South-East Europe On Edge Of Civilization: Encouraging Public To Be Complacent With Mediocrity – Essay

Cynicism of mediocrity is a lack of eyesight and a surplus of blindness (S.H.)

If you just put aside 30 minutes and see the popularity of mediocrity (so-called “celebrity, intellectual and elite people”) within the area of South-East Europe you will be able to completely confirm Noam Chomsky’s tenth strategy for manipulation:

“To encourage the public to be complacent with mediocrity … Promote the public to believe that the fact is fashionable to be stupid, vulgar and uneducated…”

So, let’s begin:

In Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Albania, Kosovo*, Slovenia it all too often appears that the most popular people are those for whom we are, usually, saying that they are stupid, vulgar and uneducated – politicians, drug dealers, tycoons (owners of the soccer clubs), red-neck singers, criminals. Indeed, even if we do not mention several individual cases of athletes, soccer and tennis players, the most popular ones are those listed above.

Why?

Simply put, because it can be shown that this is the ultimate goal for everybody to reach their maximum potential is through identifying themselves with the above-mentioned types of people, instead of being identified with inventors, university professors, humanitarian volunteers, writers and scientists.

Again, why?

Because, in that case you will not ask expletive questions regarding any of the truly important issues. Instead, you will simply adjust yourself to the general setup of stupidity, vulgarity and uneducated sense of living.

But, let us see if the people with whom we are identified are really just that?

Stupidity

THEY: All of them have good positions, income and decision-making posts within society, regardless of their quotient of intelligence.

US: We can dream about that and through identification, at least, become like them, regardless of anything. Just being like them. Being stupid or not.

Vulgarity

THEY: It is so funny when we hear and see them cursing each other through the yellow (or in public) press and it shows that they are just like all of us, simple people.

US: They are fashion-makers and if they curse, we can do so also.

Uneducated

THEY: Even though they have finished only “evening schools” or not any school at all, they have everything! Even, if they went through some schools and/or university, the school and/or university did not go through them at all.

US: Why would we not do the same? Who gives a sh…t about school if it is easy to be like them.

Outside of the region, if we look at some of the former presidents of USA (George W. Bush, Ronald Reagan, maybe…or Sarah Palin as one of the candidates to become one?) we are able to see that it is a general problem (or solution) for the whole world. Not to mention that politician leaders within the South East Europe region — among which you can count on the fingers of one hand — how many of them deserve respect (out of thousands).

Are we faced with Conspiracy theory?

Not at all, but just with the plan of the rulers all around the world to make it easy to govern, by becoming stupid, vulgar and/or uneducated, and making it easier for them to be much easier manipulated.

For what cause?

Since Plato’s time – The state will never cease to exist. We have just to adjust our Media (il)literacy to it. More we know who they are, the less manipulated we will be.

How to achieve that?

Easy, through the implementation within the curriculum of schools, from the primary level and up to university level, the following subject:

Media literacy

Why?

To upgrade the knowledge towards the establishment of a society that will serve their citizens. Not to manipulate them. It will be a very difficult trip, but the longest trip starts with the first step and to upload the essence instead of the shape.

Has anybody in the World made it? Not yet.

Nobody would like to be the first one. It is more important nowadays to know more about Kim Kardashian or Justin Bieber than anything else, so far.

But, as I said, who will be the first?

There was this guy, 2015 years ago, who tried exactly something along these lines, including among other things for the good of the people to establish a society that would serve its citizens. The same citizens that he was trying to help, however, crucified him first and then afterwards glorified him. As usual, our (society at large) first step is always the wrong one.

Please, for the first time, let us begin with the right step.