I WILL begin with a quick clarification regarding the title ‘The arc of chaos’, which is in effect a paraphrase of the well-known phrase ‘the arc of time’ meaning that time moves in only one direction: forwards. In the same sense, chaos too has only one direction, and only one destination: more chaos.
I believe, therefore that if a leadership fails to keep a hold on a situation in due time, and relies on the logic of ‘there’s always tomorrow’ or even worse, allows time to slip away with a carefree ‘we’ll take things as they come’, it will come dangerously close to the fringes of chaos, with a real possibility of reaching a point of no return. Chaos breeds chaos.
Leadership means timely and correct decisions. Anything else is nonsense.
Currently (or rather, for quite some time now) the whole of Europe has been suffering from a lack of real leadership. And when there is no leadership the reins are seized – in the past by the military – and now by the markets.
The entire leadership of Europe, and in particular the leaders of the larger member states, together with the leadership of Greece, either failed to diagnose the magnitude of the problem or trembled at the idea of its magnitude. And so they just allowed time to slip away while they waited for a miracle – which of course never came.
The problem (seen from their point of view) lay in the immense profits of a handful of people, the inability of the states to control this tiny minority which, like a fairy tale ogre, drank the city’s entire water supply dry; an inability, in effect, to ensure a fair distribution of the national wealth, and a total inability to control either the black economy or the false economy; and, an inability of the rule of law to intervene wisely when the markets were being plundered.
The truth is that we have reached a point where all fall silent at the mention of the word ‘market’. That is the thing about markets: if you allow them to grow dangerously out of control, they will eat you alive! Now that we have reached this state of affairs as a result of the failure of the economies, the citizens (the Peoples) are losing their faith in alliances, they are losing their faith in solidarity, and they are losing faith in the European edifice. In the end they are choosing to entrench themselves, they fear contact with the Others, and are deciding that the best thing would be for ‘everyone to stay in their own countries’. Nothing could be more dangerous than this.
Unfortunately, the collapse of economies is accompanied by a loss of faith in certain universal values. And this might turn out to be the worst development of all. As the economy goes down, it takes our humanity down with it. It is not only the European Union which will fail, but with it the will and belief that all together we can do better, will also fail. The Northerners accuse the south (that is to say, us) of taking away their livelihood and we accuse the north of bleeding the poorer states dry. Under these conditions, how is it possible for the vision for a truly better Europe ever to be reborn? A Europe more united and more based on equality of peoples and nations? In America for example, the states feel they are losing their autonomy, but at the same time they are ceding powers to Washington. And Washington is transferring funds from Manhattan to Mississippi! I am no longer optimistic. Europe has wasted too much time, and through the European Union, it has also missed its goal. Whatever happens from now on will be interpreted as imposition. And imposition, particularly in this unbelievably negative climate, leads to conflict. And conflict will bring us closer to chaos.
Occasionally, a new and true state of affairs is born out of conflict. But for this to happen, the forces which stand for this new light must be in a position to spread the word to the people of Europe. I am afraid that the progressive forces of this continent which believe in a new and better world, have not yet found a way to communicate substantively and profoundly with the citizens of Europe.
Takis Hadjigeorgiou is a member of the European Parliament and vice-president of the Confederal Group of the European United Left – Nordic Green Left (GUE/NGL)
