Either they change, or we’ll change them

With what moral authority can they now accuse Gaddafi and other “dictators” when only a few days ago they were offering them the shelter of their tax havens, selling them tons of weapons, accepting their kickbacks and even granting their children doctoral degrees and other academic distinctions?

Let’s take note and with much embarrassment warn them that they must rapidly learn the lesson, taking specific measures quickly and publicly, or they will soon feel the rejection of their citizens. Just as the current uprisings have uncovered so many absurdities and contradictions, let’s prompt changes in those who continue to cling to the market, money as the supreme value, the whims of those who control finances, the military, energy and the media, and the huge corporations –such as Exxon Mobile- which announced $32,000 in profits for 2010 while raising oil prices to asphyxiate consumers, with serious collateral effects such as a simultaneous rise in food prices.

Let’s immediately demand a reinforcement of the United Nations, an economy based on local sustainable development, “relocalization” of production... in summary, what makes good sense.

Change is urgent. And changes certainly won’t be made by those who trust that citizens will continue to be distracted and complacent without proposing any solutions.

Let’s cease to be obsessed with inflexible election campaigns, accompanied by intolerable maneuvers, promises and deceit, and let’s clearly proclaim that if there’s no transparency and no real change, we will rise up like the citizens of Egypt and Tunisia have done... because we are outraged that only the assets of those who have been “overthrown” are frozen… while everything else remains the same: relentless hounding by the markets (what happened to social aid programs?), rising oil prices (what about climate change?), the underground economy, evasion of civic responsibilities (how many Spaniards have, as do the “tyrants”, deposits in tax havens?)

Once again: either they change, or we’ll change them.