I
Famous Japanese movie Akira Kurosawa "Rashomon" (1950) has as its basis a presentation of different views of human realities. But - at the same time - the infinity of "solutions" to those same realities. (The rarely good American film "Carasco" with Paul Newman in the lead role.) It is interesting to note that the settings of the movie scenes are diametrically different. The first setting is far-eastern (Japanese), and the second is far-western (Mexican). Thus, these films, in their imaginary encounter and above all in their cultural unity and artistic community, carry a unique universal message and significance.
Looking deeper.
The ideas and spirit of these (great) films - individually or collectively, it doesn't matter - go back to ancient Greek, biblical, Arabic, Confucian and who knows what other times, types of human communities and political spaces whose reality (political life) is very exclusive and uniform.
In Rashomon terms, some see and interpret reality "that way", and some "this way".
Montenegrin society is currently being built or, more precisely, falling apart on this kind of spiritual race-mongering. And every disintegration, he claims FM Dostoevsky, there is no bottom and no end. Decay is, if this writer is to be believed, cyclical and repetitive.
1.
There is every chance that multi-partyism in Montenegro, after the collapse of communism at the end of the XNUMXth century, proved to be an insufficiently efficient and dubious way of social organization. It is clear that any one-dimensional, even ideological picture of seeing reality (life) as it was communist, leads to the stiffness and ruin of every society. The collapse of communism was "naturally" expected, because it was based on political exclusivity and one-dimensionality of basic social ideas. (No phenomenon in life has only one dimension. On the contrary.)
Thus, multipartyism as a new social philosophy and practice from the end of the XNUMXth century came to Montenegro very quickly and - which is especially dangerous - "from above". From the air, so to speak. It was imposed on the Montenegrin society by internal and external forces and pressures, like every fashion trend that must be implemented. copy-paste methodology.
It - multi-partyism - did not, therefore, "come" as an expression of (primarily) economic development and stratification of Montenegrin society and the formation of political parties on that basis (workers, peasants, etc.). On the contrary. The leading political and religious clergy of that time were ideologically-nationally, ideologically-clerically and primarily anti-communist. And that is a proven anti-recipe for returning society to the (evil) past. The societies of the Balkans are very prone to going backwards. Statisticians count, every 50/70 or so years.
Everything said differently.
The spirit and vision of multi-partyism as a (natural) need for freedom of the individual and society had to be born, accepted, built and constantly expanded and revalued. Normally, in accordance with the currents of modern civilization. The same side or basis of multipartyism is democracy. Above all, it is the product and expression of the spirit of a nation, and not just respect for procedures and hierarchies of legality.
In Montenegro, after the collapse of communism, everything went chaotically, without directing and channeling society towards liberal-democratic institutions, which are the "cult" place for solving accumulated social problems. There was none of that in Montenegro. (Admittedly, Montenegro was not an exception. The entire Balkans and beyond was similar.)
Whatever it was, we got into the situation we got into today. Primarily, national Serbian-Montenegrin tensions and divisions that have a history of over 100 years have grown. So the communists inherited this division. Divisions "came" from the streets at the end of the 80s of the XNUMXth century. This is how a series of street nationalist-politicians were created who very quickly moved to the parliamentary benches.
2.
The "multi-party" political polarization of Montenegrin society and the "democratic" forms of its manifestation have almost defeated Montenegrin society today. We are well on our way to moving out of European history and history in general. (There are such cases in history.) Politics has so far surpassed and overpowered Montenegrin society that now we have much more politics than our society needs. Many of the ruling politicians have imposed their stresses, ambitions and doubts - as well as personal material interest - on Montenegro as "social". sine qua non.
Simply put, the vast majority of our politicians are conceited ghosts, connoisseurs and experts looking for their "five minutes". The vast majority of doctors and university professors who have solid rhetoric and seek fame are especially politically and socially dangerous. And they are not squeamish about money either. Some are - pardon the expression - obnoxiously energetic with a dangerously raised index finger, a beaming gaze, clenched teeth and a roaring voice. Such political violence imposes and creates a wicked system of social "consciousness" as a normal standard of behavior and cultural pattern. (He wrote and warned so much about this danger M. Lalić. Especially in the novel "Looking Down at the Roads". He writes interestingly and almost identically about the "wicked system" in his plays and V. Shakespeare. In "Hamlet," for example.)
To deepen the topic, briefly.
Behind the "wicked system" there is always a nako or some ideological or similar force that tries to dominate in the destruction and breaking of society according to its taste and ideological idea. But he does all of this invisibly and behind the scenes, as shown by Shakespeare in his plays.
It is clear that nothing can grow upright and tall on a crooked, shortened, narrowed and even false spiritual foundation. In other words, everything that sprouts unnaturally quickly, quickly stunts, but also quickly withers. Montenegro has taken a big step towards the abyss.
3.
Today, Montenegro resembles an elevator that is stuck between floors and cannot be started. And it is dangerous to start it. External "help" can be tragic. You need to know how to start and direct the "elevator" towards the flow of the modern world and life. The levers of power are - after all - in the hands of leading politicians. (The so-called "experts" are experiencing or have experienced a fiasco. It is about a group of irresponsible young politicians who are "regulating" Montenegrin society similar to the flight of flies in the air.)
And it is easy to conclude from the "experts" that there is no valid politician without broad and deep experience. But also classical and modern education. Strong spirit and courage. In other words, a politician must know our past very well, but also have a vision of the modern future of Montenegrin society.
Human history is full of "expert" or similar examples of social and state rigidity, stramputica, paralysis and ultimately - bankruptcy of society.
Let society start the corrupt "elevator" with a military coup and direct society in (their) imagined and desired direction. However, the reality is too complex and racially complicated to be resolved by generals with military logic and force.
Additionally, the Montenegrin-Serbian "conflict" is often an intra-familial conflict that must be resolved within the same family. It happens that in the same family one son is Serbian and the other is Montenegrin. Therefore, if it broke in Montenegro, Bosnia, Varaždin, Knin, Sarajevo would be forgotten.....
II
Therefore, the evolution of the Montenegrin society (family), the evolution of the overall social consciousness is the safest, most effective and proven way out of the crisis. Evolution is the Montenegrin "light in the tunnel" that we must adhere to.
However, like any evolution, it is the most difficult, the slowest, the most uncertain and the longest process of getting out of the crisis. Especially for (politically) naive societies that easily "stick" to populist, quick, expert and spectacular "solutions" of political epigones, their rhetoric and aggressiveness. Montenegro is full of them.
This always happens to societies that are not mature, capable and ready for politics. Societies that are not up to the contemporary challenges of modern politics. Societies that are not "raised" (educated) to recognize the historical trends of modern movements and to adapt to them, such societies have no future. To be precise, they have a future but it is North Korean or some African type.
Communism interrupted the evolutionary development of societies in our country towards democratic national awareness. Over time, he himself became a victim of nationalism, i.e. republican nationalisms. Serbian and Croatian first and foremost. In other words, the communist government (Yugoslav bureaucracy) was not liberal-conservative enough to recognize reality. She fancifully looked only at the future or she looked at life from a utopian, "bright" future. In nationalism, it found driving energy as a card trick for its survival in power and the maximization of its (national) power in its fiefdom. As well as financial powers.
***
Today, seen from the point of exiting the crisis, we should "be realistic and look for the impossible". These are catchphrases, evolving words of young French rebels from the end of the 60s of the last century. The use value of these words for Montenegrin and Serbian consciousness, society and Montenegro is great. And they can be very inspiring and useful.
1.
So, when it comes to a state of political, legal, economic and moral disintegration, we always ask ourselves how to proceed and what obstacles must be overcome in order for Montenegrin society to recover?
Let's name just a few of the more important (Serbian, Montenegrin, Albanian, etc.) obstacles that we must recognize and overcome in order to have a future. (Very, very short.)
One of the first and biggest obstacles is the lack of individual and group self-criticism. Self-criticism is a proven and effective (Western-European) modern medicine. He does not repeat history. Rather, it avoids and circumvents the inherited burden of history. Without Serbian-Montenegrin and other self-criticism, we remain prisoners of history and eternally solve its problems, injustices, "guilts of the Drina" and revenge.
Legacy issues are real. You cannot and should not run away from them. On the contrary.
2.
It is the experience of the political West that these and similar problems are largely successfully and modernly solved through and through the scientific liberal-democratic institutions of the system. Today in CG they are broken or absent. They are being built for years and even decades. But they are destroyed very quickly. Every country, including Montenegro, is a mirror of these institutions. If there are none, everything is allowed. Without them, there is no control of society. Especially the controls of the executive power, because there are state, i.e. public money (budget).
The positive driving energy (consequence) of self-criticism is a constant change of point of view in the interpretation, description and practice of life. Everything, normally, in accordance with the scientific and institutional view of our past, present and future.
***
This entry into the solutions of our racemoniad is the most illusionistic. We are all aware of it. Nevertheless, utopia and belief in it is a very strong impulse and can be an internal, positive driver of society. Let's remember the struggle of the communists against the "civilization of death" (fascism) in the Second World War and the victory of the communists. (Another question is what happens to society when dogma conquers, seizes power.)
The first among us who rebelled against the communist dogma in power in Yugoslavia - and that when the dogma was the strongest, at the peak of power - was Milovan Djilas. He freed himself from "his" dogma in several stages, even over several years. It was not easy for him, but he succeeded.
3.
Individual and institutional (social) self-maturing and Montenegrin society's belief in this regard, carries a number of other deep problems of various natures. That is not the topic of this writing. But let's state in "one sentence" the depth of those problems.
***
It is not easy and simple, for example, to look at your "ugly face", the ugly face of your group, your nation, your country, etc. And to state and admit it publicly. (It's easier to point the finger at someone else and look for the culprit there. It's harder to criticize yourself.) It's similar to the weight of an avid smoker who wants to get rid of smoking as part of his "ugly face", but he can't do it at all.
***
The second Montenegrin ordeal of changing beliefs is incomparably more difficult and demanding. It is linked to the prevailing opinion about weak morals of a person who often changes his point of view. Added to this are numerous other stupidities of such a person, such as: weak character, fickleness, lability, etc., if he does not firmly and permanently stick to only one single truth.
***
On the third side, there is lust for power as well as Montenegrin pism. Namely, the higher someone stands on the political and social hierarchy, the more difficult and demanding it is to change one's opinion. So, in the political ladder of the highest authority, the change of belief is even more difficult. But also more dangerous. (This course of the highest political individual self-maturation and awareness is similar to "weaning" a person off some kind of opiate. That is why it is rightly said that power is a passion like a drug. It is difficult to get to it, and even more difficult to get off it voluntarily.) Etc. . Etc.
4.
To conclude.
Knowing how much Montenegrin society, when it is in institutional, social, political, moral and any other chaos, decay and decay, about self-criticism and the necessary social compromise and tolerance as an effective way out of the crisis, unfortunately there is no such thing on our political scene. Simply, most of the leading political figures in our country did not identify themselves as such. Because (primarily) national-clerical ruling ideologies have overpowered our society, institutions and individuals. This is how we moved away from politics as a rational and ever-changing relationship of man towards the numerous realities of life.
It is similar with other societies that have entered "harsh" times. Let's cite just one example of "wolf time" and what the lack of compromise and tolerance of leading politicians brings to society. Here's an example.
Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf ("My Struggle") that "compromise is possible in everything, except ideology".
But only Hitler and a few other people who influenced the fate of the Planet and the human race in the 20th century could say that (Mussolini, Salazar or Franko, for example). With this kind of political "reflection" and extremism, Hitler narrowly led the great German nation to extermination. (The Soviet Union (USSR) saved the Germans from self-destruction when they defeated fascism in 1945.)
***
Unlike the films "Rošamon" or "Karasko", we (Montenegros and Serbs, but also others) cherish the inherited, traditional, uncompromising "consciousness" of a steel, marble, stiff man. Such a man squats in (everyone!) to us and is waiting for a chance to jump out and spew fire across society and take us back a few hundred years.
Bonus video:
