2008. január 26., szombat, 17:20
For those who are fed up |
This article is inspired by the story of a friend of mine who had been hitchhiking. She told me how happy she was that the cult musician who had given her a free ride “had also had enough”.
Népszabadság, 22. oct. 2006.
The expression ’idiot’ was invented by the ancient Greeks to designate people, who in spite of being free citizens and possessing the right to vote, didn’t want to deal with politics.
One frequently hears intelligent and decent people proclaim that they have had enough. They’re fed up with politics, parties, in short, with everything from A to Z: the lowliness of public life, the corrupt party machine, the narrow-minded thinking, the cowardice and jealousy of the elite. Most social and environmental indexes show signs of decline, and the general mood of the population is rather gloomy. There isn’t much meaningful discussion about the relevant topics, and there are no considerable public groups with serious and substantiated plans on such crucial problems as deep-seated social divisions, the strains of increasing poverty, the decrease of the quality of life in the cities, the shrinking of subsistence opportunities in rural areas. All we have is success propaganda, discredited media-driven politicians fighting each other over pseudo-problems and artificial, overblown scandals. Independent protests transcending the double-dealings of the parliamentary opposition have only gained momentum in the last few months, and even these have largely failed to provoke a meaningful response from elected representatives.
This article is inspired by the story of a friend of mine who had been hitchhiking. She told me how happy she was that the cult musician who had given her a free ride “had also had enough”.
Well, I’m happy to hear that.
And yet, if the country is so full of discontent, how can life go on almost undisturbed?
During the last local election (in 2006) I ran as the representative of the Humanist Party. When collecting the qualification notes (required to simply acquire the opportunity to qualify and compete) I was regularly confronted by people who told me that they wouldn’t support the representative of a small, unknown party, no matter how young and appealing he may be, because they have completely lost faith in politics and don’t believe in anyone as a matter of principle. (Or because they rejected political activity per se, or “Anyway, the janitor told us that the qualification notes were to be handed over to him”. That’s how it works.) I wouldn’t bring up the example, if it were an isolated one. A good deal of small groups usually contests local and parliamentary elections. Their success is, however, mild, to say the least.
These tiny parties generally fail to collect enough qualification notes, not only because the activists of the big parties grab them up, but because the nauseating effect of big politics makes their potential supporters passive. The difference is crucial.
The passive citizen is almost as reliable and steady of a supporter of the ‘hated system’ as the small group of enthusiastic fans and crowds of protest voters. She or he consumes, pays taxes, votes every day with his/her money and silence, supports and legitimates. And there is no need to fear that she or he will disturb the system, because she or he has learnt the lesson well: politics is dirty, and it is better to stay away, not care, not ask, not influence. The attitude of total passivity is one of the most terrible symptoms of the Hungarian economic, environmental and social crisis – an attitude which seems, quite surprisingly, to be less widespread in neighbouring countries. Are things doomed to stay this way?
If you want to change the symptoms of all this, you don’t have to step on the filthy turf of big politics. There are also NGOs working to improve things in this damned country. It is not difficult to bump into people thinking the same way, potential allies working toward the same goal as yourself. It’s simply not true that your best bet to demonstrate your anger and dissatisfaction is by marching, together with other frustrated fellows under the good old nationalist flag. The list of associations and activities is virtually endless: sick children, homeless people, trade unions, defenders of local heritage, and animal rights supporters. All these groups are in dire need of reliable volunteers, willing to help with putting up posters or summarizing an expert opinion. Those who have no time to participate can still chose to support those who have decided to get active by donating a few thousand forints, which the NGOs will use efficiently. Everybody can only be expected to offer as much as they can really give; those who can only do a little should do a little. If somebody has a bit more intelligence, resources and money, then it is hardly acceptable if they spend all their life enjoying themselves while forgetting about others - especially, if they tell you that they care about their environment and have had enough anyway.
There are some good examples as well. In Terézváros, an inner district of Budapest, citizens are getting ever more active and organised against a local government gone mad. But the trend is still weak. It won’t be of a great deal of help if we only wake to the rumble of imminent ecological disaster... Today less then 30 % of us chooses to donate (to some charity or NGO) the one percent of his/her tax on personal income, even though it doesn’t cost us a penny. Which one of us dares to interfere if the wife or children are being beaten next door? And who is willing to stand up for the rights of the exploited and betrayed?
We would not be here, if the imprinting weren’t so strong in society: “Our fate is decided by those standing ’above’”, “You don’t really think it’s possible to change that?!”, “If only there was someone to help!”, “Politics is the game of the elite - it’s better to keep your distance” - you hear resounding from every corner. In exchange we are all presented with the opportunity of becoming happy consumers...
And yet, this doesn’t have to be this way. Just to give you an example: in France it was suggested that sending the postman to each and every farm is a waste of money and time. But the idea was turned down, out of fear of potential protests…
I urge you: let’s resist, let’s organise! Or at least support those who dare to resist and organise. Or at the very least don’t complain. Not now, nor later.
VAY, Márton
The author is the member of Védegylet
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