by Olga Kuznetsova
[REGNUM] Many of us literally grew up on stories that were actively generated by the generous land in the famous Hollywood Hills. And Hollywood has literally become a household name.
This was an informal name for both areas and a way of thinking, and it was used to characterize a person or a creative product. This word was used to denote a diagnosis, a sentence, and an unattainable peak.
And now this place, as if performing its swan song, plays a leading role in all social networks, millions of videos and thousands of newspaper headlines.
Forensic scientists and pathologists sometimes engage in purely professional conversations, arguing about which death is the most painful, and burning alive often occupies a leading position in the “ratings” of most specialists.
This time there is no reason to disagree with them: Hollywood is indeed burning, twisting and writhing in unimaginable convulsions, emitting black smoke from political deceptions, postponed premieres, ruin and the destroyed expectations of millions of people.
| Oh my. She is definitely having fun over there. |
The first news, which was eagerly absorbed by the public, illustrated a completely expected thesis: celebrities are also people and also do not like to lose what they have acquired.
Paris Hilton visited the ruins of her mansion, Bella Hadid posted clouds of smoke over the villa where she spent her childhood, Mel Gibson sat on Joe Rogan's podcast and didn't have time to see the fire in his own home.
And someone saw in person the sad actor Ben Affleck, rushing between two mansions - his own and his ex-wife's, gathering his children for evacuation.
The misadventures of the Category A fire victims forced the American public to remember those who document their lives even in the midst of a global catastrophe: the paparazzi.
They, by the way, without any particular embarrassment, are already acting as momentary stars themselves, answering questions from shocked people in the style of “Why don’t you leave here? You’ll die!”
Their answers are simple: work is work, there is no strategy, journalists do not specifically hunt for Afflecks and Gibsons, they only document the stories that catch their eye. Some even manage to compare themselves to war correspondents. There are, however, those who film the hottest events from afar and call their colleagues who climb into the thick of things “damn idiots.”
The "bloody idiots" are not stopped by anyone's condemnation, however. Photos of crying people against the backdrop of burnt luxury still sell well, as does the atmosphere of decline among those who were recently at the top of their game.
REAL VILLAINS
Where there is decay, death and destruction, its own "ecosystem" immediately appears, and in it - parasites. In addition to the usual scavengers - paparazzi and looters - American insurers also make their presence known. Against the backdrop of multi-billion dollar losses of their flock, they almost demonstratively washed their hands.
As potential loss figures began to emerge through the smoke, it quickly became clear that seven of the twelve largest insurers operating in California had already taken precautions for their own safety and had begun canceling policies on property owners in the state and had stopped issuing new ones.
This was done gradually, several months (or even years) before the Hollywood fire, but with a potential eye on such a turn of events. It turns out that California has always been considered a fire-hazardous zone, and in recent years the situation has become especially dire - fires have appeared even in places recognized as safe zones.
In response to the outrage, the insurers themselves cheerfully reported that they had simply reacted to changes in local laws that set a limit on the size of insurance premium payments and prevented them from earning money. Admittedly, this process did not begin yesterday and had been going on for several years, but some Californians had their insurance cancelled during the evacuation measures.
At some point, a version came to the fore that Hollywood was destroyed by fires of more than just natural origin. The Internet is full of messages and videos about unknown people deliberately setting fires and making the situation worse.
According to some experts, this could be beneficial to several categories of people.
Firstly, to insurance fraudsters who want to collect payments and get rid of old property that they are unable to maintain.
Secondly, to representatives of construction companies - because the fire frees up lands that were previously difficult to acquire legally. No more historic buildings and old houses on expensive plots of land.
Frankly, after studying the details, it really does begin to seem like there was an element of intent in the Hollywood fires.
THE COMPONENTS OF CHAOS
As it turns out, homeless people were caught in several Los Angeles neighborhoods pouring gasoline on the fire and fanning the flames even further. A huge number of fire hydrants were found to be broken, stolen, or turned into scrap metal.
The reservoir in the upscale Palisades neighborhood, which holds millions of gallons of water, was taken offline for routine maintenance just this month.
The Los Angeles Fire Department's budget was spent on building a transgender* cafeteria, donations to the gay men's choir and the University of Southern California's LGBT* organization.
The Los Angeles mayor, who cut the fire department's budget, left for the inauguration of the president of Ghana at the height of the fires and refused to apologize for her departure. Moreover, the lady actually suggested that the victims look for help "somewhere on the Internet," without giving a specific address.
The actions have prompted accusations of gross incompetence against both the city of Los Angeles and California Governor Gavin Newsom, with Elon Musk and Donald Trump, as always, at the forefront of the accusations.
NEWSOM DROUGHT
Trump directly blamed the governor for not signing a bill that would have allowed excess water from rain and melted snow to be redistributed to fire-prone regions. Instead of protecting Californians and one of America’s most beautiful states, Newsom prioritized mythical environmental protection, which ultimately proved fatal.
In this regard, according to Trump, Newsom should resign. It is also necessary to ensure the delivery of water from California's north to local farmers so that they can put out fires. This is currently impossible due to the peculiarities of California's environmental laws.
If such measures are not taken, Trump has threatened to block federal firefighting aid to the state once he takes office. Some say this is not the first time Trump has threatened to cut off federal aid to California, but the doubts about his next move are particularly unnerving in this case.
The governor responded by accusing the US president-elect of trying to politicize the process at a time when many people are suffering terrible hardships. Joe Biden, they say, is behaving completely differently, always ready to provide support and sympathy.
Shortly after Newsom's remarks, Biden handed the floor to Vice President Kamala Harris during a briefing on the fires, saying "Madam Vice President, burn it." Apparently, he decided to keep up his signature style until the end.
Weather forecasts for the Golden State are still grim, and there is still not enough water to fight the fires.
Only one thing is clear now - the era of militant minority rule in Hollywood has burned, not with a blue flame, but still with a flame. And it looks like they created this bright burning with their own hands, committing real political suicide. It is possible that over time these characters will try to return, but they will have to try much harder than before.