Roberto Palomo-Silva
The latin historian Quintus Cursius Rufus recounts the story of Alexander’s siege of Tyre (Historiarum Aleandri Magni Libri Qui Supersunt, L. IV) that comes on his intent to visit and present his prayers and respect to Hercules, at the city known during the period as Tyru Neptunum. The trebuchet was the war instrument used to overtake the walled city and conquer the fierce resistance. To some Alexander is the first “globalizer” and Hellenism that came after his death and moreover, his must important heritage is not the building of a vast Empire but the expansion of a culture that blended and created a new and genuinely Weltanschauung that expanded and safeguarded at the same time vast knowledge and influence trough the mediterranean basin, Asia and of course, the Middle East, as we called them today. Ancient Greek in all its forms, was the lingua franca and as well the language of choice to erudites and philosophers before the absolute empowerment of Latin as the dominant language. Greek is not only the language of the philosophers and early Alexandrian theologians, it is also the language of the New Testament and of course, of the Septuagint. The use of the “trebuchet” served as a powerful mean of conquest. Walled cities were almost impenetrable, immense suffering accompany those everlasting sieges with all the tremendous consequences coming from this enormous mobilizations of means of war and human beings upon which undescredible suffering was inflected on both sides. The use of “instruments of war” and its creation and manufacturing continues throughout human history and the current significance and capacity to generate pain and death, remains rampant and widely extended. There is a science and an engineering backing the production and expansion of the “instruments of war”. But the sophistication of this means has expanded in such a way that in the current state of affairs, the “instruments of war” are not only built, made creations, there are even some unseen and abstract forms that can defeat a walled city and overcome its defences. The Greeks succumbed and fall to this new “instruments of war”, they fought a war against an invisible trebuchet, namely the abstract numbers and new paradigms established by the economy of debt. Loan to grow and loan to be doomed. Poor administration and insatiable corruption. Iresponsable politicians and unscrupulous bankers. Cheap lending and the conundrum of taking loans to be paid with blood. The diabolical circle of the economy of debt.
The “walled cities” were built, kept and designed under the spirit of the sphere, Sloterdyk described with immense detail in and excellent plus delicate language, how this phenomenon originated and what the sense of “being walled means”. There nowadays invisible walls and even more “walled regions” exist all over the world, the walls fight against globalization in a certain way, self-defense or self-preservation or identity protection and even cultural safeguarding and not to forget, languages, dying languages, these invisible walls carry the heavy burden of solitude, there is an invisible road that leads to all the places and loci where this struggle is taking place. That is a why we must see the road that goes from Greece to Guatemala, my country of birth. The economy of debt that has installed the mighty grasp on Greece, presents itself on the form of pure power, not to say that it is an entirely foreign event, by no means, past greek leaders, both businessmen and politicians, brought upon themselves and the people of Greece, this pain and aggravation. While following the debate and the multiple intents to explain why and how, this happened, one element is notoriously absent, namely who are the ones that must be held responsable for all this madness. The blaming games is confusing and pointing fingers serves only to worsen relationship amongst Europeans. This is not only a greek invention but a two folded creation within the European Union, germans, french and others, even outside the European Continent, the United States is involved as well, Greeks politicians took the loans and spend it irresponsibly, built a false sense of welfare and betrayed the nation and the greek people. Inside Greece this is an open debate. Outside Greece we all read and see the language of power: “you must pay what you ow” the international architecture of treaties and agreements, is deeply grounded on the full respect and compliance with treaties and agreements”, here lays the limit of the economical and financial debate, the legal debate takes over the scenario.
In Guatemala a colossal struggle is taking place, unraveling a corrupt and putrefract system. A dying one going trough the well-known seven stages of decomposition. And for similar reasons. The economy of debt has finally stablished in a country that ten years ago, barely had any foreign debt. In the past five years or so, it has escalated enormously and for the worst reasons. Debt is beginning to rule a country that for decades has not been able to deal with issues of inequality and injustice. A two world country, where both coexist deeply embedded and webbed within each other. The people of Guatemala and many of the independent leaders, from academia, social sectors, even some politicians fighting to dignify and recover the lost prestige that politics currently enjoyed in the country, are altogether looking to stop the other ones, the so-called “same and old politicians” that viewed and used power and politics as a means to profit and access rapid wealth. Manipulation of law and an absurd reality of “money presence” on a country described as “medium income” while in reality is a confusing blend of extreme wealth with extreme poverty and misery. Guatemala has been a walled country since it’s founding and creation. As such preserved itself from the economy of debt, when it faced isolation while going trough what has been named, “the internal armed conflict”, or some simply call it “civil war”, the leaders of the country got together and redefined the whole system. The Peace Agreements were to shape a new society and new rules to move away from a past of violence and corruption. Slowly the old foes and demons crawled back and recover the lost power and thus bringing “the old ways” with them and the country began to sunk into darkness and chaos. But the people stood up this time. The walled country is fighting once again for justice and self-preservation against the predatory forces of the economy of debt. In Guatemala because the macro-economical indicators have shown a continuum of stability, lending was easy. And so the decline began and very rapidly. Far apart both countries are showing signs of the same sickness, that in the past has infected other countries in both regions and everywhere else. Prometheus has visited the House of Xibalba.
Although a deal has been reached to address the current greek situation it simply doesn’t seem to be enough. The coldness of the figures and facts asks for the hated reality of Greece’s inability to pay back its debt under the present state of affairs. Cannot grow enough to fulfil its obligation, can barely service its debt and the future looks gloomy and dark. Prometheus remains enchained. As for my beloved country of birth, Guatemala, the path not to walk trough is before the eyes, crystal clear, refuse the walk the economy of debt, wall yourself from corruption and decay and build a bright new way for the younger generations of Guatemalans, that deserve much more than we have experienced. Sent the demons back into Xibalba.
Both countries should recur to Alexander’s trebuchet to fight the economy of debt and the invisibility of the aggressors, the demonic internal ones and the devilish foreign ones. Oppose the lenders and stop the lending. Restore dignity and pride to old countries that emerged and come from old cultures grounded on strong values.
rpalomosilva 