As long as Colombians do not learn from our past, we will not be able to think about building our future
During the last years, the construction of a new economic organization and the application of an innovative development model have been the fundamental pillars in the construction of a new market economy, which was supposed to be modern, efficient, and which told us that the prosperity would be found under the benefits of open competition and the cultural and financial globalization of our society.
However, after ten years of applying the reforms, the results could not have been worse; Colombia is facing the worst social and economic crisis in its history, the quality of life of our population has decreased and violence and social insecurity surround a society that lives between fear, despair and indifference.
We find that this reality is a clear consequence of our actions, and of the lack of coherence between social reality and the policies applied by those who claim to be the great experts in economic management. For this and as a simple theoretical exercise, I will name the seven deadly sins that destroy the Colombian economy.
The wrath:
Our country is without a doubt the most violent nation in the world; the war does not stop and unfortunately we have the habit of solving our problems "fighting" and almost never looking for joint solutions for the common benefit.
In terms of the economy, it could be said that on many occasions protests for their own rights are expressed by obstructing the economic activity of others: road blocks, strikes, interruptions of activities, "turtle operations" and many forms of protest they are applied under the logic of "If I don't get what I want, I won't let others get it." Social protest is a right, but it cannot be synonymous with disorder and anger for those who seek to obtain rights by obstructing the rights of others.
Gluttony:
We "swallow" budgets, financial planning does not exist and the habit of spending now to pay later does not stop.
Colombia is one of the nations that has experienced moments of prosperity "on debit". Today we are paying the consequences of this, since most of the taxes that are collected are used to pay obligations established in the past. It would be valuable to learn from the experience of cities like Bogotá, which after efficient financial administrations show significant levels of investment or savings and can use the money collected for the social development of their community.
The envy:
One of the main errors of our society is to "envy" the developed nations, to apply discourses such as the "class struggle" or "imperialism", to justify the wealth of the "center" countries and the poverty that the countries of the "periphery" live.
It is our own organizational capacity that can get us out of the "hole", not the organization of others.
Lust:
We Colombians allow ourselves to be "seduced" by easy money, we dream of unbuilt fortunes, we mock the authorities for our own benefit, and we often resort to illicit activities to enrich ourselves.
The saddest thing in history is that such actions are justified in poverty, in many cases thieves, drug traffickers or white-collar thieves are more respected than those who work day by day for their families without realizing that legally we can also build prosperity.
Laziness:
The productivity of the Colombian worker is low, there is no qualified labor force and despite multiple efforts to be more efficient, no significant improvements are shown in this field, where it would be appropriate to remember that human capital and knowledge are the fundamental pillars of the "New economy."
"Productivity is not an educational problem exclusively", if we create a work culture and stop looking for excuses for all our mistakes, we will very likely get ahead being more productive and without sacrificing our right to leisure and rest.
Greed:
Being greedy is not denying a handout, it is failing to respond with social obligations to maintain personal gain.
When Colombians smuggle, stop paying taxes, or steal, they are more avaricious than anyone else. The most important solidarity network is woven between the Colombian and his homeland. The best way to be supportive is to respond to our country by complying with the social obligations that our laws ask of us; question that is not so complicated, is it ?.
The arrogance:
Our people "swear and eat snot", that we are the most alive, the most intelligent, the most experienced, the most beautiful and so on. Our pride prevents us from being more realistic and the immense potentialities of our people are lost in the easy rhetoric of populism, image and triviality.
