I am not surprised. But Ervin Hladnik Milharčič nicely put into words these and such madness in Dnevnik.
Ervin Hladnik Milharčič, Dnevnik.
On Monday morning I was pedaling uphill on Congress Square in Ljubljana and at Slovenska Street spotted an acquaintance standing disciplined at the end of a short queue.
"What are they offering?" I asked. "Came for the third dose." There weren't more than ten or twelve people in front of him. I joined the queue and waited myself. Satisfied to stand with a clear goal ahead.
I remembered the late Juri Gustinčič who told me how it was end of thirties last century in Moscow. Due to fanciful economic policy in dilettantes' hands there was often shortage of most essential basics. When his mom spotted a queue in front of shop, she joined and only after securing place asked what they sell. When things ran out, authorities hurried accusing population that they are guilty for empty shelves cuz they got into consumer mentality and greedily buy necessary goods. Dialectical materialists in power rejected with disgust idea that in such circumstances consumerism can develop only as mentality, not practice. I already saw reeducation camp ahead.
There under plane trees with yellowing leaves it dawned on me that I completely misunderstood Slovenia. I saw it only as what it isn't. Constantly hear complaints we don't live in liberal democracy, but dictatorship it isn't either. Europe isn't either. It's something Central European dark reminding of central Balkans, but Central Europe isn't either. Western neither. Balkans not at all. Not even state, just administrative unit. Without state. Less and less respect for citizen rights, human fenced with barbed wire, in ultimate consequence no democracy anymore. Nice picture. But political systems not defined by what they aren't, but what they are.
What is it? Land where life determined by strict measures that last only one day cuz overnight opposite measures adopted. In between list of exceptions compiled longer than list of people for whom measures apply. Result transparent. Nobody ever knows which measure in force at any moment. Health on verge of collapse, so we buy tanks. All citizens constantly in violation. So logical authority blames them for all wrong and takes appropriate measures against them. Citizens guilty for all, so collectively punished. Political system that worked like that called stalinism. No need to coin new names.
Stalinism also explains why current PM and comrades at every opportunity talk of communism, communists and their time. This is their time. No other they understand. Cuz by nature prone to extremes, they model on its most extreme version. Otherwise can't explain their acting. Some trivia of crisis acting. Prescribe surgical masks mandatory in public. But no masks anywhere in country. Yet mandatory. Shock worker home knowledge makes them from paper tissues and elastics. Useless but still mandatory. When sufficient arrive from friendly China, only recommended. Measure talks of vaccination for all. But no vaccine. When vaccine there, its healing and harmful effects change week to week. When too much vaccine, nobody wants. So long queues and endless bad mood in front of health centers. Government Nobel medicine laureate finds public health centers guilty, not bad vaccination coordination he leads himself. So they made fool of population stalinists.
Coincidences? No. That's system. Last week Slovenia reached first place world in infected per million. Announced fateful session of state political leadership and press conference highest people's reps. Crisis! Health minister demanded radical measures, state closure and iron fist against undisciplined citizens. Nothing less, or resign. Most responsible to explain matters.
No measures, only propaganda. Leadership not at press conference either. Health minister came alone defend government that didn't adopt measures he demanded himself.
That's how Josip Visarionovič Stalin, stalinism inventor acted. At highest Soviet body meetings demanded discussion of his measures and vote. Here and there someone voted against. Stalin ordered him to implement measure. Only after dissatisfied implemented, went to gulag. Health minister can calmly demand status victim of previous regime.
Government can be accused many things. But nobody say inconsistent. Acts by plan and punishes every deviation from line. Its senior cadres at most responsible posts all hardened party members in row. Younger cadres descendants of hardened party members. Party line leads only one way. East. To Poland government just promised brotherly help building Berlin wall against Belarus.
Before us only Carpathians. This year Slovenia finally became independent state sovereignly deciding its past.