"I want to say that defeat sometimes reveals more to us than victory, and the one who doesn't know how to lose more than the one who knows how to lose" (Julian Barnes, Elizabeth Finch)
"In the beginning was the word. The word was with God. The word was God". (Bible, John:1:1) Can the same be stated for the human word? It will be that it is preceded by a thought, an idea. The weight and importance of the human word - no matter what it is - is undeniable: especially the thunderous ones, both oral - from ordinary speeches, to sermons, and written - from novels, stories, poetry, various nonfiction to aphorisms. But words grow out of ideas, they bring to life thoughts for which it is crucial that they are intelligent, fruitful, and generally useful. And that they are followed by consistent, enforcement procedures, actions. Are we asking too much of ourselves and others today? By no means! While we gradually lose what little remains of value.
On the contrary, there are three main features of the wave of populism, that source of misleading words, and harmful tendencies in numerous existing political communities: its breadth, spread, then manipulative, even messianic role and effects, and - its superficiality, the standard shallowness of statements. Populism regularly goes hand-in-hand with mere amateurism: ignorance, imposed "voluntariness", volunteerism, but also enthusiasm, passion, more precisely - fanaticism. On the other hand, the fear of death is the predominant basis of religion. Belief in G/god, in the afterlife. Abstinence and suffering in order to reach heaven or hell, as for whom. Made up? Carefully sketched, slyly planted, projected? Which no one has (yet) experienced. Unprovable.
And then, more often than not, we are overwhelmed by the real fear of relentless political winds, of the authorities, of the stronger, of the strongest. Fearful, anxious about the leader, about falling out of favor with him. Politicians in power and their promises about future prosperity are comparable to the church's belief in the immortality of the soul which, allegedly, "if we behave in accordance with the canons", moves to heaven. And he enjoys benefits commensurate with his "merits" - through sacrifices, prayers, humble living and submission during his earthly life. And so we arrive at the cocktail of clientelism and populism.
The loyal audience of the political elite is usually passive, lazy, blinded, misled, unenlightened. And corrupted by crumbs. As if, as a rule, there is neither patience, nor time, nor space for the path of general sanctification. Democracy in the age of the Internet ceases to be the rule of the people, the embodiment of civil sovereignty. It is being replaced, at least partially, by the "terror" of social networks, alienated electronic communication, impersonal declarations. At the same time, the real power is held by large, oligarchic financial capital, corporations, armed forces and - information. And the truth? It experiences erosion: it disintegrates into multiple versions, none of which is the proper, authentic one. Are there any such, now and here?
Mechanisms of supposedly victorious majority quantitative social units, procedures and political choices are unreliable, deceptive. The scenes of human rights and freedoms are dosed in the best case so as not to endanger the public order established and maintained by the ruling group. The supposed presumption of innocence disguised as its opposite, freedom of belief and speech, independence of judicial institutions, common sense and justice - are largely meaningless. The so-called division of power in modern times turns to a largely technical demarcation of its levers, only relatively separate state legal functions. Morality and real law - understood as certainty, legitimacy, as good, balanced and desirable, as equality and tolerance with respect for diversity and uniqueness - are relegated to the background. Trampled mercilessly. Both nationally and internationally. Neither fascism, nor Nazism, nor Stalinism have disappeared, they are not covered by the thick and opaque dust of history. There is too much evidence for such a thing. Too much.
International institutions - directed and largely dependent on leading world factors - have been experiencing a debacle for several decades. Instead, they are pulled by personalities, groups from the shadows. Instead of the earlier Kafkaesque national police states - which still live in secret, "emerging" as needed like a sinkhole - the planet is increasingly reduced to conflicting military and paramilitary complexes of bare interests. Under the leadership of people of dubious political, age and health (as well as professional) abilities, not to mention humanity, dignity and honor. The proclaimed and guaranteed territorial integrity and sovereignty of states are swayed and occasionally unscrupulously demolished by the will of the powerful. Arrogant threats against the small and the small, as well as minorities and ethnic groups - blackmail, revenge, national punishments, insane sanctions in culture, art and sports, erasure of bright traditions and glorious past (does it even exist in our memories?) - took off. Without a visible thread and rational sense. Goebbelsian propaganda and hypocrisy reign at all levels.
The world is not, and has not been since yesterday, a pleasant place to live for the vast majority of the population. Misery, diseases - original and those constructed, artificially produced - devastation and even destruction of the environment, rampant crime, all kinds of violence - "in the house" and outside it - discrimination, arbitrariness and discretion, the horrors of war especially, along with constant political deception and abuse scientific achievements as if heralding a general cataclysm. Or is she already at our door? Or have we - even - already entered it? In any case, the man, his essence, his spirituality, is "forgotten", forgotten. The mission and meaning of education, good upbringing, culture and art are being marginalized. Followed by pale edges of love. Does everything have to fail in order to give birth to fresh and healthy tissue - or is it new, but of an upside-down quality, already in us and around us, uglier than it has ever been? What can awaken and awaken this kind of humanity on Earth? Some devastating, harsh warning bomb, in whatever form it hits us? Some other hitherto unknown civilization that will enslave us and make us wiser, ultimately to our advantage? Can Spinoza's god help us, i.e. nature, and his/her laws, forces? Or some world revolution of brave and reasonable visionaries? Let's take a look - individually and collectively, globally - both inside and out! It's already well overdue, but maybe it's not quite too late yet?
"Apostates are those who doubt, and doubt - active doubt - is a sign of effective intelligence"system. (Julian Barnes)
The author is a full professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Belgrade and a visiting professor at FDES in Podgorica for several years
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