Un (alt) nume pentru anul 2016

Am calatorit [prea] mult anul acesta. Business travel. Satui de zboruri lungi in Asia, am decis sa petrecem cateva zile de vacanta cu familia — de data asta mai aproape de casa, in Middle East.

Aneta plimbandu-se prin ceata, pe o plaja in Doha.
Aneta, Doha, 2016. Foto Cristian Kit Paul.

Azi ne-am plimbat pe o plaja stranie, inconjurata de o ceata intensa si cumva stralucitoare, iar Kit a facut fotografia asta — cand am privit-o, am avut sentimentul ca esentializeaza anul 2016. “In ceață”. Cu alte cuvinte — in confuzie, sub restrictia de a vedea clar. In fiecare dimineata a acestui an, mintea mea a fost lucida si m-a pregatit despre ce, si cum, trebuie sa fac lucrurile in acea zi; in fiecare seara — am stiut ca ceva neasteptat si nedorit s-a intamplat, si a trebuit sa refac puzzle-ul si sa incerc din nou, in ziua de apoi. Temeri, ingrijorare si lipsa de certitudini au definit acest an. “The New Normal” mi-am zis, si am mers mai departe. The new normal — definit ca o situatie neasteptata, atipica, dar care treptat inlocuieste standardul, uzualul.

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The brand (new) USA

The USA used to be perceived as the beacon of democracy and progress for modern times, but now that thought is scary.

The today happening (for lack of a better word) rather proves a branding systemic failure — more specifically, an unhealthy hypocrisy about the governing values of liberal tolerance, equal rights, elitism, and openness. The nation inventing the political correctness pushes in its front office a Chief Incorrectness Officer, and they (at least half of them) seem proud of it! For the people living in the geographies where communism was a dreadful experience for almost 50 years, this dissonance is thunderous, maybe because our post-communist ears are more sensitive to demagogy than the Western ears. 

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