The wars we thought were extinct…
In a world where tomorrow seems uncertain, from Palestine to Ukraine or the Congo, from Iran to Thailand, and, sadly, everywhere, the destruction we see humanity inflicting on itself is beyond heartbreaking. If there have never been so many inhabitants in this world, there has also never been such disparity between them! I believe that the destruction caused by wars and aggression often stems from little more than the greed and personal vanity of those who cause them. What does Putin intend with the invasion of Ukraine that he wouldn't achieve with agreements reached honestly and calmly? What would the recent history of the Gaza Strip have been like if Netanyahu hadn't himself been facing justice? I believe there would no longer be hostages held by Hamas, and Hamas itself would probably be much less powerful today than it was on October 7th, and especially today!
Even the attacks on Iran probably wouldn't have happened as they did if Trump hadn't decided there was a danger of a nuclear bomb (this is because neither the Atomic Energy Commission nor the American Secret Service itself predicted any kind of nuclear bomb development by Iran!). Besides the tens of thousands of deaths that must be blamed on the Israeli Army (encouraged by radical Jews who are exempt from taking up arms), Hamas, the United States, Russia, and all the other belligerents in this world, what strikes me most are the thousands of buildings destroyed, cities destroyed, lives shattered, and profound pain caused!
An earthquake is a frightening thing, and its effects are deeply shocking. I worked supporting the reconstruction of the Azores right after the great earthquake of January 1, 1980, and I know what I saw there (and how it still shocks me today)! An earthquake is something we know can happen and is no one's fault; it's an occurrence we're aware of, resulting from the place we choose to live, unlike a war, which arises from someone's decision, and for reasons that are often unclear! Furthermore, unlike an earthquake that lasts (even with aftershocks) a few hours or days, a war suspends all life while it exists—that is, it suspends all relationships for an indefinite period, but always and increasingly painful.
The destruction we see in newspapers and on television is only a fraction of what was destroyed: it's what needs to be removed before we can begin rebuilding! What we don't see, and which will also need to be rebuilt, are the water and sewage systems, the electricity grid, communications, and all the services that make up an urban and human agglomeration. I'm talking about health centers, hospitals, schools, daycare centers, post offices, small businesses, and entertainment venues. We must also remember things we don't even remember but which are sorely missed, such as fire stations, law enforcement agencies, community support services, etc., etc., etc.! I'm not even mentioning the psychological trauma of the population that manages to survive, nor the physical trauma that many will carry with them until the end of their days, nor the climate of suspicion, fear, and distrust that has since established itself among the warring peoples who previously maintained, however tenuous, relations with each other!
In short, in every war, there will always be a vast portion of the population that will never emerge unscathed or even able to resume their lives, as if nothing or little had happened. We Portuguese, who waged an unjust and fratricidal war, not in our own country, but in three countries now happily independent, 50 years later still struggle with these traumas, misunderstandings, misunderstandings, and often situations poorly or never resolved. A war is this endless procession of negative factors that never ends. Therefore, at the end of a war, it is not about rebuilding everything (and it is always a lot!) that was destroyed. It is, in fact, about rebuilding an entire traumatized and weakened society. And this occurs on both sides of the conflict because, even if there is a victor, even that victor will have many losers, even if partial, many losers, even if victorious. It is a common and dramatically true saying that “In a war, you always know when and how it starts, but you never know how or when it ends!”
What we always know, and for sure, is that it will never end well!
Jornal do Algarve
