“LONG LIVE THE GRANDPARENTS
OR
TRAGEDY WITHOUT HERO”
Written and edited
by
Dimitri Gugunava
February 14th
2010
Chapter One
Once Upon A Time…
Chapter Two
Dymovskiy
Chapter Tree
“Inglourious Basterds”
Chapter Four
Long live the grandparents or Tragedy without hero
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Chapter One
Once Upon a Time
He developed and created things that are nowadays called: politics, Mac Book, economy, market, law, cheese, laptop, democracy, Google, McDonalds’, money, another kind of money, one more kind of money etc., gave names to the continents, learnt different languages…
He did everything to live easier.
Rewind Backwards. Much earlier there was an ancient Greek.
Medea (Greek: Μήδεια, Mēdeia)
1. A woman in Greek mythology.
2. Name of ancient Greek tragedy written by Euripides, based upon the myth of Jason and Medea and first produced in 431 BC. The plot centers on the barbarian protagonist as she finds her position in the Greek world threatened, and the revenge she takes against her husband Jason who has betrayed her for another woman.
Euripides (Ancient Greek: Εὐριπίδης) (ca. 480 BCE – 406 BCE)
The last of the three great tragedians of classical Athens.
One of the most known Greek tragedies is Medea by Euripides, which is part of collection of Ancient Greek epic poems “The Epic Cycle”.
From the archaic period of myth we find a different Medea; one who did not kill her own children. Euripides’ inclusion of this in his version is said to be because he was “bribed with fifteen talents of silver to absolve them [the Corinthians] of guilt”. In one of the myths the Corinthian are responsible for her children’s deaths. But perhaps it also made for a more dramatic end to his story, and the added infanticide exacerbated the complexity and otherness or foreign qualities of his main character.
If Euripides did indeed take a fifteen talent bribe to write Medea as a murderer, perhaps he left the ending open enough for some to think she had the intention from the beginning, of rejuvenating her children, thereby absolving her in some way of murderous intent.
This short bribe-story happened in about 431 BC when Euripides was finishing his tragedy.
[Remark: At first sight this is nice start of my final paper, but in fact it is false start in Tarantino style.
Anyway the introduction was about corruption in ancient Greek and in my opinion it is much less boring start then it would be copied definition of corruption and bribe from Wikipedia or some not famous web-pages.]
But today...
We are taught that Athens was the heart and the beginning of democracy. As we are also taught that “more democracy” means “less corruption”, and the meaning of “democracy” of Athens and modern explanation of this word are the same, I think that idea of democracy in Athens was a false start too.
But, anyway it was start and it was once upon a time...
Chapter Two
Dymovskiy
/Friedrich Nietzsche/
“I’m not afraid of death”: these words made one sad-eyed Russian policeman an internet star. Millions of people saw this recording, which was uploaded on YouTube by major Dymovskiy. With this video Dymovskiy applies to prime-minister of Russia, Vladimir Putin to ask him to clear the rows of police from corruption. He says that he is “bored with his rude chiefs”, he is “bored with his colleagues who don’t care about low payment, because they know that they will get a lot of bribes” and most of all he is “bored with running after innocent people” just to fulfill the plan.
After this recording major Dymovskiy became the symbol of brave soldier fighting against corruption, the fighting which is the job of Dmitry Medvedev’s life, as he says.
The reader of this chapter may be surprised (as the writer of this chapter was surprised at first), but Aleksei Dymovskiy wasn’t murdered. They just found out that this thirty-two years old blond man was already old and he lost the job.
[Remark: He should be thankful to the god.]
But this video monologue troubled everyone from north to the south. And this is just the start of great confess. After this “not killing” seven more policemen and procurator members uploaded their own videos on YouTube.
One ex-procurator and one ex-policeman from the north city Ukhta described in details how were two young men condemned to life imprisonment for burning down the commercial center, while these young men are absolutely innocent.
Every driver in Moscow has already had contact with police and they freely can imagine that reality is much gloomier.
The number of terrorized foreign companies grows up day by day.
Last summer group “IKEA”- the symbol of rising of middle class, on the ninth anniversary of being in Russia declared that they were stopping all the projects of development for the reason of
corruption. The problems began already on the opening day of the first shop of “IKEA” in 2000. This giant Swedish company was forced to hire diesel-generators, because the electricity company requested bribe for giving electricity. And the most interesting in this story is the end. It found out that the generators rent company and Electricity Company were operating together.
While trying to find some useful information about my final paper, under the recommendation of Google, I visited web-page of Transparency International. Thanks to Google!
I found out that Russia is in the list of most corrupted countries. And I asked myself: “How could it happen?”
Corruption existed in Soviet Union too. The problem of deficit should have cut someway and people got used to using cunnings. Butter was changed into gloves etc. After this, the black markets developed and corruption became the part of Soviet life. Administrative machine became the group of white-collar criminals. Even ordinal stamp cost some money. Official’s every gesture had its tariff. And the sum of all this was billions of Manets.
Nowadays all this is fulfilled by the bribes of employers, and not only Russian employers to get the market.
Russians are used to it as it is the part of their lives and government does nothing but making formal declarations and day by day corruption is becoming all-embracing.
Chapter Tree
“Inglourious Basterds”
Corruption perceptions index is an international research which is done by international transparency and by this index each country gets some points. In 2003 this index for Georgia was 1, 8. The maximum point is 10. From 2003 this point was growing and in 2008 it was 3, 9. But it doesn’t mean that everything is as well as government says. We’ve got 3, 9 from 10.
There is no doubt that nowadays there are some spheres where there is no more corruption. Ex. national exams, passport service1, police... but there are still some problems in the courts, in government’s purchases... Business? – I think that only organized law system isn’t enough for the problem solution. The main thing is to feel protected with the law. Few weeks ago I was watching one program on TV where Kakha Bendukidze was a guest he was speaking about the connection between free market and Charles Darwin. It was really interesting and there was one phrase, which I remembered: “Free market means the situation where everything can be sold except court. Court must be independent.” As I’ve said there are still some problems in our courts, so... We’ve got problems. “Today there are no big businesses that aren’t just controlled by the government, but aren’t belonging to the government. And nomenclature business – oligarchy is presented in Georgia with its classical form.”- said Niko Orvelashvili few months ago and I don’t think that this statement is very far from truth. While talking about the role of government in the corruption, I remember one famous expression “Two people are needed to dance tango”, so we can’t ignore the participation of private sector while speaking about corruption and bribe. In my opinion private sector is not only a victim of corruption, but it is actually participator as well.
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1 In 2006 when I was taking my ID for the first time I was in very interesting situation. Time passed and now, after 4 years I understand the meaning of that unimportant conflict. The conflict was between my father and service officer. When I needed ID I went to the passport service agency and left my data. In a few days I went there with my father to get my ID. We took this id, paid 2 Laris and were just leaving the building, when my father noticed a sign on the exit door. The IDs are free! He felt insulted and got angry. I won’t say what happened, but the end was that the service officer was abused and we got our two Laris back.
What are the main factors of corruption in post soviet countries? As I’ve read, listened, watched a lot I have my opinion. Here it is:
- Economical development. Its acknowledged truth, that material welfare is needed for effective struggle against corruption.
- Public administration.
- Common business climate. The easier it is to do business in the country the less is corruption.
[Remark: Maybe this is not excellent list but it’s my opinion.]
As I found out in Azerbaijan government still takes money for services like, passport, id or driving license services.
One more interesting fact from Caucasus. In Armenia one of the televisions was visited by tax structures and was given a penalty for 75’000 $ just because this television televised the full version of declaration of the government’s opposition’s leader’s speech. They’ve got big problems too.
In this case we can freely speak about relationship between corruption and democracy.
I know, I know... Reader of this chapter is asking why I made such title.
The reason is the government, who says that they have defeated corruption on this land. They’re lying. Why?
International day of fighting against corruption in Georgia was celebrated by Georgian police. Four lawyers were arrested after unmasking in corruption. But there is no fact for last two years of arresting officials for that reason. Government explains that fact and says that corruption no more exists in high echelons.
As the last questionings say, Georgians don’t think about the problem of corruption as much as they did last few years. National Agency of Public Registry, State Archive, Police service centers and other service centers don’t request any extra fee. And surprise! As National Transparency says we’ve got 4, 1 from 10 points and we are in 66 less corrupted countries’ list. But 4, 1 is too far from 10.
Anyway, according to this “4, 1”, corruption isn’t the biggest problem of Georgia.
As it’s said in one old movie, state isn’t estimated by the number of problems, but its ability of fighting against problems. Georgia’s government says that they have reduced corruption, but they aren’t going to stop!
The officers of Constitutional Security Department of the Ministry of Interior, as a result of operative-investigative activities detain 3-4 people for corruption once or twice a week. Every week!
Last week they arrested arbiter and lawyer for taking and giving bribe.
[Remark: Criminal Code of Georgia contains several norms against corruption and penalty is too high.]
As the opponents of government say, Ministry of Interior is fighting against corruption in very low groups, while elite corruption is in the heyday of its fame. Every business is controlled by the government, meaning the high officials of present and ex-government: import sugar, buckwheat, clothes and even lottery business, giant state stocks of military equipment, building of roads, which is so popular in our country.
Young Lawyers’ Association was interested in the road building business and they made an investigation. As the head of this organization Tamar Khidasheli says: “We took one section of road and learnt how the process of tender was going, and we found a number of abrogations.
The case was about stock of services which cost millions and the information about this tender was known only in local area. They had to publish this information in newspaper. Besides some companies were disqualified without any reason. But the meanest thing that we found out was the company which won. Maybe it’s coincidence... (Joking) I don’t think it’s coincidence, that the winner company was the one which was financing “National Movement” (the ruler party), during the elections.
The president of Georgia in his speeches very often underlines that Georgia has one of the least corrupted government in the world. Even the organizations, which say that corruption level has reduced, don’t believe in these words.
In our country there is lack of democratic institutes that must the main arm against this disease. This will be the only way to have not short-term but long-term results.
This chapter isn’t over yet. It was the first part. The second one will be much smaller, but in my opinion very important.
II Part
Time will pass and some day, maybe years after from now, we, or our descendants will find out that all the nowadays estimations, all the findings of International Transparency, other international organizations, “experts”, ordinary people, even Tamar Khidasheli, were all wrong and the present rulers of Georgia are just inglorious...
Chapter Four
Long live the grandparents and Georgian gene or “Tragedy without hero”
I’ve got wonderful grandmother, she is 74. All the time she says, “If I had learnt as much as you do, I would become a professor.”
Now I’m sitting and thinking, if I were a president, would I give to my grandmother the title of professor?
This question was born in my head after I saw Mikheil Saakashvili’s grandmother’s visit to the zone of natural calamity.
Differently from my grandmother, as it seems, Mikheil Saakashvili’s grandmother wanted to become a philanthropist and she took Red Cross’s humanitarian goods to the victims of natural calamity. Yes, their rights, besides her Red Cross members also were there, but media wasn’t interested with them.
President’s grandmother was there!
If I was a president and my grandmother was maintaining a thesis, media will surely be interested with it. What’s the problem if no one knows the names of thousands’ professors?
Now, I’m trying to remember what did my grandfather wanted. Maybe he wanted to become a director of the zoo. But anyway there is no vacancy here, Mikheil Saakashvili is still president.
If anyone wants to become a zoo director, he should wait...
Mikheil waited and waited and waited for ten years and only after that drank tea.
If I were a president, my wife will be very lucky too. Corruption isn’t needed at all. You can get money without it. It doesn’t matter with what accent you will make an ad for children.
To cut a long story short, the most important thing is that you must be lucky and become a president.
or minister,
or governor,
or the chief of autonomy,
official!
And after that you’ll make your relatives wishes come true.
What can be better than that?
Long live the Georgian gene, clan and relationship!
COE, EU and democracy are not our business; Europe – where they even don’t know what does neighborhood mean.
Last year I visited one small city of Germany and nobody was in the street at night. Everyone was in his house. I’m sure they don’t even visit their grandparents.
National judge of Strasbourg Court Mindia Ugrekhelidze once said: “When you become the judge of this court you have to forget your nationality, not to examine your country’s case partially.”
Hm! Mr. Mindia, who will look after Mr. Mirtskhulava and Mr. Molashvili there in Strasbourg? Answer me!
So, my friends, long live the grandparents and Georgian gene!
Let’s drink this horn till the end!
[Singing: Mravaljamier...]
©დიმიტრი გუგუნავა. 2010
dimitrii shen xar chveni gmirii:))))))))
ReplyDeleteსაღოლ დიტო ;) კარგია :)
ReplyDeleteNice beginning. მაგრამ თვალები ამტკივდა და ბოლომდე ვერ ჩავედი. იქნებ თეთრი ფონი დააყენოთ?
ReplyDelete