Tomorrow Or Today? :: Charter'97 :: News

Oftentimes we don’t have enough power and dwell in too bad a mood to mend a sparkling electric socket, leaking tap in the kitchen or put the book-shelf higher a bit, so that we wouldn’t hit it with our head every time. “I’ll surely do that tomorrow” we say. But tomorrow comes and we still are in no mood to do that. The things, which have to be done, get accumulated, the socket no longer functions well, the tap no longer opens and the shelf is turned upside down. All of a sudden you come to a realization that your apartment is all mess and you badly need good repair.

Sometimes you hope that things will go well at work. You only wish that they don’t annoy you and hopefully things will change for the better. Well, your boss humiliates you, but your little personal welfare depends on him. You better endure all hardships, otherwise the scandal will be unavoidable. Tomorrow, the boss can leave, for those, placed above him, will no longer tolerate such a dumb guy.

At times you start thinking that may be you should slap the door loud, tell your boss who he really is, take to the streets and demand the replacement of government, being no longer able to tolerate such abasement. But what if tomorrow the authorities retain their grip on power? Then you would have to answer for your thoughtless act.

***

Out tomorrow has been lasting for nine years now.

In April 1995 we figured that the beating of the Supreme Soviet deputies has been accidental. Someone simply was too heavy on them, but tomorrow things will surely turn for the better.

In November 1996 we pondered that Moscow leaders will come tomorrow and referendum will never happen. Then we thought that referendum wasn’t so scary, for the chairman of the Supreme Soviet personally called on the people to takes to the streets and defend their Constitution. Tomorrow everything was over and the former deputies in opposition swore an allegiance to the usurper.

In spring 1999, when Yuri Zakharenko went missing, we first thought that the man would show up tomorrow. We couldn’t believe that there can disappear people in our country, simply because they are opposed to the ruling regime. We somehow forgot about the ill-treatment of MPs and falsified referendum.

In fall 1999, when Viktor Gonchar and Anatoly Krasovsky disappeared, we once again thought that tomorrow things would be different, despite the beating of deputies and Zakharenko’s vanishing.

Same thoughts occurred to us after Dmitry Zavadsky disappeared in 2000.

When in 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002 they dispersed demonstrations and imprisoned people, many decided that it has nothing to do with their own “tomorrow”, being mere conflict between the government and opposition, after which they bewilderedly counted their miserable wages and wondered why they pay so much in taxes.

When in spring 2001 we could vote against the boorish authorities and then take to the streets and defend our choice, some people determined that it could be done later. And again, just like back in notorious November 1996, they called on people to go home and reassemble tomorrow. However, the next day the triumphant regime proclaimed their results of falsification.

We also harbored illusions that at the presidential elections Moscow will ultimately pick another candidate and tomorrow will usher in changes. It was similar to rabbit’s idea to crawl out of piton’s belly from the other end.

When they shut down independent newspapers today, while the journalists are sent to the “enforced labor camps”, some continue to deceive themselves that the newspapers will appear in print tomorrow and new journalists will replace the old ones. But that never happens, for they have already beaten the deputies, abducted politicians, dispersed protests and falsified the elections.

***

Resting our hopes with tomorrow we missed our today.

Europe gets closed with our very neighbors getting their worthy places in it. Lukashenko’s friendship with Kremlin adds nothing to our salaries and pensions. Despite loud pledges to keep medicine free, its real cost goes uphill. Businessmen lose their job, while we can no longer buy stuff at decent prices. Tame state trade union bosses strangle any attempts by workers to stand on guard of their interests.

We tested on ourselves the well-known law: once the nation is deprived of its voting right, misery is round the corner. The bankrupt authorities aspire to solve their problems at our expense. Skyrocketing prices on public utilities will keep growing, so will the prices on energy, foodstuffs, while the real wages will diminish and the pension age will get prolonged.

If we keep silent today we’ll see no tomorrow. We are too late with our repair works. So, if we don’t do it right away, we may lose our home once and for all.

***

As the saying goes, every nation deserves its government. It’s not about us, of course, is it? But rather about those, who are accustomed to lawlessness, who don’t care today for their own tomorrow and who are indifferent to a better life.