‘Fork’ Situation

It is necessary to act decisively.

Most enterprises in Belarus are experiencing a non-standard situation for both workers and management. Management is at a loss. Lack of sales caused a massive reduction in the workload. For example, Grodno enterprise Radiowave almost completely sent home the entire work collective. Some of them received 2/3 of their salary, without bonuses and other allowances, while others were sent on unpaid vacation.

The backbone giant Grodno Azot, despite the fact that it is under sanctions from Western countries, was also deprived of one of its main partners - Ukraine. Nitrogen fertilizers will not return there anymore. Now there is no way to circumvent sanctions through Ukraine, let alone export fertilizers to Ukrainian fields.

It will also hurt technology. Almost all equipment in Belarus' factories is either manufactured by Western countries or using their technology. The ban on the use and purchase of technology will affect all production facilities, from light industry to chemical industry. Machines, technological schemes, everything that was built up over years to improve the processes will fall into oblivion.

And this painful situation has befallen the absolute majority of enterprises. Accordingly, all budgetary spheres of life, since the industrial sector is one of the main sources of the budget. People of different professions simply do not know what to do at the moment. The huge package of sanctions imposed against the Putin and Lukashenka regimes will make the lives of Belarusians more difficult. There's little choice now: either you'll simply be kicked out, or there's a chance to stop the lawlessness.

I think everybody has already faced the lack of price tags in the stores. Everyone has seen the dollar exchange rate and the sharp rise in price of absolutely everything. The war Putin and Lukashenka started will set our country back for decades. It would destroy the economy, which has never properly developed, and deprive it of foreign investment. It will prohibit the acquisition of new technologies and the use of old ones. There will be no analogous spare parts for the equipment we work with, if it breaks down or is scheduled for repair. It is unlikely that anyone will be able to function properly under such conditions.

One should understand that we, in fact, have no choice. The government, which guaranteed us peaceful skies, started a war. First, against us, and then they let enemies onto our territory. Two political criminals are trying to decide our fate. The vast majority of Belarusians oppose the Rascist troops on our territory and the war. Well, maybe it's time to turn on the brain and start deciding our own fate!

There is a fork situation in a chess game. This is when one chess piece simultaneously attacks two or more enemy pieces, increasing the chances of winning regardless of the time interval or number of moves. As a rule, it is a pawn or a knight, that is, fairly ordinary pieces that can decide the outcome of the whole game.

For us, Belarusians, this war began in 2020. Non-violent resistance is our original strategy. We have tried many things: mass protests, white ribbons, chains of solidarity, letters to administrations and much more. But we realized that flowers can't win against truncheons.

There is only one peaceful option left which should be dispersed to the maximum - a complete standstill in the country. This fork simultaneously help our brothers Ukrainians and solve the issue inside Belarus. I am confident that joint efforts and decisive methods will help to stop the dictators. Unfortunately, we simply do not have time to "think a little more". Every day, every minute, inaction takes the lives of civilians, throws us back into the Middle Ages. We must act decisively. Let us stop the war together.

Long Live Belarus!

Artem Chernikov, especially for Basta! Telegraph channel