Home - SR Editions - Socialist Resistance No.48

Capitalism fouls up…

Greece aflame

Giorgos Galanis

The fires during the summer months were the biggest and most devastating in the modern history of Greece. They left behind more than 2 billion square metres of burned land, more than 100 totally destroyed villages and the loss of more than 60 human lives.

While everyone agrees on the size of the destruction, no one seems to be taking the responsibility. So who is to blame?

Climate change was the main factor both in starting the fires and making them so catastrophic. The capitalist mode of production and the drive for economic growth do not have any respect for nature. Unfortunately it was nature’s turn to ‘’revolt’’. This does not mean that the forests started burning themselves, but because of the dryness of the land, it is much easier for forests to catch fire and harder to put out the blazes.

The government had put the issue of privatising a big part of the public forests at the top of its agenda. It was also trying to change the 24th article of the Greek constitution that protects the forests from private use. This gave one more reason for people to start fires. This is why there seem to be more fire starters than ever – fire starters that neo-liberalism recruited!

To make matters worse the state apparatus found itself unable to react and prevent the disaster. Being a loyal neo-liberal servant, the government has continuously reduced public expenditure and destroying the country’s infrastructure. They have ruined the forestry fire services and the fire brigade, by cutting the money devoted to forest protection. It is now one fifth of the amount that was decided by the bipartisan commission of 1993. There are 4000 unfilled firefighter vacancies. Not enough money was spent on the upkeep of the fire stations.