires us to be watchful.
And while many of us in France, this country blessed by the Gods, will succeed in crossing the month of August as compassionate spectators of the misfortunes of others, without really being affected deep within ourselves, in our professional and private life, everyone, even among those who believe they have the best protection, must more than ever, ask himself what he must do to survive, he and his family, from the consequences, which are announced at the horizon of the country, of all these crises at work. And also to make the most of the tremendous potentialities of a future, besides full of promises.
Being watchful against danger without falling into catastrophism; getting trained constantly, being prepared to seize opportunities, to change jobs; checking insurances we have; managing our assets, however modest it may be in order to anticipate the risk of collapse of stock markets, government bonds and life insurance plans attached to them; not forgetting to take into account the threats in the longer term, of a return of inflation.
And also to get ready for the choices to be made for the country next May. For that purpose, from now on, to require from women and men politicians, presidential candidates or for the general election that will follow, to announce their bid, during their “summer school” in late August, on the main issues they will have to address, if their camp prevails: employment, competitiveness, public debt, defence, education, environment, health, pensions, and many others.
This month of August will be welcome to get ready for the task ahead.