ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION CANNOT BE ENSURED SOLELY ON THE BASIS OF A FINANCIAL CALCULATION OF COSTS AND BENEFITS. THE ENVIRONMENT IS ONE OF THOSE GOODS THAT MARKET MECHANISMS ARE NOT ABLE TO ADEQUATELY DEFEND OR PROMOTE. ONCE AGAIN, WE MUST AVOID A MAGICAL CONCEPTION OF THE MARKET THAT SUGGESTS THAT PROBLEMS WILL BE SOLVED ON THEIR OWN BY INCREASING THE PROFITS OF COMPANIES OR INDIVIDUALS. ———————————– POLITICS MUST NOT SUBMIT TO THE DIKTATS OR THE PARADIGM OF TECHNOCRACY EFFICIENCY. TODAY, THINKING OF THE COMMON GOOD, WE URGENTLY NEED POLITICS AND THE ECONOMY, IN DIALOGUE, TO PLACE THEMSELVES RESOLUTELY AT THE SERVICE OF LIFE, ESPECIALLY HUMAN LIFE. SAVING BANKS AT ANY COST, BY MAKING THE POPULATION PAY THE PRICE, WITHOUT A FIRM DECISION TO REVIEW AND REFORM THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, REAFFIRMS AN ABSOLUTE FINANCIAL HOLD THAT HAS NO FUTURE AND CAN ONLY GENERATE NEW CRISES AFTER A LONG, COSTLY AND APPARENT RECOVERY. THE FINANCIAL CRISIS OF 2007-2008 WAS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A NEW ECONOMY MORE ATTENTIVE TO ETHICAL PRINCIPLES, AND FOR A NEW REGULATION OF SPECULATIVE FINANCIAL ACTIVITY AND FICTITIOUS WEALTH. BUT THERE HAS BEEN NO REACTION THAT WOULD HAVE LED TO A RETHINKING OF THE OBSOLETE CRITERIA THAT CONTINUE TO GOVERN THE WORLD. ———————————– IN ORDER FOR THERE TO BE AN ECONOMIC FREEDOM THAT EVERYONE CAN EFFECTIVELY ENJOY, IT MAY SOMETIMES BE NECESSARY TO PLACE LIMITS ON THOSE WHO HAVE MORE MEANS AND FINANCIAL POWER. ONLY A DECLARED ECONOMIC FREEDOM, WHILE’REAL’ CONDITIONS PREVENT MUCH CONCRETE ACCESS TO IT AND ACCESS TO WORK DETERIORATES, BECOMES A CONTRADICTORY DISCOURSE THAT DISHONOURS POLITICS. ———————————– IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIVE TRUTHS OR SOLID PRINCIPLES OUTSIDE THE REALISATION OF PERSONAL PROJECTS AND THE SATISFACTION OF IMMEDIATE NEEDS, WHAT LIMITS CAN HUMAN TRAFFICKING, ORGANISED CRIME, DRUG TRAFFICKING, THE TRADE IN BLOODY DIAMONDS AND THE SKINS OF ENDANGERED ANIMALS HAVE? IS IT NOT THE SAME RELATIVISTIC LOGIC THAT JUSTIFIES THE PURCHASE OF ORGANS FROM THE POOR IN ORDER TO SELL THEM OR USE THEM FOR EXPERIMENTATION, OR THE REJECTION OF CHILDREN BECAUSE THEY DO NOT RESPOND TO THEIR PARENTS’ WISHES? IT IS THE SAME LOGIC OF USE AND THROW AWAY”, WHICH GENERATES SO MUCH WASTE, ONLY BECAUSE OF THE DISORDERED DESIRE TO CONSUME MORE THAN IS REALLY NECESSARY. THEREFORE, WE CANNOT THINK THAT POLITICAL PLANS AND THE STRENGTH OF THE LAW WILL BE SUFFICIENT TO AVOID BEHAVIOUR THAT AFFECTS THE ENVIRONMENT, BECAUSE WHEN CULTURE IS CORRUPTED AND NO OBJECTIVE TRUTH OR UNIVERSALLY VALID PRINCIPLES ARE RECOGNIZED, LAWS ARE UNDERSTOOD ONLY AS ARBITRARY TAXES AND AS OBSTACLES TO BE CIRCUMVENTED.