Sophie Dutordoir officially takes over the reins of SNBC today (…) Many challenges await the former CEO of Electrabel, not the least of which is the punctuality of trains, all against the backdrop of a three billion dollar savings plan. Sophie Dutordoir will have her work cut out for her.(1)
And yes, the bread is already on the board, ready to be cut. No alternative. And here and there, the reality that we want is ratified so that it can be inscribed as well as possible in people’s minds — most of them already ready. Béatrice Delvaux, the editorialist of the BEL20’s bosses and acquaintances, is full of admiration on this morning of induction: » Dear Sophie Dutordoir, no one envies you this role « (2). The poor girl indeed, she needs the media support in these times of shortage, while we wonder how our dear Sophie will make ends meet… » Please allow us to send you these few words as you take up your duties at the SNCB. A way for us to salute the joyful effervescence that seems to inhabit you since you have been appointed to this role that in fact, in Belgium, nobody envies you. You are the only one who jumped for joy when you learned of this designation that you wished for with all your heart: around you, many people waved their index finger on the temple and said to themselves » But what will she do in this mess? « .
Laughter, bitterness, disgust. And rage.
Certainly, « around her » there is certainly not an unemployed person at the end of the law, a homeless person (in the sense of « homeless », not « without financial difficulties » who for the most part are also homeless… because they own several and frequent the 5 stars) or a housewife deprived of her unemployment supplement, who would be able to get out of the water a little if they had even one month of Sophie’s salary.
She will row, the convict. In 2012, she was already holding several mandates, notably at GDF-Suez and BNP Paribas Fortis. Obviously, it is not in a Board of Directors of the latter two structures that we will lament the situation of unprecedented inequity in this world, where 8 people own more than half the planet and 1% more than the remaining 99%. Some of us are just working! The « 8 » and the « 1% » put their hands to the dough (we are back to bread…), the others had only to work.
But then, laughing daily at their ineptitudes and nonsense, it is possible that the laughter turns yellow, and turns into black anger. And then in rage.
A global network of tax havens
has allowed the wealthiest
to hide some $7.6 trillion.
Oxfam Report 2016
Well, let’s pass over the material impossibility of « all rich », an argument that only works on the belief of all those who are not rich and hope one day to become rich, with the probability, almost zero as in the Lottery, that they will become rich, and let’s get back to Sophie’s misfortunes.
We no longer believe in them, and their call to order, to be firmer, their gesticulations to make people forget that the worm of corruption is in the fruit of the capitalist system, their lies, their non-questioning of the indecent wealth, like this cover of Le Soir with Bill Gates and Bono as multi-billionaire heroes: » Capitalism, a brute that needs instruction » (Le Soir, 23/02/17) — but not the instruction to part with their fortune and share it -, all this spectacle and these bonimensonges, give us nausea.
The misfortunes of Sophie
So poor Sophie finds herself there, alone. » To conquer without danger, one triumphs without glory. The adage is well known, but here, you are doing great: leaving your delicatessen that smelled good Primitivo and vitello tonato (sic), for this crazy company that has had reason if not the skin, patience and especially the reputation of the bosses who succeeded! Especially since you will be donating your CV, your nights, your days and your free time for the « modest » sum of 290,000 euros per year « . The quotation marks won’t do anything: you read it right: « modest », therefore « tiny », « insignificant », « unimportant »… synonyms that say a lot about the level of social justice of the editorialist.
« You will donate (sic) your CV, your nights, your days and your free time for the « modest » sum of 290,000 euros per year »
If Beatrice Delvaux does not have quite the same definition of the gift as we do(3)However, we feel sorry for poor Sophie, who, in addition to this miserable salary, » this locked salary », will » to deal with powerful unions (sic), political parties that consider the railway as their electoral thing, federal and regional authorities without a common vision, a neighbor (Infrabel) with whom two of your predecessors had a falling out « ..
When do we open it? Really(4).
But there is hope at the end: » And yet, Dear Sophie Dutordoir, thousands of pairs of eyes are imploring you, those of the commuters — current commuters but also all those who no longer dare to become commuters (sic) — who hope that a miracle will happen: a train that leaves and arrives on time and journeys that, on a daily basis, cease to be a nightmare « .
Tax evasion costs Belgium — at the very least — 20 billion euros every year
Yes, dear readers, the miracle can come, hope is finally here! Not the hope that the structures that impoverish and enslave will collapse under the weight of our revolt; not that the tax havens that siphon off the wealth produced will be dismantled (5) Not that we arrive at a decent world where our existence is not limited to a « food » job that serves to pay off our debts and buy « cheap » products, technological gadgets manufactured by the slaves of the South; not that daily existence ceases to be a nightmare for the mass who live below the poverty line, the child who every 5 seconds dies, not by accident, but because of the Western plundering and the lifestyle that goes with it.
No ! But » a train that leaves and arrives on time « . (6)
Hallelujah.
Alexandre Penasse
P.S.: we may have to seriously consider the need for a power grab…
- La Première, 07/03/2017
- Voir http://plus.lesoir.be/84802/article/2017–03-07/chere-sophie-dutordoir-pe…
- Logique du don (cf. Marcel Mauss) sur laquelle repose tous rapports humains et ne s’inscrit évidemment pas dans un fictif « service rendu » rétribué environ 25000 euros par mois.
- Notamment lorsque, exaltée par l’après-Charlie et la certitude de travailler tel un soldat à la grande oeuvre journalistique et au travail pour la liberté, Béatrice Delvaux osait, au risque de sa vie, dire « qu’elle allait continuer à l’ouvrir ». Voir http://www.kairospresse.be/article/nous-ne-sommes-pas-tous-charlie#sdfoo…
- Richesse non partagée qui génère l’austérité « nécessaire », et l’obligation pour le peuple de s’endetter par auprès de ceux-là mêmes qui ont volé la richesse commune.voir notamment le dossier du Kairos de février-mars 2017, « Du Nord au Sud: les peuples enchaînés par la dette ».
- Pour le saccage qu’est la privatisation du rail, voir http://www.kairospresse.be/article/le-rail-les-machines-et-la-voie-royale-vers-la-privatisation, mais aussi notre dossier dans le Kairos d’avril-mai 2014: « Les transports publics: investir dans l’infrastructure, ou s’investir dans le bien commun ».