Well, actually, Von der Leyen announced 800 billion euros. But what can I say? With such a level of zeros, it almost doesn't matter. We are in an era in which people talk about billions of euros as if they were talking about pesetas back then. It seems like money is given away, you know.
There is an old saying that goes like this: "If you want peace, prepare for war." The thing is that, in our particular case, we are already at war. Ukraine is, but it is as if we Europeans were already at war. Bombs are not falling on us (yet), but if we cross a line that the Russians consider Russia and we consider Ukraine, all hell will break loose. Because then they will say that we are no longer defending, but invading.
I think that this war is of interest only to the rulers. Well, as in most wars. The thing is that before, people did not have social networks. But I want to believe that, if things get complicated, Russians and Europeans, I am referring to ordinary people, will say: "Listen, go shoot, we want to live in peace and continue having children, and working in this global world that, as they assured us, no longer has borders."
That would be historic. I remember a film where two countries, instead of shooting each other, decide who is the winner with a game of chess. The idea would be that, not even that, that we would all say: "No, we are not interested, we are not going." But it will not be possible because if you say that in Russia, they will kill you. And if the Russians go to the front, then we will all have to go to confront them.
So, okay, we are going to spend a trillion euros on weapons, satellites, bombs, planes, military, nuclear warheads, drones and whatever else is needed. But don't tell us that this debt doesn't count. You won't count it to impose fines on member states, European leaders, but I assure you that we will have to pay it back. And that it will be passed on to our children. And that the interest on this debt is detrimental to social spending. That is, health and education, equality, development. Everything that wars destroy.
Money creation is not free. And the uncontrolled creation of money is the beginning of the end of all empires. So I don't know if what we are in is the beginning of the end.
This is said by a confirmed optimist. The days have been grey lately. Water was needed, but so much rain makes us sad.
