Is something I'm wondering a lot these past few days, watching the political debacle in my country. A lot's being said about the unlikely far-right (allegedly) political candidate that surprised everyone by sweeping through the first round of our presidential elections. Now, in a poor man's mirroring exercise of the US, Romania's being asked to choose between an extremist, fascist psycho and a liberal patsy that doesn't look like she can string along two sentences. Business as usual, except what surprises me is the ease with which people are once more manipulated into strong, almost militant stances.
Less than 24 hours after the first round of election ended, there were young people protesting in the streets (illegally, one might add), demanding this "extremist" guy be executed. That we lynch him. That we, at the very least, go out and vote, protecting our democracy. External tribunals are being asked to intervine. Surely, something must be done. I see on social media random joes and janes who don't know the first thing about politics posting compulsively about what a psycho this guy is and how our country will be ruined if he's elected president.
On election night, a friend texted me this guy's extremist views. Someone who heard someone translating for the social media mob, of course. Because that's how we're supposed to get information now. Among the stances this guy, Putin's agent no less, is supposed to be taking is an anti-NATO and anti-EU one. I texted back saying if only, to which my friend, shocked, texted back:
so you support this guy?!!
I took a beat before saying no and reminding her that an hour ago, neither of us had even heard of this guy, not really. It had taken my friend less than an hour to decide this guy was some Satan's spawn that the country needs protecting against. It's been several days, yet I remain undecided and somewhat skeptical.
I have taken some time listening to the man himself speak (I don't need others to translate, thank you) and I have to say he's quite compelling. Listening to him, it's a shock there's so many people against him. All he seems to talk about in the current context is how he wants to keep the peace and doesn't want our boys dying in someone else's war. Sounds fair to me. I can get behind that. Of course, it's an active exercise, reminding yourself that talk is cheap. That if this guy is, indeed, a Russian agent (and the pro-Russian channels I follow do seem to promote him aggressively), out children will be regarded as canon-fodder. I very much doubt, given Romania's position, that the choice is between war and peace. Seems much likelier we're only choosing between canons.
Nevertheless. What's shocking to me in the extremist reactions of so many people, a lot of young people especially, in this country is that they're doing the same thing as they did during the lockdowns. Then as now, the real frightening thing was how easily we're willing to believe our friends and neighbors, the people we've known a lifetime, that they're actually crazy extremists looking to kill us.
You support this guy? Fuck you. You'll go vote for him in the next round? Then they shouldn't let you vote. You're crazy. You're gonna destroy our country.
That seems the consensus among these exalted worriers. Really? Between me, whom you've known for years or at the very least have a more meaningful, deeper bond with, and social media propagandistic outlets, you're gonna choose them?
A lot's been said since the Covid thing died down, a lot of people have discussed what's been learned, on both sides. It's frightening and depressing to me to see how little we've actually learned. Because as long as we're willing to write off our brothers and sisters as crazy extremists (at the behest of some faceless puppet-master), we've learned nothing.
It doesn't matter if it's war or another pandemic or who knows what other unscripted disaster they throw at us next, as long as we don't trust and lack faith in one another so blatantly, I'm sorry to say, we're fucked anyway.
It's also frightening how many morons get a vote. And I'm not basing that on their choice of candidate. They both seem bad to me. I'm basing it on how easily they align themselves, how quickly they make themselves rabid at their fellow man, because some rando on the Internet tells them to.
We are not beasts to be set against one another for others' entertainment. Indeed, no. Beasts of spectacle at least have a driving reason like hunger or fear to tear out the throat of other animals.
All we seem to have is this empty, tin sense of intellectual and moral superiority. And they're right. Their choice of candidate does say so much about them and how gullible, vapid and harebrained they are.
Before, I thought the fact that I have no idea what's truly going on politically should be a reason to abstain from voting. Belatedly, I realize it makes me an ideal voter.
