The invasions

When we talk about invasions, most of us think of those carried out throughout history by barbarian Nordic peoples in search of better lands and warmer climates to the south, the famous Greek, Phoenician or Roman invasions with the idea of occupying all known territory, near and not so near to their original borders, those carried out by the Muslim peoples in their attempts to expand into North Africa, the many empires in Europe and Asia which, in their eagerness to expand and annex so-called colonies, have come to dominate the world, such as the Spanish empire itself and, somewhat more recently, the exploits of Napoleon and the two great world wars.

But, well into the 21st century, many unwary people thought that this term, idea and strategy were left to history and the memory of times that would never happen again.

The desire for annexationism as such, with the physical occupation of land where one could put down roots, establish oneself, sow and build a political, religious or cultural ideology and procreate new generations, at least in what we know as the Western world, was a long time ago. Globalisation, new technologies and rapid intercommunication between territories and people made it unfeasible to think that the peoples around us, for various reasons or needs, would be forced to resort to or suffer any kind of bloody or bloodless invasion. 

In view of current events, this thinking is clearly erroneous and gives us the option of stopping for a moment and starting to think. We are mute and almost undaunted witnesses to a bloody and merciless invasion by a Goliath, albeit a little diminished and lacking in strength, over an ever-growing David, who in exchange for crumbs, pats on the back, confusing promises and some motley weaponry has become the de facto 'saviour' of the West against a mad Russia in the hands of a madman, apparently quite ill with other greater evils, who intends to bid farewell to this earthly world in grand style, evoking the glories and dominions of a Great Russia, which will never be Great Russia again.

We see that if invasions, in their day, changed the geopolitical world and the confines of the territories or domains of states and moved the balance of the scales or the yoke from one side to the other depending on the successes and achievements obtained, today, the current invasion of Ukraine - for many of little or no relevance and even distant - has become an earthquake for the economy and relations of all kinds at the global level, having had a direct impact on the fulcrum or fulcrum on which much of the economic and energy balance and satisfaction rested, and even being one of the major granaries for feeding the surrounding countries and even those of the so-called Third World, which are reeling from losing their sphere of comfort and for the others, one of the major flows on which the meagre and deficient food and subsistence of their large and impoverished population was sustained.

The initial consequences of this seemingly unimportant invasion are growing both initially and in the medium and long term. Apart from the millions of refugees that this, like all armed conflicts, brings about, the world's economies, which are only just emerging from a major economic, health and political and social identity crisis, have been dealt a blow like that sometimes definitive punch that a boxer receives when he is almost knocked out and staggering in the ring, which sends him face first to the canvas, from where he will take a long time to get up or will need the help of others to do so. 

We see then that an invasion, however regional and focused, in today's times, depending on the actors involved, can have major global implications and that the consequences of all kinds to come out of it will usually be very hard and costly; and even, for some of those directly involved, the scars left behind may take many years to heal.  

But, at this very moment and since a few years ago, the civilised, prosperous and therefore well-off world is undergoing another type of invasion, which we could describe as slow, progressive, bloodless and silent. I am referring, of course, to the incorporation into our society of immigrants coming from all latitudes - apart from the aforementioned refugees caused by wars and persecutions in all continents - influenced by diverse and multiple circumstances, different kinds of call effects and many types of need.

For decades we have seen how cities in Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and a few other countries are becoming much more multicultural. It is increasingly common to see people of different races, cultures and social backgrounds filling the majority of public-facing and public-contact jobs.

The lack of aboriginal personnel and an exorbitant and imprudent cultural change is leading our society to reject jobs, hitherto considered normal for us, to aspire to others with higher qualifications and to prefer to remain unemployed or emigrate, in turn, to nearby or not so nearby countries in search of jobs, apparently or really better paid, and we do not think of returning to our country of origin in a reasonable time.

Most of the public care, health and care of our elderly and children is in a high percentage in the hands of these people who emigrate from their countries in search of prosperity. We see that many of those who arrive are forced to give up their university education or professional dedication for another type of work or profession as this is the only thing that is initially offered to them, if they want to work at all.  

The transfer of people from one country to another is no longer relegated to the inhabitants of distant countries, where their culture, overpopulation, famine or social problems force them to emigrate; no, now and increasingly, there is a transfer of people, brains and real professionals who, little by little, are leaving their countries of origin to settle in others, with the result that the social, racial, cultural, political, religious and social mix in the receiving countries is becoming greater.

Today, no one is surprised to see big executives, governments, mayors of large cities, governors and politicians of a different race or culture to the national one. Moreover, due to the growing and dangerous trend of declining birth rates and the aforementioned increase in emigration, there will soon come a day when the non-aboriginals - more inclined to procreation - will far outnumber the population of long tradition and national origin.

Because of the above, I strongly believe that today's governments must take more seriously their policies to prevent the mass emigration of locals, which will prevent the ever-increasing influx of immigrants to territories where, being empty of labour, it is easier for them to find a starting job and a seat at the fire, around which they can reunite those relatives they left behind, from where they jumped into the adventure.

I don't know if the consequences of these silent invasions will be good, better or worse than what could be expected if we continue with our way of life and tradition, but what is clear is that migratory movements are no longer of a temporary nature as in the past. They are definitive, they are made forever and the presence of so many strangers to the place will change the forms, customs and norms of life of the nation and, for this reason, it can even be said that many countries are suffering a real silent invasion and do not realise that this is increasing every day, it is enough to use public transport and realise this reality.