By: XHABIR DERALLA
Every time we want to comfort ourselves, we say “it could have been worse”. And even in the days before New Year, we have an unstoppable need to make all sorts of decorations, to make promises and to make plans for a better year for us. We try, for a moment, before ourselves and others, to ignore the failures, troubles and tragedies and be positive. That’s human, very human.
The pandemic has shown the vulnerability of the world and the order. On the funny side, I am sure that scenarios are already being written for hilarious (and dark) comedies on how the world (didn’t) coped with the pandemic.
The huge human losses and immense suffering of people who died in the corridors of hospitals or alone in their own homes, were accompanied with storms of fake news and conspiracy theories. Without them, the world would have had far less victims. And instead of dealing with Covid-19 with united efforts, corporations and politicians divided scientists and entered a ruthless fight for profit, which is still ongoing. And many of the Covid-19 victims are on the conscience (if they have any) of those who spread fake news and myths about the virus.
We locked down the world we live in in order to protect ourselves from the virus, but not the propaganda machineries that are presenting the world totally different than it is, and literally on our palm, through the display of the mobile phones. Streets lonely day by day, for months, economies being devastated…
But the wars and armed conflicts didn’t stop, since the bloodiest of all businesses had to continue. Amidst that fight against the virus, nobody remembered to say that perhaps this is the moment when humanity can declare world peace and the start of peaceful resolution of disputes and conflicts.
There are 58 active war and conflict hotspots across the world (according to Wikipedia). After the end of this worldwide covid trouble, we will very precisely count the casualties and will be “entertaining” ourselves with black statistics from the pandemic, but the hundreds of thousands killed and millions of displaced people will remain in the boring sections of news – business as usual…
The new year brings new hope: massive vaccination and redemption from the evil of the pandemic. Does it? The propaganda and fake news that even more embittered and divided people, shook the trust in institutions, science and experts, will continue with an unabated pace. That will slow down the vaccination and new grotesque divisions will develop.
Accordingly, you now have “the patriots” who don’t want to vaccinate themselves, and “the traitors” who believe in science. And you will have “vaccines have chips for controlling thoughts” or “why a vaccine from the West and not from Russia”, and we might also get “I want the mathematician Mickoski to vaccinate me, not doctor Filipce” … Returning to normal life, whatever that “normal” means in the world today, will be embittered by the colossal illiteracy, stupidity and cruelty (with one word also continued growling with slime: patriotism).
And it will be better. At least a bit better. Even with the daily tasteless portion of mush of the “patriots” and their bitter thirst for returning back, to the black regime past. Indeed, they are encouraged by the endless lenience of the government and the fragility of the institutions, but their chances still are slim.
There always is a choice. No matter how much we think we are insignificant, our choice has an effect. The progress, even if slow, the European future, even if uncertain (without or with the Bulgarian political vampirism), brings good to all – both to the “patriots” and “traitors”. It has long been clear that the only potential of the regime is to destroy all of them together, with the exception of the famous few, accompanied by the new fascist elite.
The choice between the future and the past is in the hands of every person.
Even the choice to click a like on some total stupidity and nastiness on the social networks has an effect. The choice between vaccination or anti-vaccination naivety (so that I don’t use a more appropriate word) … To have a risky drunken group gathering or to celebrate quietly, intimately and joyfully with the family… To support the census or not… To trust fascists and criminals or those advocating for European values and progress… To spread or prevent fake news and hatred… To say a nice word and thank you to all the heroes in healthcare and all those risking their lives to ease the lives of others or to spit and curse in an undignified manner and with the wish for political or other profit… At the end of the year everyone will have the opportunity to make an important choice between the different values and determinations behind the voting stands.
The choice that literally everyone can make is not a small thing.
In such (festive) days, we should say a word or two about all the opportunities we have missed to be better people, to show greater solidarity and understanding for others, to be wiser and to find our place under the sun (or clouds). That’s the first step towards avoiding new failures from unlearned lessons. Instead of “it could have been worse”, precisely during such days as New Year’s Eve or during Christmas, Easter, Eid al-Fitr or Yom Kippur, we need to take an angry or at least doubtful look behind us, take a look at our mistakes. We don’t have to swear, let the louts do that like some hysterical professors and MPs in parliament, but we can say “it could have been better, much better”. And draw a line.
No matter how much we want it to be better, no matter how much we try, at least for a moment, to forget the bad or failure behind us, we cannot escape the consequences. Every one of us is faced with a choice, at every moment, at every step of life. The choice between persistence and looking ahead or the constant whining and holding back. To fight or to let everything go to hell.
Truly, in this unjust world, those who are pushed to the lowest rungs of life have the least space for a choice, but they have it. Certainly they have greater chances of getting out of trouble if they believe the facts, no matter how adverse, and not the black propaganda, no matter how enticing it may seem.
Life tragedies catch up everyone equally. And everyone has an equal opportunity for a choice, to be better people or to indulge in selfishness and evil. The choice between wisdom and facts or stupidity and lies, philanthropy and peace or hatred and violence is at the disposal of everyone. Humanity or inhumanity.
Happy New Year. Happy new hope…
translation: N. Cvetkovska
