"Vite di tutti, profitti di pochi": Who is to blame for Genova bridge collapse?

Poster by the Communist Party, Italy on the
Genova disaster: "Immediate Nationalisation".

At least 26 people were killed and 15 badly hurt after a motorway bridge in the northwest Italian city of Genova collapsed on Tuesday afternoon. Dozens of vehicles fell from a 45m height while, according to police sources, there are people who are still missing. 

The tragic incident in Genova seems to be another crime committed in the altar of profitability. In other words, another capitalist crime, in a system which risks the lives of the many for the profits of the few. 

The reaction from the Communist Party, Italy was immediate. In a message to his Twitter account, the Party's General Secretary Marco Rizzo offered his condolences to the families of the victims and wrote (free translation):

"The general causes are due to the privatization processes of the infrastructures. That motorway section is among those with maximum tolls and profitabilty. For whom? For those [businesesmen] which own the highways". 

DISASTRO #GENOVA Prima di tutto le condoglianze per le vittime.Le cause generali sono dovute ai processi di privatizzazione delle infrastrutture.Quel tratto autostradale è tra quelli a massimo pedaggio e massima redditività.Per chi? Per i privati che gestiscono le autostrade. pic.twitter.com/DFgRtUfXCq— Marco Rizzo (@MarcoRizzoPC) 14 August 2018

In another, subsequent tweet, the General Secretary of Partito Comunista wrote:

"It seems that on that bridge, 25 million people where passing each year. It was one of the most expensive routes. How many billions of Euros have been taken by businessmen who doesn't care about security? Nationalization of all major infrastructures. Let's get the stolen back", wrote Marco Rizzo. 

Disastro #Genova. Pare che su quel ponte passassero 25 milioni di utenti all'anno. Era uno dei percorsi più costosi. Quanti miliardi di € si sono intascati i privati infischiandosene della sicurezza? Nazionalizzazione di tutte le grandi infrastrutture. Riprendiamoci il maltolto. pic.twitter.com/2hWSrfgavN

— Marco Rizzo (@MarcoRizzoPC) 14 August 2018

Indeed, as Secretary Rizzo mentioned, the pursuit of profit by the businesses and monopolies which own- or manage- the highways (as well as other kind of infrastructure, including airports, sea ports, etc.) lead to the depreciation of security measures and proper maintenance. After all, the capitalists care only for the profits and as long as maintenance works do not contribute to their profitabity, they aren't part of their investments.

Disasters like the one in Genova- as well as last month's wildfire tragedy in Greece- aren't natural phenomena. They are heinous crimes in which human lives are sacrificed for the profits of a few parasites.

IN DEFENSE OF COMMUNISM ©