29 March 2024, Friday, 9:08
Support
the website
Sim Sim,
Charter 97!
Categories

Path To Freedom Begins With Square

123
Path To Freedom Begins With Square

Lukashenka will leave. There is no other option.

It would be better to do this now, until he caused irreparable harm. It may be too late after. One should leave in due time. And even better - ahead of time. One shouldn’t wait until the thunder bursts out. And he hesitated. He stayed for too long. He was sure that everything would settle down, get arranged somehow, that he would manage to sort it out. And he mistaken – nothing has settled down.

The country has revolted. Minsk, Vitsebsk, Homel, Mahilyou, Maladzechna, Babruisk, Brest, Rahachou, Orsha ... Has it ever happen before? And this is all - just the beginning.

Not only media in our country, but also outside the country speaks and writes about the Marches of anger as about the protest actions against the Ill-fated decree number three. And if it’s so, it's not frightening at all. It’s not a big deal – just abolish it and forget. And then again there will be silence and peace of a dull stagnation.

If everything was so simple! It seems that the spring, which we have awaited for so long, has come at last. The long lasting delusion goes away with melting snow. We feel signs of a close thunderstorm everywhere. Thunder roars across the horizon. Nature and the country yearn for renewal. A delirious twenty-three-year dream, which many considered to be eternal, has ended suddenly. Belarus has woken up.

But as it always happens before the storm, suddenly a whirlwind came. It reared the vertical. Court chickens began to panic. The top echelon is startled. Where from have people come to the squares? Who let them open their mouths and resent? And the power held an urgent meeting on the situation in the Palace of Independence. Vertical brainstorming. It's when one solo, and the others show full readiness to obey. One question is on the agenda: what to do? More precisely, to abolish the ill-fated decree on parasites or to stand firm on one's own. They have swallowed so many other no less odious decrees, orders and regulations and they didn’t bother them. And they react to this decree as if it has made the world come to an end. However, it was still curious to know if they disown absurd invention or demonstrate steadfastness again.

Emanation of energy from the fateful event was so powerful that random passers-by recorded unexplained phenomena near the ЦАЛ ДИР БИЕ (TSAL DIR BIE) building. Eyewitnesses claim that a tiny Stalin suddenly appeared in the area of special control. He frolicked happily on the dried lawn, puffing his pipe. It was visible that it was really him even from the nearest bus stop. The same painfully familiar mustache, trouser strips and even shoulder straps with a big star - like the ones that the local Commander-in-Chief has. Only the leader was very small for some reason – a dwarf to the life.

And at that moment the ruler gave a harsh glance to the obediently inclined heads of his companions in the brainstorming room and, imagining that they were the peoplehood, said in the most severe voice: “This is an ideological, moral decree. It will not bring the state any big money. The purpose of this decree is to force those who can work and who should work to work.”

Here it is, the key word of all this mayhem with the decree - to force! How can such be canceled? Everything is like under the Bolsheviks: "If you can’t, we will teach you. If you do not want to, we will force you!" Why have they hung around doing nothing for so long? Why have they been twisting and cheating? Why have they invented some five hundred dollars, which allegedly every worker would be earning in the distant future? Why did they need all this fuss, if the well-tested Stalin's ax had always been laying under their bench. They took it out and took a swing – we'll force you! Ah, it’s working good enough.

The kobold on the sunny lawn grunted contentedly and disappeared in a light ring of smoke. There are no grounds for anxiety: this smart cohort will not let him down. The leader died, but his deeds live. Only decorations change. The essence is the same. We will force you, and that's it!

Belarus will be the first country in the world to finish unemployment in record time. The ruler has decided so. Before May 1 - just think about it! - the most complex social problem will be solved. The idea is brilliant, and most importantly – no investments needed. Just everyone who was not lucky, should pick up entrenching tools and go to labor shift to build and repair fences. And then to paint those fences in lively colors. Here are your long-awaited jobs. The fight against unemployment always begins with an unexpected idea. Once in Europe some retired corporal invented autobahns to occupy loafers. The Bolsheviks went their own way - sawmilling, the Belomor Canal. And here - fences. Cheap and easy. And most importantly - beautiful!

Only this spring, not wanted by anyone, spoils the picture of the general well-being. The strange, unpredictable spring. Whence suddenly came the thundercloud on our ever serene horizon? And this thunder seem to sound from all sides. It seems that it even comes from under the ground. How come there’s a tectonic shifts in quiet Belarus? Ok, we’re not speaking about Minsk – there have always been enough of those dissatisfied with the authorities. But look, the whole country has stirred up.

Such a sea of human insults, impenetrable misery, irresistible hopelessness have suddenly splashed out to the streets and squares of Belarusian cities, that those who were directly involved in the creation of this nationwide disaster, should had felt how the remains of their conscience and shame awoke for all that they had done. How did they manage to create a grand crisis in a country with an established economy, with such educated, enterprising, hard-working people? But they managed to! They felt with their guts that there was not enough money for everyone. And they fudged a state for a narrow circle. A state built on lies, cynicism and unreasonable hatred to those who are not in their company. And now they are shocked to the depths of the soul: how could it all suddenly come into motion? Who allowed them to come to the squares? Who didn’t check the strength of the walls and didn’t screw up the nuts?

The authorities haven’t yet understood and assessed the scale and essence of what is happening these days. Officials from vertical power still believe that all they need is to scare people a bit, to promise them some trifles and everything will calm down. That a heavy thundercloud will turn into a light cloud. That all they need is to find the instigators stirring up the electorate otherwise devoted to the leader. That they need to demonstrate foxery and artfulness and everything will be as it used to be before. The Ruler even expressed his displeasure to his assistances: one must go out to the people and explain everything.

And they came out to the people. Two or three vertical power officials. In Hrodna, when a column of protesters approached the city executive committee. The same number of then appeared on the square in Rahachou. Some lady, who expressed the assumption that all protesters were paid. And some ideologist of the pig complex, who tried to act as a prosecutor. The conversation with these officials resembled the fantastic contact of earthlings with aliens. However, a “PM” in Mahilyou broke all records. He came to people with a loudspeaker, ready for fiery speeches. But one of the protesters tried to ask him a question. And he barked furiously: "Shut up!"

Such an unparagoned dialogue between the authorities and the people. Two phrase determine the essence of the moment: "we will force" and "shut up!" They didn’t manage to understand that it was not a matter of their lawless decree. This is just a drop in the sea of disgrace done by the regime. The patience has come to an end. Those disgusting people tried to create an irremovable power. Their insolence and obtrusiveness offended the nation. And nothing can stop it now.

...25th – Freedom Day. Do not forget, do not oversleep, do not miss. There are days when you cannot stay aside. It's a shame to live in the center of Europe and be taken captive by a bunch of rogues. The path to freedom begins with the Square. We’ve got a real opportunity to pass this way this spring.

Uladzimir Khalip, especially for Charter97.org

Write your comment 123

Follow Charter97.org social media accounts