Slash and Burn

The policy of ‘developing’ Amazonia… Tell the poor multitudes to go in the jungle with machete and matches and the land if theirs. Progress arrives, farming arrives, poverty ends… Amazonia ends, the ‘new’ land is poor, poverty remains, go deeper to slash and burn again.

North America is different, of course. No barbarism here. My neighbourhood is changing rapidly – used to be sleepy, almost ‘dead’ street lined up with second-hand stores selling nothing really. Today it is already trendy area, full of the new kind of never lasting watering places, which are neither restaurants, nor bars. Whatever old buildings remain are small and obviously have to go. The Olympic village practically gave green light to the last assault – just tore down the old small industrial buildings, whatever else is an ‘eye sore’. Erect condominiums and sell, sell, sell.  But… not everybody wants to move and give you the land of plenty. Even City Hall kind of resists – this is largely technical, depending on architectural plans and zoning. As for the locals: there are a lot of small businesses, which with communal support just don’t want to disappear.

Slash and burn then… Two massive fires destroyed large part of the perhaps the best land. The fires started practically at the same time of night and both times – during holidays. One month between the fires. Firefighters worked for hours - the result is just heaps of rubbish. Investigations concluded both fires accidental.  

Accidental? Don’t think so and not only because of the similarity. For a long time I suspected that the property owners want to ‘develop’, only can’t get permission. Now they can… True, the area was shabby – banks left from two buildings a decade ago; and not new business ever settled in one of them. Various small restaurants, coffee shops, groceries rented the other space: not big renters. It was not pretty, but it was at least ‘local’.

The sign ‘for sale’ appeared as soon as the firefighters extinguished the last flame. Amazingly, security guard was installed. Less amazingly, one of the property owners revealed the plan for ‘rebuilding’ in a week: yes, a condominium, with the lowest two floors – business space. Already kind of rented: no, not the old coffee shops, but the vulgar chains. Mass markets full of mass plastic. That’s the future and forget the past. Progress arrived – by slash and burn. The miracle of fire… clears the space; ends debates; provides building permissions. And it is cheap. Slash and burn… and bring the inhuman future quick.

                                                         V. V.