A people waking up from a coma. Or how the sheep will eat the wolves.
Hi, my blood-thirsty voyeurs curious folks! There's been lots of events around here in Bulgaria in the recent days. What started as a criminal act (murder of an innocent boy) perpetrated by the relatives of a local Gypsy criminal boss in a village near my town Plovdiv (and a local feudal who for a long time has "owned" the local police, courts, and was doing whatever he liked), soon grew into a mass protest all across the country (including in neighborhoods of my city) - against the government's neglect of the Roma problem. I've talked about this before; these people are practically squashed into ghettos and marginalized, relegated to the bottom of society so they could be easily used as pawns at times of elections like these months - which results in enormous social tensions that could otherwise be averted with a comprehensive social policy and integration.
To these events, the police responded inadequately, by letting the angry people burn several of the Gypsy boss's houses. They explained this decision with the desire to "let some of the steam off" as opposed to allowing a bloodshed. Meanwhile, the politicians hid themselves for days just as the election campaign has begun and these events are happening at the most inconvenient time (for them). They've yet to come up with a clear position on the issue. To make matters worse, the media had a major FAIL moment, the major media reporting the matter showing a clear bias and incompetence, calling the righteously indignant people "a crowd of criminal and drugged elements" instead of digging into the matter from all sides (which is their job). For that they got the most of the anger on themselves. As a whole, the situation has devolved quickly, and the bad thing is, we don't lack our own share of populist ultra-nationalist parties who are always eager to ride the public discontent for their own ends, and turn the matter of a criminal local feudal boss ruling a whole village through terror - into an issue of inter-ethnic tension. The fact is, this is not about the Roma and not even about Roma crime (which, unfortunately, *is* prevalent due to their marginalized social status in society, as linked above).
All this incoherent rambling aside, I'd say this. Bulgarians may be indeed extremely, extraordinarily tolerant people, and they'd often look like they're too cynical and too hopeless to ever bother to assert their clear position as a civil society. But as a whole, once their patience runs out, things tend to get really messy. After all, in the early 90s, just a couple of years after the end of communism, they were the ones who gathered in front of the Parliament and torched its first floor as a sign of desperation and protest against the ruling elites who were reigning like feudals too. And although we've become a more modernized society on the surface, deep beneath, not much has really changed when you think about it. Even the EU and NATO entry didn't change us much as a people, because you don't just change a deep inbred mentality like that, with a stroke of a pen (not to mention that the EU and NATO entry was more like a geopolitical move on part of the West, rather than acceptance of shared values - a thing they might be starting to realize just now, and deeply regret; and I wouldn't blame them for that).
That said, this is exactly how a real rule of law is getting established when the state and the politicians refuse to do it themselves - the public exerts increasing pressure on the elites from the bottom up. It's these occasional wake-up calls that spring from single events like a criminal act somewhere, that tend to turn the whole car over and change things fundamentally. Just think about the Arab spring...
On the other hand, if the politicians somehow manage to contain the rage and divert it into some other direction (as they often do; they're really good in this), then nothing will really change again, and the oligarchic structures at the tops will continue to reign unimpeded. In that case, indeed, that would've been just one of those "let's vent and let some of the team off cuz we're so angry" moments, and nothing more. But something in me wants to hope that this won't be the case this time.
The only way to know is to keep trying. Otherwise we'd only remain at the stage of the nice wishes of the sort of "We MUST build a rule of law here, elect responsible and wise leaders, and establish a strong hand and justice for all, regardless of class and race". Yeah, but HOW exactly? Well, that's how - with pressure. Constant, total pressure. If the politicians don't "get it", then we'll force them to.
After all, examples abound of "strong hand" rule elsewhere, and even the rule of law. But I'm not sure we'd love those examples. Look at Russia (yesterday's post) - Putin & Medvedev rule there with a strong hand, and they're such nice guys, eh? Or maybe not so much. And what about the rule of law? In China, if you break the law, you're dead (in many cases). There've been over 4000 effective executions last year alone. Some'd say under communism there was almost no serious crime, and even the Roma were good citizens because they were scared of the ruthless strong hand of law. But everything comes with a price - police state everywhere. Really, is it so difficult to achieve balance? I'd say yes. There are so many ways for a system to go off balance and remain there. And there's just one position of balance - it's no surprise that "hanging in the balance" is a term expressing a very delicate position.
Many here are still arguing that angry protests (that often inevitably devolve into violence, especially when passions are flying and there are some extremist elements always ready to ignite the sparkle for their own purposes; and people would follow the example and do terrible things they'd otherwise never think of doing, things they'll later regret), are not the best way to achieve things. But let's think for a while. How were the greatest social achievements of modern society... achieved? In America, how was the Republic born, how did democracy prevail? It took a bloody war to break up with the oppressive Empire, and another, even more destructive conflict that almost tore the country apart, to go through the cleansing catharsis and shake off the repulsive institution of slavery that stood like an ulcer on society. It took massive protests, often stained with blood and suppressed with force from the government, to achieve things like universal suffrage, or the right of blacks to be equal part of that society.
France, which brought the republic and democracy to modern-time Europe, did that how? After immense pain, bloodshed, heads rolling beside the guillotine, and reign of terror by the mobs.
If Europe and America had responded to Hitler's extermination of millions of people by just sitting on their hands and saying "But wait now, we can't do anything about it anyway, so let's sit here and think for a while what we could do to achieve a Rule of Law for the Bright Future and find a Balanced Solution out of this", then no stone would've remained standing anywhere in Europe by now!
And if the world hadn't risen on massive boycotts against the South African apartheid government, and hadn't pressured their own governments to stop sponsoring the criminal South African apartheid by doing illustrious trade with it (including arms, and even nuclear materials), and thus tacitly supporting these atrocious policies, and if they hadn't convinced their own leaders around the world to turn the other side and kick apartheid out, then 5% of that society would still be living in enormous luxury at the expense of the rest who'd still be their slaves (may our SA residents here have their say on this).
Even the Arabs across the Middle East and the Maghreb found the inner power to wake up and assert their rights, in one away or another. Are we dumber than them? I think not! We're just still too complacent. But we'll learn.
The list could go on and on. My point is, by sitting on a chair and writing posts and comments, one does only one thing - raising awareness? Yes, maybe. Feeding one's complexes? Sure, that too. But the REAL thing is to be part of the events. To go out and assert your position, and claim what's yours and what has been taken away from you. I want my hope back for a better future of me and my future children. So I'm going on the square tonight. This is not about "us vs them". It's not about Bulgarians vs Turks vs Gypsies, no. They're all together in this shit. It's about rulers vs ruled. It's about the day the sheep stood up and told the wolves, "It's your turn now. You're getting eaten".
To these events, the police responded inadequately, by letting the angry people burn several of the Gypsy boss's houses. They explained this decision with the desire to "let some of the steam off" as opposed to allowing a bloodshed. Meanwhile, the politicians hid themselves for days just as the election campaign has begun and these events are happening at the most inconvenient time (for them). They've yet to come up with a clear position on the issue. To make matters worse, the media had a major FAIL moment, the major media reporting the matter showing a clear bias and incompetence, calling the righteously indignant people "a crowd of criminal and drugged elements" instead of digging into the matter from all sides (which is their job). For that they got the most of the anger on themselves. As a whole, the situation has devolved quickly, and the bad thing is, we don't lack our own share of populist ultra-nationalist parties who are always eager to ride the public discontent for their own ends, and turn the matter of a criminal local feudal boss ruling a whole village through terror - into an issue of inter-ethnic tension. The fact is, this is not about the Roma and not even about Roma crime (which, unfortunately, *is* prevalent due to their marginalized social status in society, as linked above).
All this incoherent rambling aside, I'd say this. Bulgarians may be indeed extremely, extraordinarily tolerant people, and they'd often look like they're too cynical and too hopeless to ever bother to assert their clear position as a civil society. But as a whole, once their patience runs out, things tend to get really messy. After all, in the early 90s, just a couple of years after the end of communism, they were the ones who gathered in front of the Parliament and torched its first floor as a sign of desperation and protest against the ruling elites who were reigning like feudals too. And although we've become a more modernized society on the surface, deep beneath, not much has really changed when you think about it. Even the EU and NATO entry didn't change us much as a people, because you don't just change a deep inbred mentality like that, with a stroke of a pen (not to mention that the EU and NATO entry was more like a geopolitical move on part of the West, rather than acceptance of shared values - a thing they might be starting to realize just now, and deeply regret; and I wouldn't blame them for that).
That said, this is exactly how a real rule of law is getting established when the state and the politicians refuse to do it themselves - the public exerts increasing pressure on the elites from the bottom up. It's these occasional wake-up calls that spring from single events like a criminal act somewhere, that tend to turn the whole car over and change things fundamentally. Just think about the Arab spring...
On the other hand, if the politicians somehow manage to contain the rage and divert it into some other direction (as they often do; they're really good in this), then nothing will really change again, and the oligarchic structures at the tops will continue to reign unimpeded. In that case, indeed, that would've been just one of those "let's vent and let some of the team off cuz we're so angry" moments, and nothing more. But something in me wants to hope that this won't be the case this time.
The only way to know is to keep trying. Otherwise we'd only remain at the stage of the nice wishes of the sort of "We MUST build a rule of law here, elect responsible and wise leaders, and establish a strong hand and justice for all, regardless of class and race". Yeah, but HOW exactly? Well, that's how - with pressure. Constant, total pressure. If the politicians don't "get it", then we'll force them to.
After all, examples abound of "strong hand" rule elsewhere, and even the rule of law. But I'm not sure we'd love those examples. Look at Russia (yesterday's post) - Putin & Medvedev rule there with a strong hand, and they're such nice guys, eh? Or maybe not so much. And what about the rule of law? In China, if you break the law, you're dead (in many cases). There've been over 4000 effective executions last year alone. Some'd say under communism there was almost no serious crime, and even the Roma were good citizens because they were scared of the ruthless strong hand of law. But everything comes with a price - police state everywhere. Really, is it so difficult to achieve balance? I'd say yes. There are so many ways for a system to go off balance and remain there. And there's just one position of balance - it's no surprise that "hanging in the balance" is a term expressing a very delicate position.
Many here are still arguing that angry protests (that often inevitably devolve into violence, especially when passions are flying and there are some extremist elements always ready to ignite the sparkle for their own purposes; and people would follow the example and do terrible things they'd otherwise never think of doing, things they'll later regret), are not the best way to achieve things. But let's think for a while. How were the greatest social achievements of modern society... achieved? In America, how was the Republic born, how did democracy prevail? It took a bloody war to break up with the oppressive Empire, and another, even more destructive conflict that almost tore the country apart, to go through the cleansing catharsis and shake off the repulsive institution of slavery that stood like an ulcer on society. It took massive protests, often stained with blood and suppressed with force from the government, to achieve things like universal suffrage, or the right of blacks to be equal part of that society.
France, which brought the republic and democracy to modern-time Europe, did that how? After immense pain, bloodshed, heads rolling beside the guillotine, and reign of terror by the mobs.
If Europe and America had responded to Hitler's extermination of millions of people by just sitting on their hands and saying "But wait now, we can't do anything about it anyway, so let's sit here and think for a while what we could do to achieve a Rule of Law for the Bright Future and find a Balanced Solution out of this", then no stone would've remained standing anywhere in Europe by now!
And if the world hadn't risen on massive boycotts against the South African apartheid government, and hadn't pressured their own governments to stop sponsoring the criminal South African apartheid by doing illustrious trade with it (including arms, and even nuclear materials), and thus tacitly supporting these atrocious policies, and if they hadn't convinced their own leaders around the world to turn the other side and kick apartheid out, then 5% of that society would still be living in enormous luxury at the expense of the rest who'd still be their slaves (may our SA residents here have their say on this).
Even the Arabs across the Middle East and the Maghreb found the inner power to wake up and assert their rights, in one away or another. Are we dumber than them? I think not! We're just still too complacent. But we'll learn.
The list could go on and on. My point is, by sitting on a chair and writing posts and comments, one does only one thing - raising awareness? Yes, maybe. Feeding one's complexes? Sure, that too. But the REAL thing is to be part of the events. To go out and assert your position, and claim what's yours and what has been taken away from you. I want my hope back for a better future of me and my future children. So I'm going on the square tonight. This is not about "us vs them". It's not about Bulgarians vs Turks vs Gypsies, no. They're all together in this shit. It's about rulers vs ruled. It's about the day the sheep stood up and told the wolves, "It's your turn now. You're getting eaten".