Contemporary literature declares people as being
complicated, endows them with contradictory characters. A criminal can be
demonstrated as a positive personage. A goodie can lie. A coward can act
bravely, etc. In ancient times everything was simpler. If a character is
referred to as a coward, then all his deeds are deeds of a coward. If he is a
hero, then in all the situations he shows himself as being a hero. We have lost
the habit of perceiving people simply, being them only good or only bad.
Meanwhile, simple people do exist. Simple - not in the sense of ordinary
sociology, as an opposition to elite, beau monde or glamorous stars; simple in
the sense of simple and flat characters: liars, hypocrites, thieves by nature,
and in the same manner - good, faithful, direct and unsophisticated people by
nature. Even though such simple people are interesting nowadays mostly to psychiatry
and clinical psychology. Psychiatrists know that there are pathological liars
and pretenders, who lie and pretend always and everywhere, regardless of
whether this is useful or harmful for them. Persistent paranoiacs, blindly seeking
their purpose irrespectively of whether it is reachable or completely
unrealistic. Schizophrenics that adhere to their own image of the world, not resembling
to the realistic one, not approximate to anything on earth and completely
inconsistent with empirical reality. All these people are being either quietly
isolated from the world by their caring families, or being isolated in a bit
infamous way – placed in loony bins, in madhouses. In a madhouse everything is
almost like in a normal society, but simpler and clearer. Everything is clear
except one thing: for what reason these simple people are detained, especially
if these people do not offend anyone? Many residents of madhouses are satisfied
with a simple answer: they are kept there to ensure not they do not hurt
anyone, but, on the contrary, that they will not be offended by complex and
controversial people living outside the madhouse.
Sometimes I see my native Belarus as such a madhouse. Perhaps we all are
isolated from the outside world after we’ve been deprived of nuclear weapon.
Now we can’t hurt anybody in the outside, but we are so simple and
unsophisticated that we can be offended by everyone. Here's what they’ve done
to Ales Bialiatski Well, what he did wrong to Lithuanians? For what evil did
they place him in a loony bin?
Well, then it comes to my kind that a madhouse is run by qualified doctors and
psychologists. And here we have to reconsider the similarity between Belarus
and a madhouse. After all, a madhouse is not run by elected by simple and unsophisticated
patients the most simple and unsophisticated one!
Belarus is run by a gang of very simple, plain and primitive people. These
people can not but lie. They are daily caught in a lie, and justify themselves
by inventing new lies, and so on for many, many years already. It's
pathological lies. It's not a lie of sly and clever criminals who lie for
profit and cheat simpletons. No, it's a lie of simpletons who simply can not
understand that those to whom they lie are more complex, more intelligent, smarter
than them, and that of this lie the simpletons themselves can not get any
benefits.
Belarus is run by a gang of simple people who can
not but pretend. They are like pathological hysterics. Such people, while being
simple and even primitive creatures, are always playing roles, constantly
pretending to be something that they are not. Hysterical persons rarely possess
an acting talent for everybody could believe their play, at least, to believe for
a long time. People can be deceived just a little bit, but then they quickly
crack the game of an hysteric. Actually, usually people demand that an
hysterical person stopped playing roles and pretending to be someone he is not,
and to become himself instead. But exactly this is impossible. The hysteric is
so simple and empty inside that there is no thing what he is by himself, he is always
just what he is showing at the moment. When his game and simulation is revealed,
he begins to play a new role, pretending to be someone or something else. And it
can’t be in other way.
Belarus is run by a gang of paranoids that with undying persistence are clinging
to power, which is their sole purpose and value. They are clinging, despite the
clear arguments that they can not and do not know how to use this power.
Everything what happens in the country and with the country, is not consequence
of their leadership and management, but is the result of initiatives of normal
people. Every same act of the power, each guideline of this gang of paranoids
is on the brink of absurdity. Normal performers can not execute their orders and
instructions, knowing that it is better not to argue with paranoids, but to
pretend and then to do everything in a right way. If it lasts not for a long
time, than everything can be repaired. But we are already for 17 years under
the ruling of paranoids. Everything is let slide, and every single concession to
instructions of paranoids makes the situation in the country completely
insoluble.
Belarus is run by a gang of schizophrenics. That vision of the modern world,
that image of the world that was invented by the self-styled ideologues, has
nothing to do with reality in a such way, that one can not even criticize them!
And who would criticize the schizophrenic’s world view? And why? Someone is living
in a world of brownies, elves, UFOs. Someone - in the world of the evil West
and the good East, of the Slavic values and the German aggression, of the
Elders of Zion and the party that is never wrong. Schizophrenic images of the
world are as many as schizophrenics themselves, well, may be a little less.
Less, because there exists the phenomenon of induced delusion, induced worldview.
This is a phenomenon when a schizophrenic with a strong will and suggestive
abilities can inspire those who are inclined to be interested in him and to believe
him, by his views and attitudes to the world.
In general, we are governed by a collective entity, characterized by explosive
mixture of pathologies: hysteria, paranoia, schizophrenia, and heaven knows
what else. How do we tolerate all this? Yes, and all people around are marveling
at this! But even the whole world, including our nearest neighbors, tolerates
it. Why? Yes, because the modern world is tolerant, pluralistic and politically
correct.
Nowadays it is not politically correct to indicate to a person or to a large community
of people on their stupidity. Even on their illness and pathology. Nowadays people
of the world are not used to consider someone mad. Madness is now qualified as
a particular feature of mental development. Belarus is a large community of
people, certainly not like any other community – that’s why it should be
admitted that the Belarusian society and the nation have particular features of
the development.
Nowadays the world is tolerant of a variety of manifestations of social
behavior as of an individual, so of large groups of people. Belarusians behave
somehow abnormally, but who knows - what is normal? Let them continue to behave
this way.
Nowadays, the pluralism has turned to be a value instead of a principle. Coexistence
of multiple images of the world, of many goals and systems of values is now considered
to be good. Belarusian image of the world and system of values that people of
the country are guided by is just one of the feasible and possible ones. Who
will dare to criticize it? Let them Belarusians take all this and consider it in
a way they want. On the other hand, if in a society of paranoids and
schizophrenics one begins criticizing taken actions and established goals,
values and worldviews, it will be the critic to be announced a madman.
It is a Kafkaesque situation. But we are living in it!
What am I saying it for? Well, I just would like to imagine the near future of
our country. The future and the prospects of the country ruled by a gang of
hysterics, paranoids and schizophrenics. Is this latest situation possible? Why
not! If it is not the first time we are dealing with pathological liars, you
can easily imagine how events will unfold when the liar is caught in a lie. Simply,
as opposed to psychology which deals only with crazy individuals, we’ll have to
deal with a social phenomenon, with actions of a large group of people, with a
gang, with the ruling regime, with a part of a society covered by induced
delirium. The society which is used to share crazy goals, which is accustomed
to a set of hysterical roles.
It's like behaving with a pathological kleptomaniac. Thief is caught
red-handed, and he is turned to be not a simple thief, on the occasion or by
profession, but simply - to be a kleptomaniac. His first reaction is: I did not
steal anything. He is showed video-testimonies, statements of witnesses, but he
is sincerely repeating that the stolen
thing is his property. After being showed proofs that it is lie, that the thing
is not his property, then the kleptomaniac, again sincerely, goes to the other
false version. For example, that this it is not his own thing and he sees it
for the first time. He is catch on contradictories of his actual lies with the
previous ones, but does it really confuse him? In each particular moment he really
believes in what he is lying right now.
On December, the 19th in the country has been launched a wave of
repressions, dozens of political prisoners are now behind bars. Hundreds of
people are subjected to unlawful acts, there are tortures allowed. It is a
fact. But the regime denies everything just as a pathological liar, and people
that make up this regime do also believe in this lies. After some time it
becomes impossible to lie that there are no political prisoners in the country.
Then the authorities say that all detained people are terrorists, thieves, parricides.
But this version falls apart when they start to catch Andrzej Poczobut, then Ales
Bialiatski with aim to divert attention from the existing prisoners, to come up
with a new version, but not to release the political prisoners. And this demands
time. Finally, it becomes clear that they will have to release the political
prisoners. But again - the authorities must somehow coexist with the last ones!
These will be accepted in the world, they are already popular in their country,
they will not forgive the violence and crimes committed against them. So the
regime continues, with paranoiac obstinacy, to stupidly adhere to his rightness.
And it will continue to do so, i.e. to lie, to pretend, to persist in his rightness,
telling all around its own version of the world order and of international
relations.
And all these lies and hypocrisy will be unfolding against the background of
certain circumstances we already know. These are:
Summit of heads of the states-participants of
the Eastern Partnership in Warsaw, where the head of our state is not allowed
to be present as a well-known liar, deceiver, trickster and a rapist.
The deepening economic crisis as the result of a schizophrenic version of the
world order and the paranoid desire to cheat everybody. To overcome the crisis the
country needed loans, credits and investments. But who will lend a well-known
liar and schuler? Who will invest in a country with a kleptomaniac in the head who
is laying his hands on everything that is worth something?
Parliamentary elections of 2012 which will be no longer possible to hold by pretending
to be a democrat and liberal.
Presidential elections in Russia, where “the Belarusian card”, although having
advantage of six*, could
turn to be a trump, depending on how the game goes or "the card falls".
It is not so difficult to imagine, according to Stanislavski’s system, how will
the personage behave in this play! The personage has certain characteristic
features: he is hysteric, paranoiac, schizophrenic. Professional schuler and
kleptomaniac, pathological liar. It means, he is a certain character in certain
circumstances, or the typical hero in a typical situation.
It will take a long time to describe all the details of the scenario play and
placement of decorations on the stage, to list all the secondary characters who
will be hanging out on the stage.
When autumn comes, our personage will do everything in a way he knows how:
he’ll lie, pretend to be heaven knows what, trying to fool everybody.
The scenario of his role is approximately as follows:
To release all political prisoners by stating that "it was like this
before”. Well, he’ll torture somebody before that, someone he’ll kick out abroad,
and someone he’ll leave here by showing that he is not a political prisoner, but
a scammer convicted for the fact what "them, in America" consider the
most terrible crime - a tax evasion . ("A stupid game!", - will say
some critic, and he will be right. But this game is morbid and pathologic one).
By this, Ales Biliatski is an obligatory component of the game, it is a worth
- in terms of the paranoid and the sharper - displacement of political
prisoners of the Cause of December, the 19th. However, by this his
role is not exhausted. Bialiatski is the most popular and prominent human
rights activist in Belarus, while for the West the matter of human rights is a
favorite toy! The regime should portray himself in the best light to the West,
so he’ll need to organize such a human rights protection in the country for the
West squealed with delight. To do this, he can even enter the position of an ombudsman.
And a candidate for this position is already there: Aleh Hulak. He is already preparing to perform his
responsibilities in human rights sector of the national economy. True is that
he falls short to Bialiatski of popularity and fame, but this is easily
remedied: the regime needs only to portray Hulak and all the Belarusian Helsinki Committee as a
bit oppressed. Our people are compassionate, they’ll regret him and any
oppressed person will name a hero.
But here, in recent years, some civil society has been given to birth!
"Third sector" of some sort, or "thirty-third", gets
underfoot, and occasionally corrupts the game. We need a tamed and controlled
"third sector" and civil society. All the National Platform of Civil
Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership one should discredit as hirelings of
the West, as in the eyes of the West itself, so in the eyes of the Belarusian society.
Here again Bialiatski is very useful! "That's who you're taking on the
Civil Society Forum of the Eastern Partnership! - are screaming hysterics and
manipulators. - You're taking there those who you keep employed and who you are
paying to - hirelings and grant-suckers! While in Belarus there is unbribable, true
civil society, led by Zhanna Grinuk ". This way Grinuk will be assigned a
head on "civil society front" instead of Zagoumennov who failed last
year.
Oh yes, there is still some opposition! Well, again everything there is under
control! There is Jaroslav Romanchuk! He's so romantic that he’ll believe and
do everything he’ll be told to. We’ll offer once again to appoint him deputy
Prime minister and promise him to implement his reforms’ program - and he’ll be
for all the Belarusian opposition! Like this, the West will believe him, the people
already know him and his party will support him.
And the bustle of the rest of the opposition can be ignored. One part of them
has already started preparing for parliamentary elections, and there is nothing
around they can notice. Another part is gathering some People's assemblies. Ha,
it’s too creative! For every their gathering we’ll gather our Patriotic congress.
And let them prove to each other, who is more patriotic and more popular one.
Wow! We will look brilliant in the eyes of the world and progressive society,
if we perform all this! Yes, we’ll do it! This is not a game at all, this all
true! Our ombudsman will be a simpatic person, our civil society will be nice
and impersonated with a remarkable woman, and a new deputy minister is talker of
talkers, he’ll give even the prime minister run for his own money! Awesome! But
where we’ll get the money from? Well, we’ll have to gate through the millions pledged
for the country by the European union. Hulak and Grinuk will not be able to
take them all, some money will be left to the state. But this is not enough! We
can’t quarrel with Europe anymore! We’ll have to present them the Parliament just
the way they want! With dozens of opposition members. There are ready people for
this, the rest is to captivate them with prospects of brighter future. - And
yet: "Where we’ll take the money from?!!” But this question will be read
in the sad eyes of our personages crowding on the edge of the stage at the end
of this play’s act. It will be read in the eyes of the head of the state, in
the eyes of a young ombudsman, in the eyes of a leader of the civil society,
symbolizing the unity of gender, philanthropy and business, in the eyes of the
deputy Prime minister and reformer, in the eyes of the scaredly-opposition party
of the future House of Representatives!
All the other eyes will be fixed somewhere in the opposite direction. In these
eyes there will be an entirely different question: "Where to go out from this
madhouse?!"
* Noun “a six” in a Belarusian
and Russian language in a thieves’ cant also has another meaning - “traitor’,
“informer”, “stool pigeon”.
All the arguments of opposition politicians for taking part in the elections resemble are rather self-justifications and attempts to find some space for themselves in this difficult political situation, believes the head of the Board of the...
«I don’t see any crime in the attempt of Belarusan police to learn something from German police. Everyone - from the highest ranks to the lowest ones - simply has to observe the law». Miachyslau Gryb, former Speaker of the Supreme Council of Belarus,...
We invite you to participate in a second edition of a unique and extraordinary contest for reporters, The Eastern Partnership Journalism Prize. If you are a journalist from one of the countries of Eastern Partnership (Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus,...
Belarus is on the way to reaching a deadlock in all the directions, while the modernization of the country should be started with political reforms. And the first thing to do is to reject the authoritarian system of government in order to make it...
Policy field Global governance, International Cooperation, Development Target groups International Organisations, Government bodies, Academic institutions, Civil Society Organisations, Private Sector Organisations, Foundations, individuals. Period of...
Trans Cultura Foundation (Poland) together with Workshops of Culture (Poland) and partners: Suburb Cultural Centre (Armenia), United Artits’ Club (Azerbaijan), Lohvinau Publishing House (Belarus), GeoAIR (Georgia), Young Artists Asociation «Oberliht»...
The number of registered candidates representing opposition parties is on the average not much higher than that during previous parliamentary elections. Such an opinion was expressed to the Information Service of «EuroBelarus» by political scientist...
The first half of 2012 saw the main trend in the political democratization and liberalization segment carry on from the year 2011, as stagnation continued. There were new manifestations of administrative and criminal prosecution of democratic...
Basta is a social enterprise outside Stockholm. It began in 1994 helping people move away from drugs and criminality through qualified work, housing, and a meaningful spare time. Basta is a client-run social enterprise - in theory as well as in...
In early September, a presentation of the Flying University program for the new school year will be held. As recently experts have repeatedly talked about the problems of the Belarusian higher education, expanding the Flying University program requires...
The processes of political, economic, and cultural change in Europe have had a particularly strong impact upon the countries of Eastern Europe and their neighbours in the east. It is timely to reflect on and debate the ways in which Europe and the...
The sentence on the Pussy Riot band members demonstrates nonobservance of constitutional norm of secularism of the Russian state, supposes Uladzimir Matskevich, the head of the Board of the International Consortium «EuroBelarus
Next serial staff changes have been taking place in higher levels of the Belarusian government: Piotr Prokopovich [former Chairman of the Board of the National Bank of Belarus – EuroBelarus] was appointed as assistant to the President, and the...
The chairman of the International Consortium "EuroBelarus" Ulad Vialichka hopes that a diplomatic conflict with Sweden may calm down in a few months. However, it is very difficult, in his view, to accurately predict the development of bilateral...
The situation around the Belarusian authorities’ decision on the list of persons banned from travelling abroad looks not quite understood. On the one hand, a number of civil society activists and opposition politicians - Valiantsin Stefanovich, Andrei...
After Belarusian and Russian governments have signed the contract for construction of the nuclear power plant (NPP) in the Astravets district, and the cornerstone was laid on the site, the mission of anti-nuclear ecologists is not over. In contrast, it...
Youth internet forum "I am the leader!" organized by the Belarusian Republican Youth Union (BRSM) in the framework of the preparation for the election to the parliament took place in Minsk on August 16. The Forum organizers have gathered about 200...
Some participants of the current election campaign voice so many platitudes that induce the head of the Board of the International Consortium "EuroBelarus" Uladzimir Matskevich to speak directly and categorically, "Your experience, gentlemen, is scanty...
Chatham House, in partnership with the Robert Bosch Stiftung, invites scholars from Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine to apply for a Visiting Fellowship at Chatham House in London.
He said Belarus would likely face economic tightening not only as a result of the coronavirus pandemic but also a Russian trade oil crisis that worsened this past winter.
In his report, philosopher Gintautas Mažeikis discusses several concepts that have been a part of the European social and philosophical thought for quite a time.
It is impossible to change life in cities just in three years (the timeline of the “Agenda 50” campaign implementation). But changing the structure of relationships in local communities is possible.