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A country burning down

The fires are back. Climate change seems very real in Portugal. For those thinking we had time to recover from the Pedrogao disaster and take time to (yet again) plan, the 30 degrees temperatures allowing people to enjoy beach summer days in October mean the fires are also aligned with August. Or shall we say worse. Yesterday was registered as the worse day of the year for fires, and the number of casualties piled up again. It used to be that we got upset when 1-2 people were caught in the fires every year. Now we are just wishing it is not as bad as 62. In 24 hours alone we have surpassed 35 and numbers are still work on progress. People got trapped in beaches and even petrol stations (of all places). People want to avoid the roads, afraid they become another number in another yet to be named road of death. 
There was public consternation after Pedrogao. But the PM found its way out with a sort of game that was only too expected from someone who was 2nd most voted but still went for a power grab. Licking its wounds, the country chose to wait for the famous expert report. It came out on the 12th, and as no one took responsibility until that came out (or after for that matter), more no blame statements came out. The pile up of commentary by politicians seems to be taken out of a management course on what not to say. 'We can't rely on the firemen, people need to help themselves' was a soft starter that preceded the PM saying there are no magical solutions and this was to happen again. I guess that was before he knew there were not 4 but 35 dead after all. And followed by a Minister saying the only point of quitting would be she could take the holiday she could not take in the summer because of Pedrogao. Lack of ownership, lack of shame, lack of common sense one would say. 
No wonder we have made no progress in the last 2 months. No blame means no same and that has been the modus operandi in the political scene for longer than this mandate alone. Years of getting away with it immune because the political class if above all. Not even when the case against the former party leader Socrates (and friend or ally of those in power today) gives people a sense that maybe, just maybe, they will one day be made responsible for their actions. 
It is no wonder we made no progress in the last 3 years and have only made long term financial sustainability worse. Who cares, they will not be there to take the blame or leave the consequences, and will have made enough money to not have to rely on public (failing) retirement plans. The budget announced this week - shiny for 2018, not so shiny thereafter, is but a reflex of the short sighted and opportunistic view to governing. No blame, no shame.

May consternation give rise to public uproar. May someone have shame, and take some blame. May we say 'WE' let our country burn. We did. Nit them. Maybe then, just maybe, we will have a chance to improve ourselves. 
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C/N/N said…
Sadly, politicians are notoriously fickle when it comes to accountability, and the "system" allows it. What about all the departments who receive (some) funding / have budgets but don't deliver?
17 October, 2017 13:44
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