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Francisco J. Pérez-Latre, School of Communication, University of Navarra, Spain.

The power of the powerless

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 09:55:55 +0000 Published in Newspaper (Gipuzkoa)

The last few months have "witnessed" several "revolutions", almost always peaceful. Each event is different, but there are points of contact. Faced with "crises" and a lack of moral resources, unrest is spreading and citizens are looking for solutions. The "power of the powerless", of the "rebels" and the discontented, "armed" by social means, is growing.

Transformative events have been taking place: the "color revolutions" in Ukraine and Georgia and "cedar revolutions" in Lebanon; the 2008 financial crisis and the Strauss-Kahn case (the president of the largest global regulator of Economics); the citizen protests in Iceland against bankers in the face of the country's bankruptcy; the emergence and development of the "tea parties"; the "jasmine revolution" in Tunisia and that of place Tahrir in Egypt, in what is called the "Arab Spring", accompanied by "movements" throughout North Africa and the Middle East, from Libya to Bahrain, via Yemen and Syria; the mass mobilizations organized from Facebook against the FARC in Colombia in 2008; the meeting of more than 1.5 million young people from all over the world to listen to Benedict XVI in Madrid; the riots this summer in London and other English cities where groups of young people with "Blackberrys" put Scotland Yard in check for hours; or the demonstrations and encampments from the place del Sol to Wall Street and the "globalization" of the movement of the "indignados" in the demonstrations of October 15.

These are heterogeneous movements, combining diverse events with the prominence of Facebook, Twitter, smartphones, blogs and other forms of Digital Communication. Thanks to Digital Communication, the point of gravity shifts from the authorities to the streets. These citizen "revolutions" are, in general terms, good news for civil society because they speak of communities that are looking for answers and want to get out of the "collective siesta", the "mental snooze". In fact, these "crises" can serve to correct the excesses of the past, at a time that calls for austerity, work and savings. But going to the heart of the matter, citizens detect that if politics is not based on justice, it will be less and less relevant every day.

In any case, protesting is not enough. It is necessary to propose solutions, to improve personally, to work more, and to stop blaming "the system", defending privileges and acquired rights. We must move from "emotions" to reforms. The market and politics need an ethical reason. Self-regulation is not enough. For there to be true justice, solidarity must be added. And solidarity means first and foremost that everyone feels responsible for everyone else. That is why it cannot be delegated to the State alone.

Talent and "human capital" are not lacking, but sacrifices will have to be made. Neither politicians nor the market alone will get us out of this situation. The time has come for commitment, honesty and responsibility. Justice and truth must once again be at the center of the conversation. As Benedict XVI reminds us, the crisis is, above all, an ethical crisis. Without values, neither Economics nor politics can function.