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Jurnalul.ro Vechiul site Old site English Version Testing the despise towards the citizen

Testing the despise towards the citizen

de Ion Cristoiu    |    01 Apr 2008   •   00:00

The gap between dictatorship and democracy has to be looked for in the attitude towards the citizen.

The gap between dictatorship and democracy has to be looked for in the attitude towards the citizen. In real democracy, the citizen’s interest is beyond any other interests. The cases in which the authorities sacrifice the citizen’s interest in favor of other ones are quite rare. It usually implies the national interest. Even so, since we talk about great dangers that threaten a country, the democracies sacrifice certain interests of the citizen in order to follow other interests that are also his. For example, in case of terrorist danger, democracies doubt certain interests of the citizen for the sake of other interests of the citizen: like the one to live. Dictatorship pushes the citizens’ interest in the back row. If a dictator wants to be glorious as a result of a conflict with a neighbor state, the citizens’ interests are doubted.

 

As I wrote before, the NATO Summit represents a decisive test for our authorities. A test that doesn’t refer to the flawless organization of the summit, but to the organization in such a way that the citizens’ interest would not be seriously affected. Does this golden rule of democracy exist in nowadays Romania?

 

Of course not.

 

The ones that criticized the numerous traffic restrictions referred to the stress of the drivers. If we limit to that we risk not understanding the actual dimension of the authorities’ attitude as far as the Summit is concerned. This means we should think about the fact that, during the days before the Summit as well as during the Summit, there are people who have to fight against the iron rules of market economy in Bucharest in order to make a living. The private companies need their employees at work on time. But not just that. Like in any other market economy, the cars of the private companies have to travel through Bucharest. The traffic restrictions will force them to longer routes or to important delays. Who will pay for the damages of these companies? It isn’t simple for the budgetary employees either.

 

They have to stay at home during the Summit. They will work on Saturdays to recuperate. However, a citizen in capitalism plans his days of rest. Even so, the Government forces him to rest during the week.

 

The authorities even forbid the sale of alcoholic drinks in the vicinity of the area of the summit. Many people laughed about it since they couldn’t see a drunken person disturbing the summit. However, few people know that the store owners will receive compensations. Who will give them this money.

 

The Government estimated a cost of 26 million euros for the Summit. The money come from taxes. Why 26, but not 20 or 10 million euros? Is this all necessary? Shouldn’t the Government have thought about spending the money rationally before making a hole in the national budget? The foreign journalists said that, on such occasions, the security measures taken in Occident are:

 

1) time limitations, in order not to bother the common life.

 

2) the subtlety of the authorities, in order not to brutalize the citizens.

 

However, it is the other way around for Romania. The traffic restrictions appeared a week before the event, instead of being introduced a few days before the guests arrived. The police strive to be as rude as possible. Why is it different in the Occident?

 

Because, in Romania, democracy is not a way of life for the authorities. In other words, everything we call democracy is a shield that covers the real essence of the authorities: the dictatorial one. They say democracy is irreversible in Romania. Bullshit! A simple pretext would be necessary for the dictatorship to come back in an instant. Because dictatorship sacrifices the citizens’ interests for the sake of high interests. Don’t they say that Romania is much more interested in being the host of the great summit than in abiding by the citizens’ interests?

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