Inspired by weather

During his visit to Germany, the Azerbaijani President once again spoke about the phenomenal successes of the country, the record pace of economic development, the rapid modernization of all spheres of life, the steady growth of the well-being of citizens and a high vote of people's confidence in the authorities. Almost at the same time, nature tested the power structures of "the widely stepping Azerbaijan" on the degree of readiness and efficiency in conditions of heavy snow and snowstorms. However, the weather is a weather, and it can create serious problems in any country. But this was not the case when the amazing two-day helplessness of the country could be attributed to the extraordinary vagaries of nature. Firstly, the February 5 and 6 February revelry was predicted in advance by the weather forecasters, and the appropriate government had enough time to properly prepare. Secondly, the predicted unfavorable conditions did not represent something out of the ordinary: it was a question of a sharp drop in temperature to 3-5 degrees below zero, a heavy snowfall and the hurricane wind that is customary for Baku to 27-30 m / s. After all, the efficiency and effectiveness of state structures are revealed precisely in such critical moments when it is necessary to show promptness, responsibility and ultimate mobilization.

The result is obvious: "Widely stepping Azerbaijan" could not stand the "banal" onslaught of bad weather. A significant part of the country, including many parts of the capital, remained without light, heat, gas and water for two days. The transport system for two whole days was completely paralyzed. Many citizens, left without light, gas, water and being actually blocked where they were overtaken by bad weather, were forced to somehow solve problems and only with displeasure asked: where do the authorities look?

And the authorities, apparently, are more accustomed to report successes than to prove it in practice. Listening to the speeches of state officials, you imagine yourself in the 70s and 80s of the Soviet stagnation: the flow of lacquered propaganda about the colossal successes of the country, the scale of modernization, the record pace of economic development, democratic gains, the triumph of order and justice, the growth of society's welfare, happy citizens, power for a beautiful life. At the same time, one has to plunge into reality, and at every step you come across another picture: with rampant corruption, bureaucratic and police arbitrariness, lack of freedom, injustice, unemployment, extreme social polarization, low living standards for a significant part of society, disbelief or discontent. This is the real underside, the back side of our propaganda about development and modernization.

Of course, Azerbaijan, thanks to the flow of petrodollars, is rapidly enriched, rebuilt and modernized. The appearance of the country and the capital is changing. Global projects are being implemented, the service sector is developing, infrastructure is being updated, etc. There is no reason to question the data on the growth rates of the economy, budget, GDP, investments, turnover, etc. All this and many other things speak of positive dynamics in the development of the country, but not in the lives of ordinary citizens.

Meanwhile, ordinary citizens, do not care about the record pace of economic development, budget and GDP growth, investment flow, strategic pipelines, billions in the oil fund, grandiose palaces and other projects, since this almost does not affect their daily lives. The older generation is already fed up with fables about communism in the old Soviet times; and the young people are pragmatic about resolving their specific personal problems. They do not care about the propaganda statistics of our present and future conquests, if real life at every step demonstrates the opposite: the rise in prices, stress, arbitrariness, irresponsibility, corruption, falseness and all sorts of domestic problems, absence of job, money and normal living conditions; if the first snowfall and gusts of wind reveal all the flaws in the system of state administration; if the reported colossal successes of the country do not lead to an increase in the level, quality and comfort of ordinary citizens' lives ?!

In fact, we again are in the split society where propaganda forms one picture and the realities form completely different picture of the lives of citizens and the country as a whole. In fact, all the recent speeches of the head of state and representatives of the ruling elite is a laudatory ode to "widely stepping Azerbaijan," which has already achieved triumphant successes and will soon overtake all countries of the world. Well, let it be. Meanwhile, we should not be happy with the development which is measured by the GDP, the budget and other macro-statistical indices, but by adequate positive changes in the lives of ordinary citizens. And for them, first of all, it is important that there are no permanent interruptions to light, gas, water and transport, so that wages allow you to live, and not a beggarly existence, so that you have confidence in the courts so that you do not feel like an outcast in your own country, so that laws worked and before them all were equal, to stop bureaucratic and police arbitrariness, so as your vote not be stolen in the elections, and freedom after the elections, etc. Even Aristotle said: "In the state, which wants to have a beautiful system, citizens should be free from worries about essentials." And he said: "The state is created not just for living, but mostly for living happily." Do the people in today"s Azerbaijan have more freedom and happiness? "This should serve as a measure of the degree of development of the country.