XHABIR DERALLA
The election blood pressure is rising, while the means that some political marathoners use have been well-known to the public for decades. They are just a bit more intense in the days between the two election rounds. Manipulations and disinformation, threats and hate speech for years have been so intense that they have become a norm, a daily thing, a basic component of the air we breathe (Election Report #26). A contamination to which the lungs of society have gotten used to, and without which, practically, not a single process in the country, internally, regionally or internationally wise, can be imagined.
Extinguishing the consciousness
The lack of a systematic institutional, political and social response to the continuous undermining of the national strategic commitments, cannot be replaced by the modest resources with which the media and civil society organizations dispose with. Especially when society is extremely polarized, and political parties occupy every inch of space for civic action. When the institutions and progressive political structures don’t manage to realise the dimensions of the hybrid war, at least in its basic forms, then all that remains is to “hunt” for opportunities for bare survival of ideas and bare survival of the processes. And the risk of them being halted, and the situation escalating in the opposite direction.
The few media and civil society organization that have mostly put themselves in the defence of human rights and freedoms, media freedoms and ethical standards have for long been failing to function as a public resource that can provide the resilience of society against hybrid attacks that also include black propaganda. If there ever was a chance for them to play that role, now they are not even that.
This theoretical view of things, in real life is most obviously manifested with the steep decline of values and extinguishing of the consciousness about the role of citizens. About their sovereignty. Unconsciousness.
Short-term solutions without effect
The solutions (attempts) are short-term and unsustainable. It’s like putting a band aid on an open wound. In conditions of domination of black propaganda, practically every progressive message, knowledge and action in society and in the public discourse has no permanent effect or, more specifically, gets suffocated by the thundering noise of disinformation and hate speech. Hence, only the sharp contrast is stressed between the ideas and values that are brought by the opposing sides in the public and political discourse.
In society, on the one hand, is a mobile, complex and well-organized network of various structures with the sole purpose – rule of authoritarian elites without responsibility. On the other hand, is everything else, which floats in an increasingly narrower basket under the big balloon, with too little helium in it, on which it has written democracy, equality, rule of law and respect for human rights and freedoms.
Like two celestial bodies
In specific examples, it can be illustrated with the state in which the media are. On the one hand, you have mutually well-connected and coordinated media-propaganda machineries with abundant resources, along with the black money, which have no responsibility.
On the other hand, are the media that nurture responsibility and try to achieve and maintain professional and ethical standards, with a clear and transparent editorial concept and orientation.
The social networks are just superb, supersonic and transport vehicles whose features are speed and accessibility, but also superficiality, which suits much more the creators of black propaganda then those who advocate for democratic values in society.
And in a blink of an eye, all are drawn in a campaign and propaganda, in a sharp exchange of messages about values that are so sharply opposed that makes communication and dialogue impossible. Like two celestial bodies that travel through space in two different directions and “meet” in infinity. Or (on Earth) in a same corrupt basket, on the “other side”, but never in the middle.
Between pornography and the high aesthetic of erotic poetry
It’s similar in politics as well. On the one hand, are the irresponsible (political) structures that use black propaganda and all permissible and impermissible means one can imagine. On the other hand, are political structures that more or less are successfully trying to hold up on the plateau where democratic spirit, dialogue, law and justice, reconciliation and progressive ideas are fostered.
The difference is like that between pornography and the high aesthetics of erotic poetry, for example. Or the flight of a butterfly as opposed to the one of a horse fly. (Imagine a butterfly and horse fly on a romantic dinner).
Or… It’s like putting an experienced fighter (street fighter) and a chess grandmaster in a boxing ring and expecting the chess player to win. Or to sit down the fighter at a table in front of a chessboard and expect for him to draw rightful, chess moves.
Politics, and everything is possible
World history remembers such present time. The conflict is old and well-known, only the technologies are different. What is taking place in this age reflects the disrupted balance between the opposed concepts of a democratic and authoritarian society. Like in the dawn of the dreadful conflicts between nations in the previous century.
How to establish balance and dialogue between two completely different concepts of society, on leading politics and behaviour in the public sphere? Or in other words, and the same question: Can the criminal and the judge, the fascist and the democrat talk and negotiate? Can they ever sit at the same table, reconcile and get close?
It’s an impossible romance. Not that it’s not allowed, it’s impossible. They can talk, of course, but not negotiate. Not without responsibility. Reconciliation doesn’t mean (just) amnesty. Responsibility doesn’t imply (just) legal sanctions. Yes, mistakes have been made both in the past and in the present. And yet no lessen has been learned.
Still, history and the present show that in politics everything is possible. Though it also shows that from such closeness with short-term goals and temporary halting of destruction – there has been no effect. At least not a positive one.
Particularly when intellectuals, who are expected to be progressive, have fallen asleep or are cheap workhands in malicious anti-democratic machineries.
When intellectuals are corrupt or indifferent
Is it worth to expect mass awakening in a time when the intellectual elites (in politics, institutions, and civil sector) are either corrupt or indifferent? It’s one of those good questions to which there is no good answer.
Everyone is struggling to provide for existence, security for themselves and for their loved ones, to advance and to protect their personal interests. But all that has a price.
Money has a price. Power has a price. As black as they are, so are we.
At the end of the “struggle” (it can be with quotation marks), it will remain for us to choose one of the two possible statements:
“I tried and did my best to defend my values and pass them on to others”.
or
“I did not try, I left it to others to deal with the course of the events”
Translation: N. Cvetkovska
