Collapse of the Metro or of Civilisation?

The Caracas Metro is no longer adequate enough as transport for the megalopolis. A range of solutions have been suggested, from the demagogic and irresponsible ideas of [opposition Caracas Mayor Antonio] Ledezma to the cautious solutions of the minister of transport, who recommends not using the Metro. We think the difficulties of the Metro need to be analysed more profoundly.

Capitalist civilisation provides clear examples of unfeasibility: Ecological disorder that affects ecosystems, makes species extinct, and brings nature’s harmony to an end; climate change that melts even the snow of Mount Kilimanjaro; and the reoccurring economic crises, would be a few of those examples.

Here in Venezuela, the difficulties of capitalist civilisation, even though they are less felt thanks to the revolutionary government, they still come out of the structure of our society.

One example is the recent drought that threatened us with a serious electricity crisis, and another is, without doubt, the problems of the Metro, of transport, and also insecurity.

In 1983, the Metro transported 55 million passengers, and almost 500 million in 2009. It’s easy to see that the problem is structural, the capitalist megalopolis is unviable.

The crisis of capitalist civilisation is unavoidable; difficulties will get worse and worse, and there’s no definitive answer within the capitalist system. Within it, you can only apply palliatives – the unavoidable destiny is the collapse of the system.

The solution can only be social. It’s vital to break with the vicious cycle of satisfying needs with measures that deepen the crisis. The construction of another way of life, of perceiving the world, of relations among us and with nature, is urgent.

While society demands crazy amounts of consumerism, there won’t be a solution. While limiting such consumerism means a loss of popular power, while policy is dedicated to the highest bidder, while that is the logic that rules society, there won’t be a future for the country or for humanity.

Only a society capable of deciding its own destiny, liberated from the logic that capital imposes, will be able to survive, to be an example for the rest of humanity. This society is a socialist society and to construct it is our aim.

It’s vital to progress towards socialism; it’s an issue of life or death. Either we do it or we perish and the time of palliatives has already passed.

And to head towards socialism means to take measures that radically change our way of living, even if some people categorise these measures as “craziness”.

We’ll show that we have a government and a society that intends to be different. We’ll be an example to the world. Let’s confront the problems that we face due to the capitalist crisis with audacious measures that get to the heart of the problems. We should explain the extent of the measures to the people, dare to break with schemes and traditions and take the risks of founding a new world. We trust that the people will understand these measures. The discussion of them will educate us in socialism.

Translated by Tamara Pearson for Venezuelanalysis.com.