I ended last week’s article titled “Racism is nothing but self-deception” with these words:
The difference isn’t in the blood, but in the goodness of the heart.
It’s absurd to categorize people based on factors like their country, faith, or language. In my opinion, there are two types of people: good people and bad people. Of course, we can’t say that everyone is 100% good or 100% bad. But those whose goodness prevails, those who know the bad yet insist on the good, are good people. No matter where you go in the world, no matter what race you encounter, there are good people and bad people. Those who exaggerate the people of their own country or race are deceiving themselves and those around them.
My close circle and I strive to fulfill the requirements of good humanity. What we do at TİDER is a striking example of this. We’ve accomplished great things at TİDER so far, and we will continue to do so. My next article will be about TİDER.
Long live good and productive people!
Just as I was writing this article about TİDER, the devastating fire in Greece struck. Unfortunately, the uncontrollable blaze has claimed the lives of 88 people so far. I offer my condolences to the entire Greek people. I also offer my condolences to the families of those who have passed away.
Reading the comments and some comments on social media about this fire disaster made me decide to write this article. I couldn’t remain indifferent. As much as we encourage good and beautiful things through TİDER, Good4Trust, and other channels, and strive to uplift people, the current environment and system are scooping up the progress we’ve made with a needle.
A man-made disaster, at least as dangerous as the fire itself.
The comments made by some Greeks and Turks following this incident clearly demonstrate how far the situation has fallen and how far humanity has sunk.
I leave those who disregard humanity on social media and say things like, “It’s good, they deserve it,” to God. You can find some comments on this at the following link: http://www.mynet.com/haber/guncel/yunanistan-daki-yangin-felaketi-icin-kan-donduran-yorumlar-sosyal-medya-ayaga-kalkti-4290340-1 (Foreign readers, it’s better not to understand what they’re saying. These people don’t represent us, you should know that. A significant majority of us Turks have conscience and compassion.)
Of course, there’s another side to this situation. I learned from my Greek Cypriot friends that they receive military training believing that “the best Turk is a dead Turk.” So, unfortunately, I can say that both sides have an inhumane, fanatical, and bigoted mentality. Let me give another example from the Greek side: Amvrosios, Bishop of Kalavryta in the Peloponnese Peninsula, said that the fire that killed dozens of people in Greece started because Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is an atheist. The bishop’s statement, “Atheist Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras is incurring God’s wrath,” was met with outrage in Greece. Sharing his views on his personal blog, Amvrosios said, “SYRIZA’s atheists are the cause of the general disaster. Their atheism is incurring God’s wrath.”
I have a few words to say to Amvrosios: As a cleric working in the 21st century, do you hear what he’s saying? Normally, all religions are built on the same foundation: the practice of being a good person. What you’re saying is incompatible with humanity. On the contrary, clergy should be welcoming and comforting. In a place of so much suffering, what you’re saying is shameful in every sense.
The cause is most likely arson.
Furthermore, as the bishop said, this incident is not God’s wrath. Putting these fabrications aside and approaching the situation scientifically, I can’t call the fire a natural disaster. There’s no evidence that it was caused by lightning or any other natural cause. In my opinion, this fire was very likely caused by arson. Whenever I’ve been to Greece before, my Greek friends and those I’ve talked to there have unanimously told me that fires break out every summer and that these are caused by people looking to profit in the region. Greek Deputy Minister of Public Security and Civil Defense Nikos Toskas, as if confirming this, said regarding the fire disaster in his country, “According to the investigations conducted by the investigative units, there are serious findings pointing to arson and criminal offenses.” Furthermore, according to the news I’ve read, it appears that the fire didn’t start in a single place, but from 6-7 different locations. This strengthens the possibility of arson. If they have satellite imagery, they could reveal arson. Natural conditions fueled the fire.
Of course, extreme heat and wind can also fuel such a fire in a forested area. Fire Department Chief Sotiris Terzoudis noted that winds were blowing at 100-120 km/h when the fires broke out, saying, “All of our air response teams participated in firefighting operations, but the time between the start and end of the fire was only 1.5 hours.”
The brutal capitalist system behind arson
So why are forests being set on fire? Have you thought about this in detail? We have witnessed massive forest fires numerous times, not only in Greece but also in Türkiye. The reason for this is profiteering. They burn forests in valuable areas to make way for construction that cannot be built in forested areas. This way, they can obtain construction permits and licenses in areas that have lost their forest status.
When this mob, led by ambitious, mafia-like businesspeople focused on constant profit, is joined by municipalities profiting from the fees they are owed, and even individuals who profit personally from these deals (sometimes, unfortunately, public officials are included), it becomes inevitable that forests will be burned to ashes.
How can we reverse this?
First and foremost, there are urgent tasks. We must ensure that arsonists, especially in our own countries, and all over the world, receive very harsh penalties. The sanctions should be equivalent to murder. Indeed, dozens of people lost their lives in this latest incident. And you will have to impose real punishment, not just for show. If the arson was committed for profiteering, you will punish whoever is behind this conspiracy. I advise those who request and issue building permits in that area to be careful in the future. Also, after the forest fire, you must reforest that area as soon as possible.
In the long term, the current system of brutal capitalism, built on the plundering of our nature, shaped over billions of years, and which encourages constant consumption, must change. A world where the population is constantly growing and natural resources, especially water, are rapidly depleting is unsustainable. We are rapidly making our lives uninhabitable. To reverse this, we must evolve to a system where, unlike current practices, those who protect nature are rewarded and those who harm it are punished. Otherwise, future generations will have no world to live in. I’d like to share the Eco Currency concept below to give you an idea of how the system can be transformed.
I’ll be writing a post about Eco Currency later. I’ll also be sharing an article in September about Good4Trust, which supports initiatives that respect nature and human rights. In my next post, I’ll share some good news about TİDER, our initiative for a more livable world.
Stay well…
Note: The ‘Eco Currency’ video I shared above has nothing to do with the recently released cryptocurrency called ‘Eco.’ The ‘Eco Currency’ I shared is a conceptual study. This study, conducted eight years ago, explains very simply how the system should be shaped.
Note 2: About two weeks after I wrote this article, a serious forest fire broke out in Çanakkale. Here’s the related news: http://www.hurriyet.com.tr/gundem/canakkalede-orman-yangini-40927496
So, as I mentioned in the article, the same ‘culture of plunder’ unfortunately exists on both sides of the Aegean. Concerned people on both sides of the aisle have a lot to do to end this problem.
Tag: ecology
